My factory unit finally died. What will look nice and fit in the dash as a replacement? Am/fm, CD, is what I want. I have separate amps.

thanks

 

Just an idea...

An MP3 compatible player will do all that an AM/FM/CD will do but in addition you can fit about 10 hours of music on a single disk! Personally I think it is a better solution than a CD changer.

Ever since I got a CD burner I no longer use the original CDs in the car. A copy goes in the car where it is apt to get scratched. The original stays at home. Besides, you can put the music on the CD any way you want.

Wayne

 

Alpine,the most conservative you'll find (assuming you're asking to avoid the bling - bling look most seem to have today.)

rjp

 

I recently replaced the radio in my 84. I wanted something conservative (not too many graphics) so it would somewhat match the Spartan interior of the car. Also, because the car was German I preferred a Blaupunkt. I ultimately went with the Blaupunkt Heidelberg. It wasn't very expensive (about $200 at Crutchfield), and it is pretty basic looking. It's loaded with features, and the sound is fantastic (I'm using MB Quart speakers). All things considered, I'm very happy with the new unit.

 

One thing I'm sure you have noticed with open air driving is how difficult it is to hear your music while at speed. Two years ago I had Rod Birch install a AM/FM/CD head unit (Kenwood Mask face KDC9011) with amp (Sony XM754HX) and sub woofers. You won't believe the difference. Rod is a list sponsor and good all around guy, go <a href="http://www.caraudioinnovations.com" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more.

 

I too went with Blaupunkt. The Alaska. Not absolute top of the line, but a decent CD player and receiver. Looks like it could have come standard with the car and fits right into the dash. Best place to get great deals on Blaupunkt car stereos is here: <a href="http://www.midwest-usa.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/mw_store/mw_shophome.html?E+mw_store" target="_blank">http://www.midwest-usa.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/mw_store/mw_shophome.html?E+mw_store</a>

 

I would suggest Alpine or Blaupunkt. They build very high qualtiy into a [usually] tasteful package.

The MP3 players are nice, but I would suggest going the extra mile.... get a head unit that has RCA in and then buy an iPod....I love having 4,000 songs in my car

 

I recently replaced my 86 stereo with a new Alpine I got from Crutchfield.

I really like how the Alpine is mostly black, with greenish/yellow buttons that match the fog light **** nearby. Crutchfield has no power wiring harness, however, just a couple speaker wire adapters. Very annoying.

The reception ain't so good. They say Alpine gets good reception; I'm sure the problem is the factory antenna

 

A tiny bit off topic - but do all the original eqpt Blaupunkts sound as bad as mine or is there something wrong with it. For $657 in '86 it should sound better. The orig owner was like me and would rather listen to the flat6.

I suspect the speakers are shot,I may replace them and go from there.

 

G-
It's all about the speakers, I always say. The ones i just pulled out of my '86 (original spkrs, i bet) were unbelievably bad.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Eric86Red911:
<strong>I recently replaced my 86 stereo with a new Alpine I got from Crutchfield.

The reception ain't so good. They say Alpine gets good reception; I'm sure the problem is the factory antenna</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Did you hook up the factory antenna amplifier?

 

Another vote for the blaupunkt heidelberg here... I put one in my 87 and it looks great. The nicest feature IMHO is the auxillary input on the back of the head unit. My XM radio and mp3 player both plug in through that. A much more dynamic and clean sound than you get with one of those little FM transmitters...

Also, as far as weak reception goes, make sure you hook the wire that feeds the antenna amplifier up when you install the new head unit. The OEM radio sends +12v out to the amp when it's turned on. If you don't power it, your radio will be worthless.

 

ANTENNA AMPLIFIER?!?! I had no idea it has one. Thanks. I suspect it's working, since the reception is decent. Just not great.

Does anyone know if there's such a thing as a wiring harness to fit into the OEM plastic connector? Or do most people just cut the OEM connector off and hard wire the new stereo?

 

I second the suggestion to check the ant. amp hookup. If you don't know that you hooked it up then you didn't. On my '88 is was a black wire wrapped around the reg. ant. cable. I ran w/ mine for a month before I discovered the problem.

I also HIGHLY recommend MP3 capibility, 70+ songs on 1 CD is great, don't need the hassle of a jukebox. Since mine is a Cab. I didn't have high requirements for Hi-Fi but it does make a BIG diff. over orig. stock.

Also, start w/ upgrading speakers, after 15 yrs. the stock speakers will be trash, just take them out and look, mine fell apart in my hand. I went w/ mid-price Infinity, big improvement.

Good prices at <a href="http://www.audio-warehouse.com" target="_blank">www.audio-warehouse.com</a>

Bill W.

 

Thank you Craig for the kind words! I enjoyed traveling up to your neck of the woods to work on your beautiful cabriolet. I have good memories of that Washington state trip, now that I'm tethered to my store.

For a low-key, oem look, I really like the Nakamichi stuff. Kenwood is another favorite for their fit with the black trim ring they have, and the revolving MASK face is a nice anti-theft feature that doesn't require you to remove the face every time you leave your car.

I echo the note about checking the power antenna booster connection if anyone is experiencing poor radio reception, especially right after someone installs an aftermarket deck. On 1985+ 911's the antenna is in the windshield with a separate antenna booster that needs a "turn on" 12 volt source when the radio is turned on, much like a power antenna. I have free instructions that detail radio, speaker, and amplifier installation in all 911's, plus questions, comments, and feedback are always welcome.

<a href="http://www.caraudioinnovations.com" target="_blank">www.caraudioinnovations.com</a>

I don't monitor these boards as much as the daily 911-993-996 digest I get...
-Rod