<All> Radio Installs

["Al Powell" <APOWELL@agcom.tamu.edu>]

This message was posted to both the Quattro and Z-lists.

Audi driver Brooks Ellis opined about stereo installs and my good 
experience with Crutchfield in providing adapters to replace a Bose 
unit with an aftermarket radio which *actually sounds good*, in 
contrast to that Bose hunk-a-junk:

>         Contrast this to when I had a cd player installed by a local stereo
> shop ( that, for whatever reason, seems to do good business ). They made my
> interior look kinda shitty, left little parts on the inside ( like, a couple
> resistors, a gang of clipped off ties, a bunch of clipped off wires - pretty
> much anything that would take over 30 seconds to clean up ).. The installer
> guy couldn't figure out how to make the stereo work with the rear-amped
> speakers, so he just left them disconected. [more bad news snipped].

OK - here's a a comment in which I will attempt to be fair to 
installers.  

I am willing to take a full day or more just to get a couple of 
stereo components installed, because I set myself the following 
conditions:

1)  NO system of the car will be irretrievably altered;
2)  There will be NO marks, holes or other signs of the work which 
cannot be inexpensively and cosmetically corrected (aside from the 
holes for add-on speakers, which cannot be avoided if there are no 
existing speaker mounts)
3)  All wiring will be firmly and permanently installed, with strain 
relief where needed, and protective coverings wherever the wires are 
exposed to wear
4)  ALL work can be traced and fixed if problems occur; all 
wiring will be documented with a full diagram.  All manuals and 
install guides will be retained, with notations about the work done 
during the installation.
 5)  The original stereo is retained and can be re- installed if I 
elect to do so at the time the car is sold.
6)  If the car is sold, the original stereo can be re-installed 
quickly and will resume its original functions.  (I had one 
component stereo which I moved to three cars before letting it go 
with one...)

Now, even if a stereo installer WERE willing to meet those 
conditions, I am NOT WILLING to pay for the time it requires to 
achieve them!  OTOH, since I am a hobbyist, I consider the time 
invested in the install as "fun" (sometimes more than others...) and 
"learning", because I always learn more about how the car is built 
and wired in the process.  Bottom line: I can't afford to have an 
installer work on my car stereo, because they can't afford to do the 
quality of work I demand...or if they do, I can't afford them.

So, I believe that an owner - even one with limited mechanical 
skills - can "afford" to do a much cleaner stereo install than a 
commercial installer, at least as far as time.

The flip side is that many of the people working in stereo shops are 
butchers who don't give a s**t about anything except slamming the box 
into the hole, twisting a few wires together, and sending you out the 
door.  If they screw up your car, they don't care, and they probably 
are not capable of repairing their mistake.  So I DON'T WANT THEM to 
touch the second-most-expensive possession I own!  I'd rather learn 
stereo installs from scratch in order to avoid them!

But - one must be interested in doing the work (many are not), one 
must have the time available, and one must feel confident about 
having at least the skills required to do the install.  Since I 
work in the radio & TV biz and am fairly tech-y, I am confident about 
being able to select and install an adequate setup.  If I were going 
to spend $1000 or more (it will never happen...) on components, maybe 
i'd be willing to pop for the installation.  But I confine myself to 
stereo, basic outboard amps, and speakers.

I would recommend to others on this list that is is REALLY EASY to 
replace an OEM stereo deck and replace the OEM speakers with upgraded 
speakers which fit into the factory openings.  I'd bet that ANYone 
on the list can do it, if they just *read the directions* and take 
their time.

I think firms like Crutchfield are near-ideal for hobbyists such as 
myself.  They provide excellent technical help (they even include a 
50+page book on how to install stereos, which is excellent) they 
know exactly what will fit where in any conventional installation, 
and they have extended phone hours until midnight.  If I'm selecting a 
component which I think I will have ANY questions about, I have no 
problem paying the price for their expertise.  I find they're about 
25% or more below retain, anyway.  I can sometimes save another 10-
15% by going to the "box-house" discounters, but I do that carefully 
because I know I'm really "on my own.

But hey, the amp under the driver's seat in my 280 came from a police 
auction because I knew just how much it was worth.  Talk about being 
on your own!!................



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Al Powell                           Voice:  409/845-2807
Ag Communications                   Fax:    409/862-1202
107 Reed McDonald Bldg.             Email:  a-powell1@tamu.edu 
College Station, TX  77843-2112
W3 page - http://agcomwww.tamu.edu/agcom/satellit/rpe/alpage.htm

"These are not my figures I'm quoting.  They're from someone who
knows what he's talking about."  
                        Anonymous US Congressman.

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