sneak preview

[95WhiteCamry]

just a pic picture to show something new.



fyi..... scion stereos are NOT plug and play... the wiring may be, but the fitment isn't all that nice. another thread coming up in a week or so once everything is done.

[rev_rock]

What are you planning to use to fill the voids? The Scion stereos are nice. My son's got a TC and that thing has some bump to it! Nice cars too!!

[Albuynp Ryeno]

why not just get an alpine? Less work, better quality.

[yiujai86]

The trim pieces that came with my Pioneer and Sony head unit fit snugly into place.

[xtremeskier97]

Originally Posted by Albuynp Ryeno

why not just get an alpine? Less work, better quality.

Alpine fanboy?

Not everyone wants to spend HUNDREDS of dollars on a stereo. Not to mention he's doing something DIFFERENT!

[Venom_5]

^ it doesnt have to be Alpine, a lot of the better brands make high-quality products with better fitment ... i dont think it was a fan-boy comment, necessarily

[TheKevin]

i'm rocking the same thing right now. except, yours looks like its sitting better than mine.

[shuluke]

Originally Posted by xtremeskier97

Alpine fanboy?

Not everyone wants to spend HUNDREDS of dollars on a stereo. Not to mention he's doing something DIFFERENT!

I see them at crutchfield for 140.. Thats not bad at all.. Considering you can find it cheaper on ebay or something..

[ghettosled]

my preference is to put in aftermarket HUs and not replace with a stock HU from another vehicle. this statement doesnt help, now does it?

as long as the new scion unit is larger, you can just increase the hole size in the filler panel.

[xtremeskier97]

Originally Posted by Venom_5

... i dont think it was a fan-boy comment, necessarily

my bases for that joke was from another thread.

[hoyota]

thats just awesome

[DAMON]

i tried to fit a scion unit in the solara when i first got it and youre right for sure- no dice fitting it or the plugs matching, so I just rock stock haha

[TheKevin]

Originally Posted by DAMON

i tried to fit a scion unit in the solara when i first got it and youre right for sure- no dice fitting it or the plugs matching, so I just rock stock haha

is the solara's harness different from the gen 3 camry? my sony HU was stolen from my cam and I used an extra tC headunit. the wiring was a direct fit.

[xtremeskier97]

Yeah, seems odd that a Gen3 camry and a new tC would be the same wiring but a solara wouldnt be?

I know on my XLE with the 'upgraded' sound system it had an amp, but had to disconnect some plugs behind the stereo for my aftermarket harness to connect. Maybe it's the same on the solara? Was there a stock amp in your car Damon?

[95WhiteCamry]

yeah, there were two types of plugs i think from the gen 3, and 4 models, including the solara.

the standard is the 10pin/6pin plug found in all regular stereos that had a built in amp into it.
the other kind is the multiple pin plug that was intended for the oem amp that's generally below the seat. i believe same applied to jbl units.

the scion stereo actually has both pin-outs, making life easier. in essence, the wiring is plug and play, with the pin outs for power and sound all matching up. it's the physical fitment that is the problem.

the stock brackets that came on the gen 3 work with this headunit with just a minor modification. a small piece has to be bent, or even cut off (like 2mm worth) and all the holes match up and then the brackets can be used to secure the stereo in place.

the unit itself is double din, so depth and height fitment are not an issue at all.

one unforeseen problem was the faceplate size. it's larger than a stock gen3 faceplate and doesn't allow the U shaped bezel to fit properly. over the course of the next coming week, i will fab up a different U bezel to accomodate the lighter. the stereo actually fits underneath the HVAC controls as well. for good fitment, you have to pull off the bezel underneath those controls, trim a small bit of plastic near the right mounting screw, and everything will fit peachily.

if there's interest, i can pop the unit out and show what needs to be trimmed where and how the brackets have to be adjusted.

sound quality of this pioneer is amazing compared to most oem decks. MP3 compatability is fantastic, and the sound is great and crisp. this is the one unit that would justify buying good speakers for.

lastly, i think most aftermarket stereos look tacky, be they some pepboys brand, or top of the line alpine... it just won't look STOCK, which was my biggest goal. i hate tacky looking stereos, especially single din ones since the buttons are way too tiny.