Circuit City is one of the retailers that Pioneer EXCLUDES from the rebate list (the fine print on the bottom of the rebate form). I'm not sure I would let them install it. Do you have all the adapters you need for the install? They might try to a@# it if they don't have all the parts. I would buy it ant take it somewhere else if you really want to get it there.

Bob

 

sweet, another reason to not go there, hey midlifer, where'd you get your piano black shift gate from?

 

I bought a spare one from a member here and took it to a body shop. They painted it up for 50 bucks. Came out great. I got some photos somewhere and there may be some on here.

Bob

Found a thread with some photos of it. It still looks good today.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-interior-audio-electronics-24/matching-piano-black-98034/

 

I'm an installer for Circuit City. Thanks jerk!

Please remember that just as each mom and pop shop is different, each Circuit City and Best Buy is different. Some may have ill-trained punk 19 year old kids working there. Others have people, like myself, who come in on their day off to work off the clock. Because we love what we do. If I wouldn't be happy with it in my own car, then it doesn't leave the shop. I've been into car audio for..... a very long time now. I needed something to keep me busy, so lucky for Circuit City, I decided to become an installer there.

And while I'm on this subject, please consider that I don't get to pick and choose which cars I do and do not work on. I've had cars that BARELY even run come through there. Dash panels are destroyed and then the customer bad mouths us because they're headunit moves around a little in the dash. When in actuality all the mounting tabs/holes were broken and I had to fab up something out of ABS to keep the damn thing in the dash at all. (which I did out of the kindness of my heart in the first place)

As for me purchasing through CC, I would buy this as a regular customer so I could take advantage of the mail in rebate. Then I could also install it myself in our bays while at work. The shop gets a $100 credit in labor and I get my D3 installed. Win. Win.

 

DAMN IT!

 

good story, almost brought a tear to my eye.. What kind of training/classes/experience are REQUIRED to become an installer there?

 

I wasn't trying to stand up for Circuit City as a whole..... (cause I've seen some of the BS come in from other locations)..... just trying to tell you what I know.

And a short little PC-based training course must be completed before you are suppose to touch a car. Yes. That's it. Please don't dare say that "Best Buy is better because all their installers are MECP certified" because #1 they don't enforce that requirement. I don't care what you've heard. We're next door to Best Buy and I'm good friends with all of them. #2 Those that ARE infact MECP certified still don't know jack.

 

Hey firebirdude,

What do you see out there for good double din head units? I'm looking at the Dual XDVDN8290 for the NAV and built in Bluetooth. It's good the hear from people who deal with it all the time.

Bob

 

I just despise chain stores in general, I have friends who work there so I know that not all of them are the same. The guy who runs the shop doing all my work used to work there actually, along with several other reputable installers I know who were lucky enough to move on to bigger and better things. I wouldn't take my 8 there knowing how much of a pain in the *** it is to installan aftermarket deck, I would trust that to a smaller shop as the smaller ones generally do more custom work, are more skilled and more passionate about the outcome. (As opposed to Fry's, Circuit City, Best Buy, whatever where installs are a numbers game to them and not really geared toward the above average enthusiast)

What bothers me is that these huge stores have giant booths at all the car shows I compete in each year, yet not a SINGLE one I've ever known will do any kind of custom work. They're all about milking the shows, but if you roll up and show them a picture of a custom install and say "I want that" they won't do it. If your shop does I commend you, but I know none of the ones here do. I know you don't get to pick and choose, I know some folks aren't happy no matter how perfect things turn out, I've been into this for well over a decade, I've installed full systems for friends, fixed radios for people, helped other people build interiors, **** man, I know all about the game and how it's run, I almost became an installer myself at one point but since I love it as a hobby I didn't want to do it for a job. I know about the certs too, we have the same thing in the computer industry where people go and take a class, do well on exams (or cheat on them), get 50 different certs after their name but still don't know how to install a hard drive into a desktop or something similar. It's all good, if you're into it and just happen to work there then your customers are lucky, but sadly that's not always the case with a lot of the bigger chain store install bays out there. No hard feelings man, we're all into the same shizzle here anyway right?

 

I'm not one to bash on Circuit city and not any of the others - I was just curios what was actually required..

after instaling my entire system from scratch - I know that the only way to get good at it is through experience... and for some people, even the new guy at "billy bobs electronics and discount tatoo'in while you wait" has more experience than they do.

 

Thumbs up to both of ya. I agree.

And for the record, no, we don't do most custom work. Small ABS or backstrap brackets are no big deal. But if it involves fiberglass, it's out of the question. (pity, because I'm actually decent with it...) We will also not make custom subwoofer boxes out of MDF. We will, however, make an occasional amp rack or beauty board if the customer supplies the wood and pays extra labor. Don't know if Circuit City actually allows this, but my higher-ups know we can easily handle it.

EDIT: And midlifer, I must admit I've never laid finger on that actual model..... but Dual as a whole is subpar. Don't mean to bash, but I personally wouldn't own any of their gear. I get sweet deals on Eclipse equipment, so I've been looking into their Nav units (They have 3 double din ones I believe) . But if I could get the D3 for cheap, I would. But then again, if it's only going to be a few hundred more for a Pioneer Z2.... lol.... I've got some decisions to make.

 

Hey Firebirdude,
Those eclipse models look pretty good. Unfortunately their new one AVN6620 doesn't have a HDD Nav unit. I would go with the AVN5495 if it wasn't for the Pioneer AVIC-Z2.

 

Thanks for the info Firebirdude. I never would have known that. I was thinking about the Avic D3 also but I'm not sure I like the idea about the NAV reading from DVD. Maybe I'll look into the Eclipse models.

Bob

 

I was thinking the same thing.... but I don't even use CDs anymore. So I could just leave the Nav DVD in there. And honestly 10G of music storage isn't enough for me.....I'd have to use the iPod connection with either D3 or Z2. From what I've heard recently though.... the HDD units recalculate and reroute quicker.....hmm.....lol

 

THe 10 GB of storage gives you about 200 cds which for me is just enough to have a good "backbone" of all the music i like, and most of the stuff i listen to is off of the Sirius or XM and back to HDD for my stuff or an MP3 cd for stuff i like for now..

and the HDD nav is quick! but sometimes my Z2 will have me take a left and go 200 yards then do a U turn than have me just take a right in the first place....

 

ya I'm not sure about how I feel about that either. But I just bought a 32 gb iPod touch so I prob won't even use cd's.

 

just got the shipping info from compuplus on my d3x.. wootness.

 

Well thats good news.... I ordered from them too. But i didnt place my order until tue the 12th. So Im hoping i get my shipping info today?

 

I think Amazon.com made a mistake on the Avic-Z2. I wonder if anyone will buy it and actually get it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cart/view.h...107001-9675274

Bob

 

you can't just post a link to your shopping cart! it doesn't work like that.. but if you were trying to show this That is pretty crazy.. I don't even know what that is they have pictured there... it's a sweet deal though!

 

I think you are both trying to link to this....
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-AVIC-Z...3022357&sr=1-5

 

compuplus shipped it so slow T_T
mines going to arrive on tuesday.
at least i got my corksport just now

 

Sorry about that. The page shows a portable GPS. The thing is, they are describing the Z2. if you click on 28 new and used and scroll down. the price dropps to 300 bucks. That is the price for the portable NAV. but it's all under the Z2. I just thought it was kind of strange.

Bob

 

I just Got my tracking # tonight so I prob wont get mine till wed or thurs. But my corksport should b here Mon!!!

 

thats actually a pic of the AVIC-S2 portable navigation unit. i have one in my 8.