Beach-GT
GT Owner
If I want to go on ride and listen to the stereo I simply slip in my muffler tips. If I want to clear the deck, I take them out.:rofl
Audio System and Head Unit Photos
- Thread starter ENZO BTR
- Start date
DanQ
GT Owner
Why would I want to replace a cheap $120 sanyo stock head unit? Seems obvious to me, but one reason is a built in NAV system. No extra cords or screens cluttering up the interior. Not having to carry a wad of CDs with me is another.
Why would I replace the head unit in a $150K car? I like working on my stuff. To me owning a car is more than "just" driving it. I don't pay someone to wax it for me either... but hey, that's just me.
Sound quality isn't really a factor. Integration is.
Why would I replace the head unit in a $150K car? I like working on my stuff. To me owning a car is more than "just" driving it. I don't pay someone to wax it for me either... but hey, that's just me.
Sound quality isn't really a factor. Integration is.
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OzGT
GT Owner
I can see you replaced the head for reasons beyond audio. Regarding DIY enjoyment, I'm afraid you are far braver than me in that area. Sure I love it too, but I'd rather give it guys that do it for a living and who are going to do it carefully and not potentially damage or miss anything along the way on a car like the GT especially.
I don't wash/wax my cars myself either, mainly due to it being a compete pain in the ass to do it in the apartment block I live in. Mind you when I get a serious wax done it's a full paint protection job done by professional detailers who use the right equipment and spend all day on it. Frankly, even for washing effort vs cost of my own time, I'd rather pay a hand wash place $20 to do my cars.
I guess it all comes down to priorities.
Why would I replace a cheap factory head unit in a $150K car? For the same reasons I'd replace one in a $15K car. BECAUSE I CAN.
As I said, paying someone else to do the job makes me nervous because the potential for damage exists no matter who is doing it -- even an "audio guy" isn't infallable. The "damage" my car suffered during the install was very minor -- so minor that I could have said none occurred and if you saw the car in person you'd believe me. Does this mean that "audio guys" sometimes damage their customers' cars without the owners knowing. Not necessarily...probably...
Regardless, I had the ability, I had the time, and I enjoyed learning more about my GT in the process. Knowledge is power, and understanding your car (be it a 1970 Dodge Challenger or a 2005 Ford GT) only puts you in a better position for your ownership experience, especially if you are a long-term owner and not a speculator planning to flip it.
As for sound quality, don't let the name fool you -- the "upgraded" McIntosh isn't exactly an aural treat. As you said, the speakers in the GT aren't good enough to make any head unit sound good, and the car's noise levels further ensure you won't be experiencing sound nirvana. While I like being able to hear the music I pick (thus the reason I liked the JVC's harddrive, MP3 ability and Satellite radio), I don't plan on hearing HIGH-QUALITY sound in the GT. I get plenty of that from my Citation series Harman/Kardon and DCM Time Windows at home. Add in the JVC's Bluetooth and Navigation, all without an additional monitor or other bolt-ons, and the head unit was quite a bargain at $680.
I also do my own detailing on the GT, both because there is no better way to understand/appreciate a car's design (and the GT is among the best designs ever), and because I feel the same way about professional detailers as I do about professional "audio men." Both of them are supposed to be doing a thorough and high-quality job, but unless I stand over their shoulder the whole time I'm having to take most of it on faith. And if I'm going to stand over their shoulder I might as well do it myself and get some physical activity while I'm at it.
Why would I replace a cheap factory head unit in a $150K car? For the same reasons I'd replace one in a $15K car. BECAUSE I CAN.
As I said, paying someone else to do the job makes me nervous because the potential for damage exists no matter who is doing it -- even an "audio guy" isn't infallable. The "damage" my car suffered during the install was very minor -- so minor that I could have said none occurred and if you saw the car in person you'd believe me. Does this mean that "audio guys" sometimes damage their customers' cars without the owners knowing. Not necessarily...probably...
Regardless, I had the ability, I had the time, and I enjoyed learning more about my GT in the process. Knowledge is power, and understanding your car (be it a 1970 Dodge Challenger or a 2005 Ford GT) only puts you in a better position for your ownership experience, especially if you are a long-term owner and not a speculator planning to flip it.
As for sound quality, don't let the name fool you -- the "upgraded" McIntosh isn't exactly an aural treat. As you said, the speakers in the GT aren't good enough to make any head unit sound good, and the car's noise levels further ensure you won't be experiencing sound nirvana. While I like being able to hear the music I pick (thus the reason I liked the JVC's harddrive, MP3 ability and Satellite radio), I don't plan on hearing HIGH-QUALITY sound in the GT. I get plenty of that from my Citation series Harman/Kardon and DCM Time Windows at home. Add in the JVC's Bluetooth and Navigation, all without an additional monitor or other bolt-ons, and the head unit was quite a bargain at $680.
I also do my own detailing on the GT, both because there is no better way to understand/appreciate a car's design (and the GT is among the best designs ever), and because I feel the same way about professional detailers as I do about professional "audio men." Both of them are supposed to be doing a thorough and high-quality job, but unless I stand over their shoulder the whole time I'm having to take most of it on faith. And if I'm going to stand over their shoulder I might as well do it myself and get some physical activity while I'm at it.
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BlackICE
GT Owner
I agree with the reasoning of Enzo Btr 100%. I have seen too many screw ups from people is hire to do work. My mottos are:
You cannot hire good help at any price.
Good help is priceless.
If you want it done right, do it yourself.
Of course this only applies you have have the skill and time to do the job. I don't ever plan on doing brain surgery on myself.
You cannot hire good help at any price.
Good help is priceless.
If you want it done right, do it yourself.
Of course this only applies you have have the skill and time to do the job. I don't ever plan on doing brain surgery on myself.
MAD IN NC
Proud Owner/ BOD blah bla
:bow :bow :bow :bow :bow :bow :bow :bow :bow
Karl - sorry I "qouted" your post but simply put that is what I saw and taken to heart - I'm with ya brother....
:cheers :cheers :cheers :cheers
OzGT
GT Owner
The guys I use have been in the business for over 20 years and have done every thing from a BMWs,Mustangs,F-150s,Jeeps, to my Merc SL55 for me and a Bentley for my old man recently. I haven't come across more precise and fastidious installers who don't take short cuts or do 'bush' installs. If they don't know exactly how a panel comes off for example they find out from a dealer or the best source. As another example they will also always replace factory retention clips where needed and often find evidence where other installers have been careless in that regard. I've always been impressed with their results and often the ingenuity used to solve issues that often come up in seemly 'simple' installs.
Maybe it's because I've been a car audio enthuiast since the early 90's and dealt with many installers as well as owned sound comp winning installs that I know what to look for in an installer. Through this experience I also know how easy it is to make a slip trying to DIY, even when it appears to be a piece of cake. I build PCs and restore pinball machines for fun, so as I mentioned before I'm not adverse to DIY with a lot of stuff. So as much as people can say, ahh damn installers can't trust them they might screw up my interior, I say I'd rather it fall to them where I have some recourse than in my own lap with only myself to blame for F*cking up my $150k limited ed car!
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Solution for Speed Sensor
Well it took a bit but it's working!!
The Ford GT does not have a VSS (Speed Sensor) we got the schematics today from Ford.
and Can not pick up a strong enough signal from the Lead going to the ABS computer.
So we bought a Alpine Speed sensor unit
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product_acc.php?model=NVE-K300
This solved all of the problems - we are in business now!!
JVC is working fine. just takes bit of driving to activate the speed sensor for calibration the first time!!
Well it took a bit but it's working!!
The Ford GT does not have a VSS (Speed Sensor) we got the schematics today from Ford.
and Can not pick up a strong enough signal from the Lead going to the ABS computer.
So we bought a Alpine Speed sensor unit
http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product_acc.php?model=NVE-K300
This solved all of the problems - we are in business now!!
JVC is working fine. just takes bit of driving to activate the speed sensor for calibration the first time!!
I always work on my own sound systems. For starters, most of the shops in So Cal have horrible installers. There are a few out there that I would trust my car with, like Reus. I have personally installed hundreds of systems, from the ground up. I have installed an entire system in the dark once. Car audio is a passion for me. I got lazy with my F150, and took it to a local shop that sells some high end equipment. Well, after I got home, I had to retune the entire system, which ended up sounding at least 100X better than what they did for me.
For those of you that think that the upgraded Mac system is great, I got one word for you, Clarion! That is who makes the Mac. I personally do not care for Mac, and it will be going soon enough. I don't care for JVC either, so I will not go that route as well. I will do some custom fabricating and figure a way to get the unit I want in there. I will be replacing every part of the stock system, including wiring, headunit, speakers, and sub.
For those of you that think that the upgraded Mac system is great, I got one word for you, Clarion! That is who makes the Mac. I personally do not care for Mac, and it will be going soon enough. I don't care for JVC either, so I will not go that route as well. I will do some custom fabricating and figure a way to get the unit I want in there. I will be replacing every part of the stock system, including wiring, headunit, speakers, and sub.
OzGT
GT Owner
For me, in theory at least the Clarion Mac should be the lesser of 2 evils. I will reserve that judgement till my car is delivered. Worst case It'll be coming out and something better will go in. I dare say the speakers will be the first area attacked im my car, which goes hand in hand with the wiring, anytime I've had a stock system modified. Anyway, what'll be doing specifically to the audio is all conjecture at this point as I haven't heard the Mac system yet.
what is this thing? where on the car do you put it? The brief description says:
"Universal speed pulse generator generates a speed pulse using the steel belt in the tire"
Is it like the system for road bikes that watches the wheel spin round?
DanQ
GT Owner
I finally got around to removing the sanyo radio. I took 15 minutes and made 2 tools based on the picture from the sanyo manual. It took longer to put tape on the console than to remove the radio! The tool was made out of an old hacksaw blade.:biggrin Notice how the tool causes the little tooth to retract from the bottom of the radio.
Hope this helps other sanyo owners, as this doesn't apply to the mac.
Hope this helps other sanyo owners, as this doesn't apply to the mac.
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DanQ
GT Owner
balfas, Thanks for the Alpine NVE-K300 tip. It made me start looking for alternatives. (you can't tell I'm cheap can you. :wink )
Looks like Pioneer makes the same thing ND-PG1. Both are expensive. Audiovox 2504165 is cheap, but I don't know if it will work in our application.
Enzo or balfas,
Did you try the signal from the trans (output shaft speed) or any of the ABS wheel sensors before the ABS module?
My last hope is pin 20 on the PCM connector Gy/Bk VSS signal wire..not sure if it I can get to it. If this doesn't work, the only other speed options is a pulse generator.
Looks like Pioneer makes the same thing ND-PG1. Both are expensive. Audiovox 2504165 is cheap, but I don't know if it will work in our application.
Enzo or balfas,
Did you try the signal from the trans (output shaft speed) or any of the ABS wheel sensors before the ABS module?
My last hope is pin 20 on the PCM connector Gy/Bk VSS signal wire..not sure if it I can get to it. If this doesn't work, the only other speed options is a pulse generator.
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PeakCompletions
Boost is an addiction...
I never listen to the stereo in my cars as I love to hear the engine, so I have not got around to seriously thinking about upgrading yet.
Roc - keep us posted and maybe when I get my car back and you get the stereo done, I will have to come out to the coast! :cheers
I do have crazy stereos in both of my daily drivers though :biggrin
Roc - keep us posted and maybe when I get my car back and you get the stereo done, I will have to come out to the coast! :cheers
I do have crazy stereos in both of my daily drivers though :biggrin
I ordered the Alpine speed pulse generator a week ago, but it still hasn't shown up. :bang I finally called the shop today and they told me it shipped Monday (claimed a PayPal hold kept them from shipping earlier). The shop is only about 70 miles from me, so it better get here tomorrow (actually today, as it's 12:45 a.m. right now...).
I'll let you all know how it works (IF it shows up).
I'll let you all know how it works (IF it shows up).
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It Works!!
I got the Alpine NVE-K300 speed-pulse generator on Thursday, and I installed it Friday afternoon. I feel like Doc Brown -- "It works!!! I finally invented something that works!!" MAJOR props to Balfas for letting me know about it!
Yes, it's an Alpine and the head unit is a JVC, but they work happily together and installation is easy (power, ground, speed-pulse lead). How does it work? You take the magical magnetic wand and rub one side of it on half the rear tire. Then you rub the other side of the wand on the other side of the tire. This "magnetizes" one-half the tire and "de-magnetizes" the other half, creating a pulse that the NVE-K300 picks up and translates into a speed reading.
The unit is pretty small and light, but it has to be installed near the tire, so that basically means behind the seats (it's supposed to go in the trunk -- but on the GT...). It can't go completely under the seat, but close. Now the system is getting an accurate speed reading, and the advanced features of the navigation system rival just about any factory or aftermarket system I've used (and I've used a lot of them). Now I just need to get lost.
I got the Alpine NVE-K300 speed-pulse generator on Thursday, and I installed it Friday afternoon. I feel like Doc Brown -- "It works!!! I finally invented something that works!!" MAJOR props to Balfas for letting me know about it!
Yes, it's an Alpine and the head unit is a JVC, but they work happily together and installation is easy (power, ground, speed-pulse lead). How does it work? You take the magical magnetic wand and rub one side of it on half the rear tire. Then you rub the other side of the wand on the other side of the tire. This "magnetizes" one-half the tire and "de-magnetizes" the other half, creating a pulse that the NVE-K300 picks up and translates into a speed reading.
The unit is pretty small and light, but it has to be installed near the tire, so that basically means behind the seats (it's supposed to go in the trunk -- but on the GT...). It can't go completely under the seat, but close. Now the system is getting an accurate speed reading, and the advanced features of the navigation system rival just about any factory or aftermarket system I've used (and I've used a lot of them). Now I just need to get lost.
Attachments
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B O N Y
MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
MAD IN NC
Proud Owner/ BOD blah bla
Karl, it's been one month since you started this endeavour. Congrats! You now have the one of smallest mobile "Home Entertainment Systems" fully operational. How is the DVD player? Can' be worse than watching something on an iPOD
The only problem is that the GT is not a "camper/ apartment" but I'm sure that you will enjoy it to the fullest potential. Once again - congrats. Can't wait to see it.
The only problem is that the GT is not a "camper/ apartment" but I'm sure that you will enjoy it to the fullest potential. Once again - congrats. Can't wait to see it.
