same here...well right now I have a lil more money than I've been used to in the past year, but I'm trying to be conservative....I pay $200/mo to own the thing!

 

My opinion is to get the AVIC first. Because you can run it with your stock system and need no other modification. Then, you can add on from there. I am not sure if you will need an extra module (the name escapes me now) to get it to work your steering wheel controls or the unit will fit right in. As long as the avic has RCA outs, which I am sure it does, you can always add the amp and sub later. Then, if your stock door speakers cannot keep up, you can add an amp and replacement speakers. Kind of a Phase I, Phase II, Phase III type of thing.

I sacrificed my steering wheel controls with the addition of my HU. I don't really miss it. I have a remote control and it sits in my glove box. For an additional 80 bucks, I could get a converter (damn, the name escapes me!) to get my steering wheel controls to work and they said I could get it to do anything I wanted. But, I am fine with it for now.

 

I see what you mean, ...yes there is an adaptor that allows the steering controls to work, lol I think someone just recently found out, its somewhere on here in a recent post....I actually use the steering controls a lot, however, it could be an easy sacrifice for such a great HU....avics are a lot of money, and I can't wait to get one...who knows when that'll happen, but thanks for the input

 

The avic-z1 will only be an easy install if you do not have the Bose / fiberoptic audio from the factory. The steering wheel control module is a separate piece. It is Pioneer/W203 specific. Those universal PAX kits absolutely will not work.

 

Yes I heard that also before, I have the non-bose speakers, but would upgrade to aftermarket speakers at the same time I would get either the avic or subs...

 

Yeah, look around on this forum, a lot of people have installed that type of unit you are interested in. You may get a good price. I shopped around and waited and was patient until I got a $1400 HU for 7. That's a good deal! I'll find out what they call those converter things! LOL!

I used my controls before but now I have killer tunes to make me forget about it! Honestly, I felt like there could have been more. I mean, change stations or adjust the volume didn't offer much.

Happy to help!

 

Thats a good deal...I wish I could get a deal on a z1 like below 1k, but I doubt that would happen...you dont have to research it now if you dont want because there is no rush... the most attractive feature to me is the storage capacity, because I love to download music and would love to have all my songs with me...haha

 

Just so you know, you can't directly transfer MP3s to the Z1. They have to be burned as audio CDs (NOT mp3 CDs), then the Z1 will rip them. You can play mp3 cds, but it won't copy those.

The Z1 price is about to drop since the Z2 is coming out soon. The Z2 is just a software upgrade to the Z1. The Z1 is upgradeable to the Z2.

 

That is definitely a good unit. Others speak highly of it. My HU has 2 auxillary outputs on it so I hooked my XM to one and my iPod to the other. It is not as fancy as some other units out there (i.e. displaying song titles and all), but it has 96 bit sampling and Burr-Brown D/A converters in it! That just means it sounds really, really good!

 

What's the point of that when your sources are XM and iPod?

 

Those are not my only primary sources. You can tell a slight difference between the aux. and CD but if you are cranking, it is not that big of a deal. When you want to really listen to a high quality CD, that is when the D/A converter really shines. My opinion of order for sound quality:

CD
iPod
XM
tuner (tie with XM, depends on station reception)

 

Did you guys leave in the stock sub in the rear deck or did you remove it? If you left it in, did you leave it connected? I'm getting a fiberglass enclosure made to fit in the crevice located in the driver's side rear of the trunk. I'll probably be running an MB Quart 10" Discus sub so it's nothing too major.

Also, has anyone tapped into the power wire that leads to the rear SAM? If so, how did you go about doing it.

 

I disconnected mine as to not contaminate better sound? But now I just re-did my whole system and I am trying to remove that sub to act as a port but it doesn't fit out of the hole when you take the cover off. I don't have the folding rear seats and can't find anywhere a DIY on how to remove the rear deck.
Didn't really answer any of your questions but....yeah

 

I had two JL 12s in a custom box in the trunk. I never got around to removing the stock sub, but disconnected it regardless. It rattled a little, as you can probably imagine with two 12s, but like BLCKW203K said, the hole in the rear deck isnt big enough to pull it out. So, if you dont have folding rear seats, you may have to remove the rear seat to get at it. Hope that helps.

 

I pulled it out. You have to remove the rear seats and pillar trim. Then removed the read deck cover, and it pops right out of the top side of the rear deck.

 

I know how to remove it, i have once before. I'd just rather not do it again because i remember want a pain it was. I was just reading about people removing it so that the hole that it leaves could act as a type of port for the bass.

 

I left mine in... Using the sub itself as a passive radiator... Works pretty good!

I was going to use that same spot and make a fiberglass box there, but getting the volume needed was a pain in the ***. There is a lip there that would need to be ground down so that the box can slide in and out so you can get to the tail light bulbs. Not to mention, the box the would need to be angled at the top (against the carpet) and the bottom (inboard side) so that the box can be lifted out.

 

I was thinking about that. As far as i can remember, you have to remove the rear hatshelf to disconnect it anyway don't you? I'm just trying to avoid removing the rear deck again because it was a pain last time.

 

You can disconnect the sub without removing the rear shelf. Just pop off the cover and look on the right and left of the sub you will see the connectors.

 

do you have the fold down arm rest in the back seat? if so- i can tell you an easy way to convert that into the "ski pass" that some cars have. requires no permanent mods and you can't see that it's been done from inside the trunk.

 

Tell Us, Tell Us

 

there are some of those press in clips around the perimeter of the seat back- take those off/out. with a little wiggling the carpet will come off the seat back. once you get that off- you will see the same piece of plastic (in my case- ash colored) that you see from the front when you pull the arm rest down. if memory serves- there's a couple bolts or screws as well as a couple press fit clips that hold this piece of plastic in. take it out- then put the carpet back on the seat back. it looks factory form the trunk and pretty close to factory from the cab when the arm rest is down. i guess you could cut a hole in the carpet- but i never did- i wanted it to look factory as possible and not permanently mod anything. air can pass through the carpet relatively freely.

i might be a tad off in my description since it was several months ago when i did it- but once you get the carpet off the seat back- it's pretty self explanitory.

 

Thanks bumpnzx. I'll have to do this in a few days when I finish putting all of my new system in.

 

no problem- i learned a lot when i gutted my car and put it all back together- and that was one of the things i learned. let me know if you have any other questions. chances are i can help out.

 

I already have the ski sleeve. I did not know that you could just pop the cover off of the sub from the rear deck. I though you had to remove the whole rear deck to access it.