Eclipse vs. Alpine?

 

I chose the Z2 over the Eclipse. More expensive, but I thought it offered more bells/whistles and the display and nav options were better IMO. Not to mention, the nav and dvd "safety" features are easy to bypass by any installer...

 

I also saw the AVN5510 is selling for $899 online. The local rep wants $1399 plus tax to sell and install it so that's about $500 for installation. Can/should I attempt to install it myself in my 2001 996TT and save $500?

I will need to move the A/C unit to the bottom console and fit the faceplate in the horseshoe. I suspect these are the two hardest things to do, but am I wrong? I Imagine the rest is pretty well plug and play or cutting/splicing wires.

 

No offense but i always find it strange when people will spend 100k on a car then try to save 500 bucks on a install that they have little to no clue how to do. Take the car to a shop thats authorized to sell and install the unit your looking for. I see these things in my shop day in and out. No, a retail store has to make a profit so you will not get the same deals as you can on e-bay! However will ebay explain you purchase to you or demo it for you, answer all you questions?? Offer a warrenty?? 6 months from now when your unit dies for no reason of your own will ebay offer to replace it and cover the labor cost for the exchange. Most small retailers will bend over backwards to help you out and usualy offer the best service. Ive been in the automotive accesssory and car audio biz for 18 years. I think thats worth 500 bucks for 6 or so hours of my time and know how. Anyway ,it somthing to think about good luck whatever you deside.

 

Well there's a difference between being cheap and being frugal. I don't mind paying full price and I take my car to a local indy shop to support his business. I just don't like feeling that I'm being overcharged. Which is how I feel when the car audio dealer says $1399 and free installation but does not ask me what kind of car I have because he's built so much profit into the installation.

 

1399.00 is the retail price fro a Eclipse AVN 5510. We charge 250.00 on average to install it. So even if he says free installation for 1399.00 hows that being overcharged?? Your still paying less than retail from a local authorized Eclipse Dealer and getting it installed. Hell at 1750 installed in a P car with Bose and AC relocate parts isnt bad if there telling you 1399 id jump on it.

 

Some of the audio places are a rip off. I paid $50 to install the Alpine headunit in my truck. I go to the same place to get it done for the Porsche and it was a 150-175, can't remember what I paid. I didn't want to do it myself so I did pay them. I still can't believe the "tax" we get sometimes on work for these cars.

 

$1399 is too much because there are any number of places online that will sell you the AVN5510 new in box for under $900 and I suspect that's what the dealer pays for the unit. Here's one for $856:

http://www.cartronixplus.com/templat...69626551669C0A

So that's $1496 installed with tax from the dealer, or $856 plus shipping to do it myself. A difference of $640. That's a lot of money for installation no matter how professionally done it is. I'd be happy to pay two or three hundred for the service, but $640 to install a head unit is simply too much.

 

I just bought the AVN 5500 from Crutchfield for $899 w/ a free $100 gift card. I like crutchfield, easy to return things with no questions asked. I wonder what the primary difference between mine and the 5510 is.

Anyways, I'm going to install it myself... its not that hard. Just get some tips from the fellows on here and you'll be fine.

Last time I had a car shop install something, my car was out of service for 1 1/2 months. THey drilled into my ECU wires and had to have the whole interior ripped out, had all ecu wires ordered from germany (have to be custom made to your car) and then reinstalled. And now that I think about it, Ive never had outstanding service at a car audio shop. Not saying they are all like that.., but I've been a audio junky for years and I know what service is supposed to be like... and I've never experienced a good one w/ a audio shop.

 

I owned a chain of stereo shops for 15 years. Everybody here has a point. Also owning a Pcar, I see the point of the frustration with respect to the "tax."

Having said that, Pcars are not as easy as an F150 to throw a head unit into. Simply getting in there and working is considerably more difficult, not to mention the extra time you must take. Not that you wouldn't treat the truck as well, but if you ding a piece of plastic in the truck it might be 50 bucks to replace. Slip the screwdriver or screwgun on the Porsche and it's a $500 oops.

Not to mention the Bose and a/c relo. I'm not saying x price is fair or y price is too steep; nor am I defending anyone. But I am saying in a lot of cases you do get what you pay for and there is a lot to be said for the confidence of knowing it is done correctly. I have seen so much unbelievable damage done to cars from Munson's installing stereos it would blow your mind.

Ever smell an interior after 4 gauge has been on a dead short for a long enough time to catch the car on fire? Or the shop that filled the guy's back seat area with concrete and didn't tell the customer until he picked the car up and the headlights were pointing to the heavens! Oh, I have some good ones!

Ask to see their liability policy and look at the limits. Some small independents are on a shoestring, living on 90 day terms from the distributors/manufacturers. If they screw up your car, it is easier for them to close the doors and move on in a whole lot of cases. The flip side of that is the independents will absolutely do the best work out there as long as you find one who is stable. Look at pictures, ask around. Reputations, good or bad, will follow and stay with them!

And yes, Eclipse does Toyota and Lexus. And Mitsubishi and others.

AutoAddictions: Does the Eclipse use dual Burr Brown 24 bit DAC's or a single?

 

I'm interested in doing an aftermarket nav/sat/dvd/cd headunit in my '03 tt. I have heard that with the MOST bus that I will need to replace the amp and all the speakers, and I was wondering if this is true? If so, are there any headunits that are compatible with the MOST bus?

Thanks!!