ahoffman

Hello All,
Looking to switch out OEm radio and kooky cd holder for nice / clean looking radio with bluetooth/ mp3 playing capability, etc. navigation maybe. Want minimal disruption to fascia and maximum ease of installation. I imagine I'm not the first one to go through this exercise? Thoughts on reasonably priced options (<$500).

Thanks in advance for any help here.

KoB

There are a lot of threads about this topic in the 996 forum. Searching can be a pain, but there's a ton of information here and on Renntech. That said:

Double DIN units have touch screens, maybe navigation, but require some cutting as well as relocation of the climate control unit.

A single DIN unit can provide Bluetooth, MP3, etc without alteration of the dash or relocation of the climate control unit.

A double DIN installation will require a more extensive installation kit, usually including the faceplate for the head unit, the fascia for the relocated climate control unit, and a cubby to replace CD holders.

For a single DIN, you won't need much more than the wiring harness adapters to connect the head unit to the existing power, speaker, and antenna connections. The exact adapters you need will depend on your car's original equipment, e.g. whether or not you have speakers in the doors. If you have CD holders and want to replace them with a cubby, you can get that separately as it is a standard Porsche part.

Under $500, you're probably not going to be able to do a nav system, but you can get a lot of nice functionality in a single- or double-DIN system. It sounds to me like single DIN would be your best bet for ease of installation and minimal dash modification. You can also get single DIN head units with customizable illumination, so you can match the look and feel of the 996 dash.

Take a look at Car Audio Innovations ... they're owned by a guy named Rod Birch, who has done a lot of Porsche installations (he owns a 996). I used one of their kits to install a double DIN Kenwood nav system in my 996 and the install went very nicely. Their site is:

http://cai-store.com/collections/996...-of-911s-99-04

For one-stop shopping, CAI may be your best bet -- Rod customizes the install kit to your exact car and provides good support. I emailed him with questions a couple times before doing my installation and he got back to me promptly with pictures and videos.

To get an idea of what's on the market, Crutchfield is a good resource. Put in the year/make/model and you can browse head units from most of the major manufacturers.

Hope this helps.

Porschelova

Good thread.
I don't want a double din. I think the simplistic look on the 996 is great. The other stuff makes it cheezy, but I do want to replace the original deck. CDs are starting to skip and i just want to play my iphone or whatever. I see KOB also called on CAI...do you still feel the same...they have this

https://cai-store.com/collections/99...rade-kit-98-02

12v Nick

The Alpine 149 is hands-down the best choice for a cab — we use 'em all the time in the 964 and 996 . The high-contrast display is easy to see in direct sunlight. Most unit's wash out. Great audio tuning section as well.