Car radio help

kamkazmoto

kamkazmoto

Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Messages
4,135
I just got a 97 Accord for my daughter but it needs a new radio. What would be a good inexpensive radio/CD player and where is the best place to get it. Thanks
 
im no expert with these hondas but if you swap out your radio dont you loose the ability to lock and unlock your car with your key fob?:jerkit:
 
If you're handy with electronics, go to www.crutchfield.com and save labor costs.

Best service from a mail-order company I've received. I personally installed a CD player on my '95 Crown Vic from them. They provided EVERYTHING except the tools. Wires, mounting bracket, frame, even solder. One word to describe their service: idiotproof. Only a total knucklehead could mess up something like their kits. Color-coding, easy to read instructions, 24-hour customer service, what more could you ask for?

Price is within reason, middle of the road pricing. Highly recommend it and if I would buy from them again, no hesitations.
 
This is an OLD Honda that has regular keys and doesn't even have remote door locks so no problem there.

bama lou - although I used to be fairly handy it has been years and I no longer have all the tools necessary. Heck I don't even own a multimeter anymore.
 
dont skimp on the wireing, let a pro do it. if your not 100% sure what your doing you can fry something or burn up the car. 2 friends just recently nearly leveled a firebird because of a radio swap.
 
bama_lou said:
If you're handy with electronics, go to www.crutchfield.com and save labor costs.

Best service from a mail-order company I've received. I personally installed a CD player on my '95 Crown Vic from them. They provided EVERYTHING except the tools. Wires, mounting bracket, frame, even solder. One word to describe their service: idiotproof. Only a total knucklehead could mess up something like their kits. Color-coding, easy to read instructions, 24-hour customer service, what more could you ask for?

Price is within reason, middle of the road pricing. Highly recommend it and if I would buy from them again, no hesitations.
Click to expand...

No kidding, they send a fat stack of instructions.


"One word to describe their service: idiotproof. Only a total knucklehead could mess up something like their kits."

Not exactly true, I've helped my friend do two Nissan 240s both with hacked up harnesses. PITA.
 
I got a low end Alpine for my truck. Nice styling and good performance. I think I paid a little over 100 bucks for it at Best Buy and they installed it for free.

Jack
 
Ask your daughter's friends to recommend a local shop. Maybe one of those friends is an audio freak and will do it for a couple of bucks and a chance to impress you. And Best Buy would also be a good choice if installation is free. You can get some fairly decent auto sound these days for a relatively small investment. Don't skimp on speakers.
 
cockroachfarm said:
And Best Buy would also be a good choice if installation is free.
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I was just about to suggest the same thing, but you beat me to it. That what I did for my Jeep. I went in and bought the radio but they where to backedup to put it in while the sale was on. They let me schedule it a week or so later.
 
Since you don't want to do the install yourself I would check around for a local car audio dealer in your area. Circuit City is another option - they sell & install. What Cockroachfarm said - her friends will know the best places.
 
Hay Guys...

I had a 78 Camero that was worth about $650.00CDN...

The Stereo was worth $3500.00 LOL


If you are going to get a radio,, make sure it's a MP3 player, with possible inputs for a IPOD or other MP3 player....

Crutchfield is a good place,, but if stereo wiring in any way confuses you,,take it to a shop and have it done..EVen Best Buy does some decent installs...

My last car an 89 OLds Cutalss had almost $7000.00 in stereo, another $600.00 in alarm and spent almost 10 full days in the shop, completely stripped on the inside and rewired..Much too large of an install for me to do by myself...

Get a good system, and she can build on it from there.. A good quality radio/CD/MP3 is a good place to start...

Good speakers are next, and after that Alarm and Amps!! :)

ttyle

Eric...
 
Heck, I didn't even know that they HAD car radios with MP3 inputs. I always figured that you needed a separate adapter to allow the MP3 player to access via the FM radio or the cassette player. :foot: Thanks Normark for the information.
 
Hey Kamkazmoto...

Not a problem..
I'm not 100% up on all the new car audio technology,, however yes they do have 1/8" stereo jack inputs on the fronts of the radios now..

A friend just bought a new Ram pickup with one OEM...

Theres a new format I believe called MP4 which will allow about 4-500 MP3's on one CD, and literally gigabytes worth on DVD...

You really want to get her something Wicked go with HD Radio..Just like HD TV but radio...All the rage right now...

That kind of $hit gonna set you pack a good chunk of paycheck though...

You know what,, doesn't matter what you get her, she's gonna be happy.It's better than what she's got now and that's Jack, or you wouldn't be looking...

Have fun, and I'll I can say is, and to Quote "Smoke" from the series Over There,Episode "The Prisoner"..... "Red is Positive, and Black is Negative!"

:):)

ttyle

Eric....
 
If you are going to get a radio,, make sure it's a MP3 player, with possible inputs for a IPOD or other MP3 player...
Click to expand...

I'll second that, if you're like me you'll also want input so you can hook a dvd player or laptop up and get sound through your system. I like pioneer stereos they have some good deals and kenwood. If you're not putting in a seperate amp, look for something with a mosfet 50x4 amp, you'll get great sound especially if you don't have huge speakers in. Kenwood is probably my favorite head unit along with audiobahn speakers.
 
A national chain like Best Buy and Circuit City are good options because if she breaks it, it can fixed in whatever college town she is in.

For under $150 you can get a name brand AM/FM CD player with MP3 support. The deciding factor for me is getting one that has buttons large enough I can hit them by feel alone so I will NOT be tempted to look away from the road at the little buttons trying to figure out why I went from Skipping a Track to listening to AM talk radio. ;)
 
kamkazmoto said:
....a 97 Accord for my daughter but it needs a new radio. What would be a good inexpensive radio/CD player....
Click to expand...

Hey, Eric and the rest of you sound monsters! Remember the original request - I don't think we're looking for a $7k "make-your-ears-bleed" installation. :)

(I USED to have one of those in my first Yukon. I might have been the only parent on the street where my teenage kids' friends would get into my truck and say, "Mr. E - could you please turn that volume DOWN?" :D :D :D )
 
I just rented a car with the HD radio. On the HD compatible channel there was a display with the station, the song and the artist. Great stuff but out of the budget.
 
You might check ebay for original equipment. Lots of people upgrade and sell the OME stereo for next to nothing. It would plug in too.
 
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