I finally got around to removing that terrible Clarion head unit, and put in an Eclipse 3413 and 5962 in-dash 6 disk changer. My goodness, the sound is INCREDIBLE! These components are pared with Alpine Type-R 6.5 components and a 10" Infinity Perfect 10.1D installed in the stock location - all powered by a Boss 935 5 channel amp in the glove compartment. (don't laugh - that Boss amp packs a punch and is dirt cheap).

I also went a little step further and changed all the LED's on the head unit and changer to amber, so that they now illuminate the same color as the rest of the dash. The install is perfectly flush, and I used the Metra 2 din faceplate.

I personally think the Eclipse head units are the only ones that actually look like they belong in the car.

Finally, I am happy with the sound - and it still looks good.

 

looking good... more pix?

 

Yup...looks good.

I was looking at the Nakamichi cd400 today. Display is also amber as well.

What did you do before mounting the 10.1d in the stock location?
Is it sealed? Dynamat?

More pics?

 

Very nice and clean install! So the Infinity is a free air sub? Show more pics

 

could you tell us where you got the led's and about how much they were and mcd would also be helpful
thanks.

 

I'll write up a decription at work about how I did it. In the meantime, more pix:

 

That is very sweet!!! How much? and where did you get it all from. And I like that you switched the leds out to amber, very cool!! Kudos for a job well done.

 

Read my old thread to see installs of the rest of the components:

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=35760

The only thing I changed on the above linked install is to add some brakets to the sub to hold it in better, and add some 5 minute epoxy to hold it to the floor. In the above thread's 7'th picture - see the bump in the metal that the sub is wedged into? That is where I added the 5 minute epoxy. It holds really well, but with some strengh, you could shear it off if needed (thanks to the painted surface.

I also put the rubber mat that normally is on the floor in the stock location behind the sub and against the mounting brackets in the back. That is where I got all my vibration from - the metal-to-wood rattle. By eliminating the two from touching, 99% of my rattles are gone. The other 1% I never hear cuz its up so loud.

I was lucky about the cost - right when I was getting ready to buy the components new, I found them on eBay. Talk about timing. I got everything for under $300.

The LEDs are about 3/16" long, and are called surface mount LEDs. I got them from a local store (a RadioShack on steriods - http://www.halted.com/) They come on a roll, individually packaged. Cost me $3 for 3 dozen.

I don't have any pictures, because the workspace is so small. I had an illuminated magnifying glass and a very fine tipped soldering iron. First I removed the old led (destroying it in the process), and cleaned up the two solder points on the board. Then I got my new LED and set it on top of the two solder points. Touching the metal side of the led will heat up the solder below and melt it. Do that on both sides, and you have a new surface mounted LED.

For the +/_ polarity, you just have to read the silk screen on the board. For the Eclipse, there is an idicator like this:

______|

The | indicates positive. On the LED, they will either have a little semicircle on one end, or an actual red line.

I handled the display screen a little different. The LEDs that illuminate it are not something I could find. There are two sets of 3, sideway pointing LEDs on each side.

I removed the big metal plate that mounts the screen on the circuit board. Be careful doing this. If you seperate the glass from their contacts, the odds of your screen working are very slim. The glue that keeps it together is about as sticky as post-it notes glue.

I then got some #25 ROSCO lighting film. (Ever see in a theater a big piece of colored, clear plastic film in front of a stage light? That's ROSCO film. Go to any Video/Lighting/Theatre rental company and buy a sheet. It'll be a few bucks. Or pickup the color samples for free. It is a 4" x 1.5" x 2" block of all the colors ROSCO makes - and there's alot. Nice to just have handy.)

I cut a piece that would cover the leds, tacked them in place with some superglue, then remounted the screen. Viola, amber screen. Its kinda cool, because from different viewpoints, the background changes color slightly - going from red to amber to a little green. The letters/numbers always remain bright amber.

This technique won't work for the small leds I replaced, because they don't have enough power to glow through the film effectively.

 

I just had one question that you didn't address. How does it sound? I realize it is night and day compared to the stock speakers and HU. But are you completely satisfied with the sound? I have never owned an Eclipse HU. I have owned Alpine, and it is going to be hard to not buy Alpine again. Your setup looks really nice by the way.

 

The Eclipse 3413 headunit has no real EQ - just base and treble, with the ability to put a generic Highpass on the Front and rears, and a generic lowpass to the sub.

With the pass filter's enabled, the base set at -2 (sub is strong), I am completely floored with the sound quality. If I decide to add an EQ, it will just be to mess with the midrange (I'm not a real fan of it). Base is SPOT ON.

The base is also so clean that I do not get any vibration out of the stock sub location. I use to with the stock head unit.

So in a word, I am THRILLED with the results.