Help with Girlfriend's car!

["Mighty Fine" Steve Devine]

Hi Guys,

My girlfriend just got her first car. It's a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue. She wants me to help her put a new head unit in it, which I have no experience with. So I'm counting on my fellow 'Crappers for a few things.

1. Recommendations for a head unit for ~$100. (Requirements are Cd player, preferably AUX in, but not necessary)

2. Instructions for removing (stock) existing head unit.

3. Instructions for installing new (recommended) head unit.

4. Anything else I will need.

Thanks guys! Help on any of these will be greatly appreciated! (And score me some girl points!)

[The Booty Disciple]

Test the back seat first.












What? It is a 'head' unit after all...

[Non Banjoble Tokens]

Your girlfriend's car can go to hell!

I'm sorry, I just don't happen to know anything about cars. ;D

[Brandon Walsh is Insane.]

If you take out the factory and just plug in the new one, it's going to sound like crap.

Just warning you.

Use, er, RESEARCH your stuff off of Crutchfield.com, and then buy the HU for cheaper at places like... sounddomain.com .

You'll need harnasses, and removal tools; and sounddomain.com and Crutchfield.com both give you those, plus instructions, and wire connector tools.

But yeah, without an amp, and with your stock speakers, a new HU will sound horrible.

[The Booty Disciple]

All joking (and juvenile double entendres about backseats) aside, that's absolutely true. If she's really wanting to up her system, she'll need to spend on more than just the unit (resisting urge for another juvenile joke about the back seat and spending more on "the unit") to fully utilize it's capabilities.

While I'm not terribly familiar with these concepts and their application for cars, I've built quite a few PA systems in my day for music and what not, and I can't imagine the application being too terribly different. Acoustics are acoustics, it's just where they're used that changes.

[Brandon Walsh is Insane.]

Yep... and contrary to popular belief; the stock unit's internal amplifer is actually cleaner than aftermarket internal amplifiers.

You want to look at the dB level, and use that as one of the things to judge the HU's on.

After that, you want to get an amp and make sure it gets the proper power, running 8 gauge or lower for the power, and get some aftermarket speakers. The stock ones are usually paper, and will go out with all the new intensity levels.

It's actually a pretty detailed thing to do; and it's all up to her preference.

If anything, and money is not a problem, go to one of those stereo shops and get a package.

They'll install it for your, raping you on the charges, but at least you don't have to do it yourself.

[lildude8218]

In before the lock.....ing of the door after he's finished

[Loki]

All you need is a crowbar

More seriously, if you're not an expert, I'd suggest to get it done by a friend/cousin/parent/neighbour etc... who knows what he's doing.

Otherwise the chances of f'ing it up are rather high, and since it's not your car or your stuff, it won't be funny.

And that could lead to a lot of no-action nights

[Sad sack ass fruitbooty]

Just spend the extra few bucks and get it done professionaly. I installed a stereo in my first car, and scwered it up so bad, everytime I turned the headlights on, the stereo went off.

[default]

Yeah, I recommend finding someone who knows what they're doing to install it. Heck, my bro used to install them for friends and charge them a pack of cigarettes. (All I've ever done is take apart the dashes and tear the old ones out.)

Oh, and for $100 these days... you can snag an mp3 compatible CD player. (JVC, Panasonic, Jensen, etc.) If I got one, I'd probably go mp3 compatible for a car, as that's less messing around with sticking CD's in.