Brian P Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 so what's the deal with these units? Ive been looking at Pioneer, under $50 range, now I'm to understand you can't "equalize" the outputs to the head unit, other than the preouts? I havent researched this at all, also Im looking for those adaptors or plates that allow me to sandwich my 1 din stereo and a 1/2 din eq into my 1.5 din dash opening. WHat do these adaptors look like? And.....who here has put the 1-din stereo into the cutlass supreme dash cubby hole successfully? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Yes indeed, that's correct, you can't equalize anything but the preouts. That's because the EQ's have pre-ins and pre-outs and no amplified outs. Some cheapie EQ's (Boss, Pyramid, Kraco, etc.) DO have amplified outs, but I don't think they're 1/2 DIN, or if they are... not quite standard to where you can stack a HU on them. Now there WAS one HU I remember that could take any EQ and have it work on its built-in amplified outputs. That was the Sony MDX-U1 (I think there may have been a CD equivelent, CDX-U1?). It had preouts and pre-ins that were bridged together. To use an EQ, all you had to do was connect the preouts to the EQ input, and the EQ output to the pre-ins on the HU. I've never seen another HU in my life like that. I use a 1/2-DIN EQ mainly for the pretty dancing lights (I have a list of digital EQ's if anyone is interested - they're no longer made). However, one major benefit to having a 1/2-DIN EQ (other than looking better) is it allows for a LOT more depth for the HU as it places the HU above the big fat harness in the back. That's how my CDX-C90 and previous MDX-400 would fit, because there's no way they would have fit the Cutlass shallow dash in a regular kit. The kit I used is made by American International and I bought it from Best Buy. As far as the cubby goes, I would never put the HU there. Way too low, and you can't eject a CD with the car in Park. I would leave the DIC and HUD controls there, remove the ashtray and cut out the cig lighter section. Then mount the HU in that opening. To fill the gaps, I'd get some black plastic (they make texture black plastic too) and cut appropriately for the HU face to go through. I think it would look much better than putting it where the DIC goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Well Shawn I beg to differ...I've had my Sony HU in the DIC location for over 2 years...and there no problem ejecting the CD at all...plus it looks AMAZING! It also looks like it's SUPPOSED to be there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 I would rather have the DIC myself, and I hate HU's placed real low (some of my friends had imports with the HU down there and I hated it), but that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Well for me it's way easier...I can sit and relax while driving and reach the volume knob without even trying...instead of looking retarted trying so hard to make HU adjustments...I can turn the volume completely down in mili-seconds...it's convenient when the windows are down, the volume is up, and I spot a police car suddenly close-by... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Ah, that is the #1 thing I will sorely miss about my Sony CDX-C90. The billet aluminum joystick remote that I had placed on the console. I could control the HU entirely with my arm resting on the arm rest while I cruised. The aluminum rotary encoder in the joystick even had a much better feel than the rubber-coated plastic one on the HU itself. I don't know how I will survive without the joystick remove, I guess I will have to get the steering wheel controls functional. What did you put in the stock HU spot, a clock? Not having a decent clock is one big reason I had to say goodbye to my C90. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeZ34 Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 it's convenient when the windows are down, the volume is up, and I spot a police car suddenly close-by... When I had my lumina, I had that GTP shifter with the perf shift button. I was going to wire that button up to the mute circuit on my pioneer head unit.. quick press of the button, and the system was silent.. Can't do that no more though.. but I thought it was a good idea at the time. My EQ's in the pocket, along with the radar detector display. It's nothing fancy yet, but I'm hoping to do some custom mounting with it all. I want to find a full size (1 din) pioneer EQ/DSP unit and put that and the radar detector display where the ash tray and cig lighter are.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 My stock HU location still has my stock AM/FM Casette player w/5-Band EQ... I never use it of course...in fact, I can turn it on, but it's not actually connected to any thing...besides a power connection...so I use it for the clock only... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaD Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 My head unit is where the heater controls are supposed to be, it's a perfect fit too. Then I put the heater controls in the cubby hole, and the DIC is where the ash tray is (I don't need an ashtray, smoking=poo) and the cigarette lighter thing remains stock. The only problem is the gaping hole where the stock HU is, I put the stock player in there for now, but in the future, I'd love to add a little screen or something.. -MaD- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 That would bother the poo outta me to have 2 HU's in there with one not doing anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 I'd just love to have a HU with a remote! heh. But I was thinking of putting the DIC next to the cluster, and the stereo in the DIC spot. I'd much rather put it in the ashtray area, but I'm going to have to figure out a way to support the HU from the back also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Aren't the 88-94 Cutlass dashes just SO much fun!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaD Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 man, I'm telling you, that heater control hole is a God-send...all you have to do is cut a little piece of lower dash off (like a 3 inch square, if that), and it's not even noticeable with the sports console on, but yea, the HU is held in place by the sports console and the heater core (I think that's the heater core...). and you can use a couple of brackets if you wish, but I have had this setup for about a year and I've never even heard my CD player skip.. plus it just looks way fresher than the heater controls there...the heater controls at the bottom look much much better, and there's still a little gap for like a CD Jewel case or something. If I ever get a friggin' camera I'll show you guys..it's dope. -MaD- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 yeah get pics! Now how about this: DIC next to the cluster in the original stereo hole, stereo in the heater control spot, heater controls where the DIC is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrulz4u Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 I like what these guys did... http://www.carsound.com/reviews/in_car/panasonicdvd.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 I don't like that. Other than the ugly electronics, they really should have flush mounted that thing that's stuck to the ashtray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 yeah get pics! Now how about this: DIC next to the cluster in the original stereo hole, stereo in the heater control spot, heater controls where the DIC is? I think the display that you view most should be at the top (easier to see) and the one you view least at the bottom. I look at the HU/clock display the most, so it should be at the top. Outside temp is 2nd most, so it goes below the HU. DIC the least, so it goes at the bottom. That's why the way the factory did it makes the most sense for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 too bad they didn't follow that trend on the 94/5+ dashes on the W-body. In fact it's the opposite lol...in a GP, DIC on top, radio on bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 That's why the 97+ GP HUD's have to display the radio station too. It's too inconvenient to look down to see it! I would say the 97+ GP DIC makes sense to be at the top since it has the boost gauge in it which is something I would probably look at pretty regularly. I think it also has outside temp in it too, at least 94-96 does, and that too is something people look at often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaD Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 au contraire! I use my DIC more than my heater controls. (however, you're right, my HU is used more than my DIC, so it's a tad more aesthetically pleasing on ''top''.) but I do like the DIC in the ash tray hole, it fits so nicely and one I get some fiberglass in there, it'll look nice and stock. But yea, I'm always checking my coolant temp (so I know when to turn the heater on), and I find myself looking at the time on the DIC rather than my HU, (my clock on my HU likes to be variable and shows itself at random intervals, damn flashy Sony ES HU's), I check my mileage economy on it every so often, and that's about it, so the DIC tends to be used more than my heater. But then again, I don't have the fancy dual climate, electronic one installed yet, so only time will tell on that one :shock: And Brian, I did have the DIC in the hole that the stock HU goes in for the longest time, and it's.....OKAY there, it would be better if you can find a cool way to mount it without huge gaps. But since I just had it chillin' in there with the only thing keeping it in being the plastic cluster cover thing, it wanted to move around a lot...and the only way I could push the buttons was by grabbing the back of the unit too, but it looks a lot better there than a friggin' HU, they stick out waaaay too much there. A Nice 6.5 inch widescreen LCD monitor would be very very money in that location, and if I could find a way to mount a dvd player inside the arm rest thing, that'd just be too dope. but for now, I should prolly just concentrate on doing that power lock/window conversion, and putting my doors back together...it's cold out :? -MaD- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 well, The delta 88 and 98 regency had the DIC next to the cluster, I wouldn't mind it there cause it does display similar type of info that the cluster shows (battery, coolant temp, etc) it'd be GREAT if I could get the DIC to show clock at all times instead of the 5" seconds when you hit the button! I look at the stereo for the clock more than anything, rarely the radio station, back when I had the remote stereo I never looked at it, just memorized the buttons and scanned, switched tracks, etc. Not that I plan on doing these things for a while. But I really want the equalizer soon. Maybe I could just put the DIC in the ashtray and then get a 1-din EQ for the empty cubbyhole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 One concern I'd have with moving all this stuff around is it might end up looking trailer park ghetto. The DIC and climate control goes into where they're supposed to go... well, like they were built to go there. I've seen pics where people have moved things around... I won't name any names, but really, it sometimes ends up looking rather trailer park fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 It's good to have spare parts though, I have 4 if not 5 spare sport pods in my closet, so I'm not worried about experimenting. As for the DIC though, that should be one of the easiest things to do, and could look good, just need a black plate to surround the DIC, mount it the same way it mounts to the sport pod, then use the stereo bracket to keep it in place. It's when things start to involve using fiberglass filler, visible screws, etc that I just say "no way I'm doing that". I compared the climate control opening to my HU and I won't even bother attempting that because of the extra length that the climate control is. Putting the 1-din stereo cubbyhole could look alright because that hole is exactly 1-din. When I took my panasonic out, I stuck it in one of the spare sport pods here and I should have taken a picture, besides needing to cut out a hole in the cubby for wires and ventilation (and to mount) no more modification was needed. BUT- I'm not even going to actually do this because I want the 1/2 din EQ as I mentioned in the beginning, so I need the 1.5 din opening. OK enough :yak: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 Mind sparing a sport pod? I've seriously been considering to make the ashtray/lighter slot into 1-DIN because I have no use for an ashtray and the lighter can go on the side of the console like all newer GM's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted February 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 sure, I got 2 in graphite, however I would recommend just using it to try things with, the fake stainless steel looking pring arent in good shape on any of them, and the vent needs to be re-glued on. That's the reason why I keep getting them from yards, for trial and error I'll send it with the care package this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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