ewong

Yeah - CD changers are SOOooo old skool.

I used to have a tool box mounted in the back.
The Changer went in there.
But now with 2 kids I have to get rid of the tool box.
So right now the changer is sitting on the passenger rear floor.

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The EASY way to do this is to get a CD head unit.
But this is project "use stuff I have" and I have

Old skool Sony Mobile ES R-100 cassette deck - copper chassis, 4v outputs - top of the line early 1990s tech

10 disk changer. Not an X series. The Mobile ES one died so its whatever I picked up.

Speakers are Boston Accustic - 4" in stock dash location and tweets in the dash top firing up.

I have Bose 101s mounted to the roll bar and an old Pioneer small wedge sub box but thats disconnected as....
I now ferry kids to daycare..

So - right now the goal is to install the CD changer in the center console.
I have a spare (2 actually) one grey (matches) and another blue.

Mock up on the Blue indicates that some MINOR cutting on the inside of the box is required. I'll also probably have to lose the ash tray to the rear ( for the wiring connectors)

The changer is too "tall" by about 1.5 to 2" for the lower box so a "ring" will need to be installed as well as maybe a new lid.

Anyone else done this before?

aviator

Are you taking out the rear seat heat to do this? or did your's not have it?
so far as the rear ashtray goes the kids should'nt smoke anyways lol...
you could fab the ring out of 3/4" MDF wrapped in grey vinyl or just recover the whole thing in vinyl and give it the "one-piece" look.

deathrunner

Maybe this is more than you care to do..........

But what about teh storage compartments in the rear? Or maybe creatingan acces cover to it in the rear passenger compartment side. I filled my quarter panels with foam, but while doing so, I notiuce there is alot fo room....especially for something like a cd changer.

Just a thought.

What about mounting it under the driver seat?

ewong

Seats are Recaro's with sliders.
No room under the seats.

The reason for using the center console is that I cant easily access the CD changer when its in the back.
Even back in the day - it was a real PITA to change CDs, or add one if I got a new one and wanted to listen to it.

I dont have rear heat - I dont recall seeing a Gen1 with rear heat - tho the owners manual mentions it.

I know the cleanest method is an in dash CD player.
As I said - this is project "free".

Preliminary model will probably be made with 1/2 or 3/4 plywood.
Final model might be 1/2 oak or baltic birch.
I have a router so maybe I'll make some box joints...

I'll take pics as I do the project.

aviator

Sounds fancy just like the set up I plan to do.

Definitely pics pls.

Maybe some nice dovetail joints?
or some blind mortise and tennon?

AustinTaco

Does Ipod or some other car audio company, maybe even Sony, make the adaptor so that you can play the ipod through your stereo. I know pioneer has it, so I bet Sony makes one too. The adaptor is about $30 on ebay for the pioneer so you could sell the changer, buy the adaptor, and then use your ipod. if you don't have an Ipod, the prices are dropping or you can steal one from your kids. LOL

ewong

Im old skool.

My hearing is shot but
I CAN HEAR A DIFFERENCE between an iPod and a CD!!!
Im using the Apple "lossless" compression - its about 1/3 the size and yes - I can still hear a difference between an a song recored in "lossless" and the CD.

cymbal hits dont initiate correctly for one.

Strange - becuase Sony's ATRAC is like 1/10 space compression and I CANT HEAR THE DIFFERENCE. But of couse Sony dropped the ball on that format - just like Betamax.

That being said - I want to put the CD changer in because - I still use CDs.

Im a long time radio / mobile DJ - I have ALOT of CDs.
Yeah - I'll make mix CDs too but that isnt the point.

I want to hear the CD format in the truck.

I havent looked for a Sony Uni-Link Aux in adapter... the point of the project was "spend very little cash"...

Just curious
Crutchfield
There's a $30 cable that allows aux in to the Unilink (but I loose the changer) and the $99 Sony box.

The Apprently the $99 box allows multiple sources. Sot sure if its switched or mixed..

If its MIXED sources that might be cool for doing things like allowing a phone and scanner and CB to play over the spearks...

deathrunner

As far as sound differences with IPOD/MP3 player....it's not always the compression or the file itself. I noticded my mp3 player has an equalizer on it, it sounded funky until I flattened it. Now it's much better.

I bought a fm modulator that goes inline with the antenna, still got alot of noise. I picked up one of the previously mentioned AUX adapters for the pioneer units for liek 15-20 on ebay. MUCH better.

Ewong, I don't know if you've taken the center console out before, but there is a hump under it for the tranny. So, you probably can't get much more room under it, but I imagine you coudl pickup an inch of clearance if you cut the bottom out of the center console.