I searched the forums up and down and seen many ways to replace the headunit but I still have a few questions.

I just bought a 2005 Rx8 sport yesterday and I don't care for the stock radio. I was hoping someone could help me by telling what I need to change out the headunit for aftermarket. Particularly what wiring harnesses and what new stereo bezel I need to get.

I was hoping I could still use the radio controls on the steering afterwards. I really want to use an iPod, but I want to change the songs through the aftermarket stereo and the NOT iPod itself.

I seen crutchfield has a radio installation piece that will fit the aftermarket headunit, but I'm more worried about what wiring harnesses I need.

Please, any help would be great!

 

Check out the DIY section for Series I

 

The kit you need is a metra tubo2 kit. Its the one you saw on Crutchfield. Crutchfield also sells a swix-ps steering wheel interface system. Buy your headunit and the kit on Crutchfield together and you will save 75 dollars on the kit. The kit comes with the harness btw. But to wire in the steering wheel interface you will have to connect two wires in behind the harness. Just use a Tconnect and it will work fine. I recommend crutchfield because of their support. For instance I had to call once because the instructions were backwards (told me to connect color to pin 10 and color 2 to pin 9 instead of vice versa).


Most people will tell you to wire using the pre outs on your reciever to avoid double amplifying, on the head unit and bose amp, but this is not completely necessary.