adamb83

Hey guys,

I'm brand new to this site, and have very little knowledge about car electronics. I own a 2006 rx8, and was planning on putting in an aftermarket nav system. I've been doing a lot of research on this forum and crutchfield, and am starting to get a feel for the supplies I will need to install a new headunit. So far i'm looking at the pioneer 710bt, metra installation kit, and the pioneer xm tuner. My goal is to have blue tooth, navigation, and sat. radio. I was hoping you guys could help me with a couple questions i have...

Opinions on the pioneer 710? Recommendations for other units? I was also looking at the pioneer 910...

Is this a job I could learn how to do myself, or should I seek professional installation? It would be a lot more satisfying to do myself, but i'm not sure I have the experience...

For those who have done this before, do you think it was worth it?

As far as installation goes, I'm at school in south carolina, and there really aren't any local electronic stores to do this job. My only option is geek squad, which i am very, very hesitant to use. I'd much rather do it myself, but i'm afraid I might screw it up. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Well..... I've installed professionally for years, so maybe/obviously my opinion is skewed. I'll admit the RX8 is one of the harder vehicles to install a headunit in. Also, installing a bluetooth/navi double-din unit is more difficult than your average headunit....... But after saying all that, I'm sure anyone can handle it given the extra time and our knowledge here on this message board. Go slow and take your time. If you're not sure about anything, feel free to PM me.

Just as a note, you know the Pioneer 710 doesn't play DVDs right? That's usually a deal breaker right there for most people. If you don't care, go for it. If you want DVD playback, get the 910.

Also, if you want to retain your steering wheel controls, you'll need the PAC SWI-PS

adamb83

Thanks for the response. I decided to bite the bullet and pay for installation. I wanted to do self-installation simply for my own satisfaction and learning, but with the XM radio and steering controls, i decided it was too risky. The DVD feature isn't important to me, as i hardly ever buy dvds anyway... I was more interested in the blue tooth and satellite radio. Thanks for the advice though! i'm sure ill be back on these forums for the next project

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

What a quick change of mind. Lol

Sat radio for Pioneer doesn't add much to the install at all. I put the tuner box and antenna under the center dash piece where the stock navi is. (Still get great signal there fyi) Other than that, its just one pigtail plug, ACC wire and ground wire. The steering wheel control module is actually decently easy in the RX8. ACC wire, ground wire and signal wire which is right in the factory radio harness (use the white wire from the PAC module if I recall right)

If you change your mind again, feel free to let me know. If you pay for the install, let me know how it turns out

adamb83

I'll be sure to upload a picture when the job is completed tomorrow. Thanks for the support!


Question: I've heard of some people creating a dummy faceplate to "hide" their H.U, do you think this is possible with an RX8? I came across this product on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/FP001-Security-F...item45f15186f3

It looks like it would get the job done for other cars (saw it used in the 350z forum), but for the rx8, it doesn't resemble the stock radio at all.

Unfortunately I can't tint my windows, due to NJ law, so my only options for security are hiding the faceplate and adding an alarm.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

Bah I wouldn't even worry about it. Pay the extra $10/year to have your car insurance cover it and focus your attention elsewhere. I used to worry about that kind of thing, but I A) opened my eyes and realized it's not as common as we all make it out to be B) let my mind be at peace by having insurance cover extra add-ons. In fact, Progressive covers like $500-$1000 worth of addons for free. It's a cheap additional coverage everywhere else. Save your receipt and move on to more important things in life.

adamb83

I really appreciate the words of wisdom. I'm not typically a paranoid person, but since talking to a few of my friends about it, I started to freak out haha. Then I made the mistake of checking my schools crime log, which was also a mistake. I'll probably get the shock sensor alarm add on, since it's only about 40 dollars and probably a good thing to have anyway. And i'll just leave it at that.