Hey guys,

I was searching through to find some info on Double DIN head units and found quite a few threads on it - but they were all old so none of the pics worked.

So, my question is - does anyone have any pics of, and/or experience with, fitting a double DIN unit in the Camaro console?

I already have Pioneer 1.5DIN in the Camaro - but I need a new one in my Tahoe and *think* I can shoehorn a 2DIN unit in it. However, if I buy it and that wont work out - I'd like to be able to fit it in the Camaro and move the old 1.5DIN into the Tahoe.

Oh, and yeah - I realize that I could just buy another 1.5DIN unit for the Tahoe and call it a day but the choices are so limited on the 1.5DINs while theres quite a few hot 2DIN units out there.

Thanks!!


Ken

 

i thought only a 1.5 din will fit in a f bod.

 

You think correctly.

 

Yeah, the stock unit is 1.5DIN, but from the other threads I understand that some have managed to fit a 2DIN unit by customizing the console. So that's what I'd be interested in seeing pics of etc.


Ken

 

wrong sort of the 1.5 din gm/crapstler is the fit for these good old fbodies.but the double din can fit with some modding.I like most thinks it's awast of time,money,and energy(no offense 2 anyone that's done the double din)BTW do they still make 1.5 din anymore

 

Anything can be done for enough money & time.

 

yes but is there a good enuff double din to out weight the mods IMHO no

 

why don't you get a good 1 din unit?

 

There's a nice Alpine double din supposedly unavailable in the US (seen it for sale on ebay) that if I had the time and money I'd have one in the bird.

 

There's a resin. What country is it available?

 

you can fit a double din head unit into your ash tray if you have the skill and the money for the proper modifications.

i.e., yes, you can make a double din fit. You can modify the center console to move the heater controls up a little higher and have room for the double DIN. There's a guy on here who got it to fit without even doing that much.

My main question is why. There really aren't any double DIN units out there that offer anything that you can't get in a single DIN unless you really don't want to give up your Bon Jovi cassette tapes. There's a double din Eclipse with an LCD monitor that's kinda cool, but that's really the only double din that I'm aware of that has more than basic tape and cd functions.

Personally, I'm a big fan of a single DIN with a map pocket underneath. That's how I did my corvette and you'd swear it came stock with the eclipse. It fits that good.

 

jim, have you actually used the eclipse AVN series stuff?

i'm assuming that is what you are talking about.

i was excited to get one of these to install about a month back, and then i found out what the truth about it is.

it is a factory TOYOTA head unit, with RCAs and different menus.
the preout signal is almost non-existant.

eclipse dropped the ball on these head units, if you are expecting a great audiophile headunit.


adam

 

kenwood has one too.. seems pretty okay. (shrug)

 

Well, like I mentioned earlier - Im considering buying a 2DIN for my Tahoe, but there is the uncertainty about the space there as well - so I figured if it was a fairly easy mod to get it in the Camaro IF it doesn't fit in the Tahoe, I could use that as a backup solution and just move the Pioneer 1.5DIN from the IROC to the Tahoe.

So, why the 2DIN? Well, first off I simply just hate the looks of the single DIN units with the adaptor. Secondly, Im guessing it might be less prone to theft as it is not as easy to get rid off. There's been an awful lot of break-ins around here lately. And lastly, there are some nice 2DINs out there that I really like.

But, if there is a nice 1.5DIN player out there that also takes MP3s and that otherwise is of decent quality - I might settle for that instead.


I'd still like to see pics of a 2DIN unit installed though if anyone has any.


Ken

 

badwagon,
I haven't used the eclipse stuff personally, except for the cd player that's in my Vette.

Eclipse has made OEM toyota stuff for years. Just because it says "toyota" on it doesn't mean it's all that bad. The new Delco GM head units have a very clean output, although you need to use a good quality LOC to take advantage of it.

It is a shame that the pre-out stage is junk though. You would think that especially coming from a company that's built a reputation around very clean low-impedance pre-outs that you'd get better.

Although... I've noticed that from almost every brand, their multimedia stuff NEVER seems to carry the same level of quality as their high-end audio only stuff. Nobody uses their high-end stuff like Burr Brown DACs, premium pre-out stages, etc, on their multimedia stuff.

Ken,
If I get time I'll take a pic of my Vette install. If nothing else, it'll give you a point of comparison. Using a single DIN head unit in a double din space looks terrible with most kits, but the one that I used in my corvette looks great.

Another option to consider is having a shop modify your trim plate to tightly conform to the single DIN head unit. That'll cost you some money, but can look very good.

 

i agree that just because it's toyota doesnt mean it's junk. but it's NOT priced well for the product that it gives, and i'm a very big Eclipse fan.

they were taking advantage of the fact that they've made their reputation on great product, and found an easy out.

errr go. no sub control on the AV3423.

adam

 

I am an Eclipse die hard. I really love their equipment. I use their headunits in all of my vehicles. I have been truly contemplating their new double din nav unit for my trans am.

it has everything included! As well as an astronomical cost.!

 

Thanks Jim! Would be real cool to see your setup in the Vette.


Ken

 

Ken, if I get time, I'll take pics and upload them tonight.

 

just note that the amplifier pre out voltage is next to none, as you WONT find that in any eclipse information.

 

That's because anybody who has a serious system won't daisy-chain their RCAs like that anyway. They'll have separate RCAs going to each amp, or they'll have an active filter do it.

 

Ken, I got home too late to take pics, but for now I uploaded the crummy old pics I took when I first did the swap.

The first pic is the way it looked when I bought the car. The last two show the new kit.

 

do what now?

 

If you look at a serious system, usually you'll find that rather than using the amp's crossover and the amp's set of rca pre-outs to go to the other amp, that most systems will use a separate crossover that will divide the signal and send pre-outs to each separate amp.

 

Hey, thanks for the pics Jim - appreciate it!
It sure does look nice, that is something to consider for sure.


Ken

 

where did that come from?

who said anything about "daisy chaining" rcas?

 

The only reason you'd ever use an amplifier pre out is to daisy chain your amps together instead of running separate RCAs. So, like I said, that wouldn't be an issue for most people building a serious system because they won't use that feature.

 

It looks a lot better in person than it does in the pics. If I ever get motivated, I might build a new map pocket that's larger so that I don't have the black edge around it. Either that or maybe I'll pick up a spare dash piece and glass it.

 

ehhh, bad choice of words on my part, i meant the preouts FOR the amplifiers. btw, it is .8 volts.

sorry for the confusion.