Thanks for the complements & encouragement. I am going to need them! Realistically, this project may take me a year or two (I have other hobbies that I sort of switch-off between, depending on the season).
bernzspeed & dogsbark, a CD43 isn't as bad as it seems (if you are coming from more feature rich modern HUs). I believe that the crappy radio reception can be resolved by using a 318ti antenna + amplifier base, both of which are readily available at online wreckers. Just ask them to toss in the rubber grommet on the antenna & I believe it is a straight bolt-in (maybe a little finagling to get the base mounted in the trunk). Check around here. Aside from the radio part, using CDs isn't so bad. I ran with a Pioneer MP3 deck for years, and while it seemed convenient, I actually like being confined to using regular CDs. A lot of songs I disliked (you know, "I only like 2 or 3 songs from this CD") turn out to be fine or even likable if listened to in order on the actual album. I think that artists actually order things pretty deliberately so it all works together. That's probably part of the reason that a lot of songs seem like crap on their own.
To get the CD43 to stay in place, you can try locking two thin nuts onto the stud on the back & then reaching around through the glove box to zip tie the HU onto that metal bracket on the heater core. The nuts help to keep the zip ties in place on the stud. I modded the HVAC panel to have tabs for the CD43 screw clamps, but that was a lot of work. I also use the zip ties in the back, as described, and I think it might be enough to keep it in place. I also put some 1/8" foam sheeting on the rear bracket to make it a little more "sticky." Good luck!
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Well, I am going to put this out there right now since I would feel bad if I got expectations aroused at this point: I am not going to even consider selling some sort of conversion kit. The costs involved would be astronomical due to the amount of hand-rework required. I COULD make some little PCB adapters for some things that would cut the rework requirements way down, but the chassis mods & stuff would still be many hours. To make it worth my while would probably amount costs that most would consider unreasonable.
I think I hinted at doing kits somewhere earlier in this thread, but that is entirely off of the table for now. Maybe in the future I could do a couple one-off duplicates, but I would probably charge a good $1000 for it (labor only). So, as I said, most people would consider that unreasonable lol. Since I try to be a reasonable guy, it seems best to just not offer. MAYBE once it is 100% done I'll have some better insight into making more.
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bernzspeed & dogsbark, a CD43 isn't as bad as it seems (if you are coming from more feature rich modern HUs). I believe that the crappy radio reception can be resolved by using a 318ti antenna + amplifier base, both of which are readily available at online wreckers. Just ask them to toss in the rubber grommet on the antenna & I believe it is a straight bolt-in (maybe a little finagling to get the base mounted in the trunk). Check around here. Aside from the radio part, using CDs isn't so bad. I ran with a Pioneer MP3 deck for years, and while it seemed convenient, I actually like being confined to using regular CDs. A lot of songs I disliked (you know, "I only like 2 or 3 songs from this CD") turn out to be fine or even likable if listened to in order on the actual album. I think that artists actually order things pretty deliberately so it all works together. That's probably part of the reason that a lot of songs seem like crap on their own.
To get the CD43 to stay in place, you can try locking two thin nuts onto the stud on the back & then reaching around through the glove box to zip tie the HU onto that metal bracket on the heater core. The nuts help to keep the zip ties in place on the stud. I modded the HVAC panel to have tabs for the CD43 screw clamps, but that was a lot of work. I also use the zip ties in the back, as described, and I think it might be enough to keep it in place. I also put some 1/8" foam sheeting on the rear bracket to make it a little more "sticky." Good luck!
------------------------------
Well, I am going to put this out there right now since I would feel bad if I got expectations aroused at this point: I am not going to even consider selling some sort of conversion kit. The costs involved would be astronomical due to the amount of hand-rework required. I COULD make some little PCB adapters for some things that would cut the rework requirements way down, but the chassis mods & stuff would still be many hours. To make it worth my while would probably amount costs that most would consider unreasonable.
I think I hinted at doing kits somewhere earlier in this thread, but that is entirely off of the table for now. Maybe in the future I could do a couple one-off duplicates, but I would probably charge a good $1000 for it (labor only). So, as I said, most people would consider that unreasonable lol. Since I try to be a reasonable guy, it seems best to just not offer. MAYBE once it is 100% done I'll have some better insight into making more.
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