Ultimate AU audio/visual and electronic installs.

**Stav** · 26-05-2006, 05:13 PM

Well it seems to me that the astounding lack of posts and the type questions on this forum with regards to car electronic installs has me gobsmacked!! I would love to see AU related installs here which you think are terrific and outstanding.

As an installer since 1991 I see most are getting by with looks as far as installs go. They pretend to know!!Show us your stuff!!

Also for all the newbs out there I will be undertaking an extreme electronic makeover of the wagon soon and posting some info up...but not too much.. :hihi:

We are going to take the wagon to the limits to illustrate what can be done!!!

Mark351 · 26-05-2006, 05:23 PM

Although the recent focus has been performance mods, I'm currently in the process of collecting components for a super-electronic install.

robbo_yobbo · 26-05-2006, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by useless

Well it seems to me that the astounding lack of posts and the type questions on this forum with regards to car electronic installs has me gobsmacked!! I would love to see AU related installs here which you think are terrific and outstanding.

As an installer since 1991 I see most are getting by with looks as far as installs go. They pretend to know!!Show us your stuff!!

Also for all the newbs out there I will be undertaking an extreme electronic makeover of the wagon soon and posting some info up...but not too much.. :hihi:

We are going to take the wagon to the limits to illustrate what can be done!!!

Electronics were the first for my au.
In went the dash-mounted video iPod first, CD Player, DVD Player + amp, roofmount Video screen, Television Reciever, Airhorns, Undercar LED's (awaiting all the rice replies). I had to put in a switchbox to choose what video and Audio signal was going to be used coz there was too much stuff! biggest problem was coming up with ingenious ideas to get everything to fit and look factory. Hardest part was melting the dash to pieces to accomodate the ipod base. Most irritating part is having a screen with no GPS (thats Next), Best part is the ipod tho, coz you dont have to cart CD's or DVD's around in the car waiting to get stollen or change them over when your sick of the band playing - its like radio but without the krap music. Novelty of the DVD player didnt take long to wear off, but the TV's great if your waiting for someone in the car!

Yum-Yum · 26-05-2006, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

Electronics were the first for my au.
In went the dash-mounted video iPod first, CD Player, DVD Player + amp, roofmount Video screen, Television Reciever, Airhorns, Undercar LED's (awaiting all the rice replies). I had to put in a switchbox to choose what video and Audio signal was going to be used coz there was too much stuff! biggest problem was coming up with ingenious ideas to get everything to fit and look factory. Hardest part was melting the dash to pieces to accomodate the ipod base. Most irritating part is having a screen with no GPS (thats Next), Best part is the ipod tho, coz you dont have to cart CD's or DVD's around in the car waiting to get stollen or change them over when your sick of the band playing - its like radio but without the krap music. Novelty of the DVD player didnt take long to wear off, but the TV's great if your waiting for someone in the car!

Pics Robbo...PICS!!!

chief · 26-05-2006, 06:09 PM

Here is a Tech guide on how to make your power window switches illuminate in any colour.

http://fordforums.com.au/vbportal/mo...article&id=203

Well you akready have LEDS in the speaker mould. They look great stav. What about putting them in the a pillar where the factory tweeters go?

The LED mod for your cluster on aufalcon.com
http://www.aufalcon.com/Tech/techLED.htm

Installing an antenna half height:
http://www.aufalcon.com/Tech/techant.htm

What about installing LEDS into the auto shifter light, showing you what gear you are in.

What about some cop lights on your roof? lol

Just trying to think what else. What about making the switches on the steering wheel illuminate.

Illuminated scuff plates:
http://fordforums.com.au/showthread....d+scuff+plates

Extra lighting in footwells that are not on a Fairmont Ghia or Fairlane.

When all this is done I think it will look tastefull not crap like puting LEDS around your 4" cannon "zorst".

robbo_yobbo · 26-05-2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yum-Yum

Pics Robbo...PICS!!!

Ill Get some pics up next week, My cars in getting the gas hooked up again at the moment coz i had an engine upgrade a coupla weeks ago and Ive noticed the difference in fuel prices without it!
Gas guys a jip tho - $600 just to reconnect the gas system which was already installed previously (and then wanted to charge me extra again for wiring and another $220 for an o2 sensor!) pretty sure he was a rip off merchant in his past life (or was that this 1!)

XR6-VCT-2000 · 26-05-2006, 07:03 PM

I think u'll find a lack of Audio questions in this section because they are actually all in the audio section , plenty of stuff there . ;)

**Stav** · 26-05-2006, 08:25 PM

I am hoping to fit the reverse sensor display in the speedo dash assembly..Also a shift light,brake,reverse,blinker light failure warning ..which I thinking of doing. Also working out circuits with sensors for when I put my blkinkers on which a beep is heard if there is someone next to me.Well see how far it goes. I want to keep it practical.

26-05-2006, 09:58 PM

Yeah Robbo, pics. that IPod thing sounds wicked... love to see what you've done...
I'm all for the IPOD, cars should come from the factory with em installed!!!

I love to mount mine somehow (not a massive audio dude myself), but would be quite happy just to be able to hook up mine to the AU stereo, I'm told it cant be done, and am sure someone with better knowledge will set me straight.

**Stav** · 26-05-2006, 10:29 PM

It can be done!! There are a couple of ways to do it.

HLC · 26-05-2006, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief

Here is a Tech guide on how to make your power window switches illuminate in any colour.

http://fordforums.com.au/vbportal/mo...article&id=203

Well you akready have LEDS in the speaker mould. They look great stav. What about putting them in the a pillar where the factory tweeters go?

The LED mod for your cluster on aufalcon.com
http://www.aufalcon.com/Tech/techLED.htm

Installing an antenna half height:
http://www.aufalcon.com/Tech/techant.htm

What about installing LEDS into the auto shifter light, showing you what gear you are in.

What about some cop lights on your roof? lol

Just trying to think what else. What about making the switches on the steering wheel illuminate.

Illuminated scuff plates:
http://fordforums.com.au/showthread....d+scuff+plates

Extra lighting in footwells that are not on a Fairmont Ghia or Fairlane.

When all this is done I think it will look tastefull not crap like puting LEDS around your 4" cannon "zorst".

cheers for that cheif one of my power windo lights is blown so heres to more mods :sm_headba

and with the shifter light, mine is blue. i went to the markets and got some blue LED's in a wedge light mould, and replaced all the wedge lights in my interior with them i had one spare so i pulled apart the console and swapped lights. good as gold.

robbo_yobbo · 26-05-2006, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggee

Yeah Robbo, pics. that IPod thing sounds wicked... love to see what you've done...
I'm all for the IPOD, cars should come from the factory with em installed!!!

I love to mount mine somehow (not a massive audio dude myself), but would be quite happy just to be able to hook up mine to the AU stereo, I'm told it cant be done, and am sure someone with better knowledge will set me straight.

straight forward as, I was running the iPod with the standard factory head before I got any of the other stuff. All it took was a $28 generic Ipod dock (made for home PA systems) that had AV RCA plugs and a $15 secondhand amp to tie me over untill I got the rest of the gear from cash convertors. Speakers ran off the amp, Standard Radio reciever plugged into the speaker inputs on the amp and Ipod pluged into the line inputs - Only problem with that setup was I could only adjust the ipod volume from the amp itself (but it was only temporary). If you wanted to do something like that permanent the only addition required would be a $15 volume control box to mount in the dash between the ipod and amp and your setup for just over $50 - cant go wrong!

27-05-2006, 12:38 AM

very interested in my options now... theres no aux line in on AU1 stereo right?

**Stav** · 27-05-2006, 07:38 AM

Well last night analysing the speaker system made me realise what a joke the rear speakers in the wagon are and that the front door speakers could not handle more than half way from my deck.In my shed is a kenwood passive equaliser and some huge 10 inch 4 way pioneer speakers.With these I really dont need subwoofers.Also I have some kenwood speakers sitting around here doing nothing.Ah yes also a kenwood amplifier.By the end of this I can run 20 speakers with a total of 6 amplifiers. I dont want to go deaf but have quality sound and volume.

AUIII XR8 MAN · 27-05-2006, 08:21 AM

Is i've have 5 thumbs on each hand when it come to doing these thing i tend to leave thing alone. I try to replace a bulb in dash alittle while ago & it cost me over $60 to replace what i broke just doing this simple little thing. Maybe i should get Stingray to fix these thing for me.

**Stav** · 27-05-2006, 08:23 AM

We charge mates rates..

:

AUIII XR8 MAN · 27-05-2006, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by useless

We charge mates rates..

:

Even a full rate it got be cheap then me trying to do it.

:

robbo_yobbo · 27-05-2006, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggee

very interested in my options now... theres no aux line in on AU1 stereo right?

Yea no line input so you'll need an amp to run the ipod unless you run it through the radio reciever which destroys sound quality.

StevenAu2 · 27-05-2006, 09:33 AM

Ok heres a pic of my progress...We can pup dud jobs up cant we??? LOL

robbo_yobbo · 27-05-2006, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yum-Yum

Pics Robbo...PICS!!!

Pic 1:
you'll see the center cluster (screens hanging down from top) with the ipod head unit, switchpannel and TV remote reciever.
video channels all run into the switchpannel first then output to the video screen, and all the audio channels (except the head unit) run to the switchpannel, then into the head unit then onto the amp so that all the volumes can be controlled in the head and your not constantly sorting through remotes.
(A quick heads up to anyone thinking of revinyling thier car - when doing the center cluster, use an ultra thin vinyl - you will see in this pic that around the switches had to be chopped to allow the buttons to open and close cos the vinyl was too thick.)

Pic 2:
Video screen - was a pain in the proverbial to get it to screw in right, just didnt want to line up to the base plate - but thats what you get buying japanese!

Pic 3:
The face had to be melted and remoulded to accomodate the ipod (10 mins with a cigarette lighter and a soldering iron - not the most conventional way, but ingenuitive if nothing else!). after melting, the whole face was vinyled to match the white/blue colour scheem of the rest of the car and hide the dodgy melt marks. The ipod base is bolted in the back with AV cables running to the switchpannel and power so the ipod charges while driving.

Pic 4:
Hahaha, all the remotes needed to run my incar entertainment system

cost you ask?.....
Head unit $150
TV reciever $67
Ipod Base $28
Switchbox $40 (ripoff - couldve been done cheaper but I was just impatient)
Amp - $15
Screen - $99
Misc - $40 (rc cables, vyinil, glue speaker wire, switches etc)

GRAND TOTAL
$439.00 (not including the ipod itself)

Brand names arent anything special, but it sure does the trick

Additions to this setup in progress, GPS Nav, Reverse Parking Cam, CCD security recorder

Yum-Yum · 27-05-2006, 04:40 PM

holy crap robbo, put in a microwave and a portable potty and you'd have on e sweet lil apartment there mate lol, love the seats mate, custom i presume?

XR6-VCT-2000 · 27-05-2006, 06:25 PM

jaycar have two types of devices you can use to run your ipod/mp3 player etc through your headset by tuning in on the radio. The 1 of them ( the basic 1 ) is pretty rubbish , looses sound quality and is only pre-tuned to 1 FM frequency , the other unit is a bit more expensive ( but still cheap ) and allows you to tune into ANY FM frequency

, and the sound quilty is VG too

.

robbo_yobbo · 27-05-2006, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yum-Yum

holy crap robbo, put in a microwave and a portable potty and you'd have on e sweet lil apartment there mate lol, love the seats mate, custom i presume?

Yea, all custom, Im in the process of customising the entire interior at the moment, rear seats are to be white/blue, roof's all white with blue trims, blue front seats, white dash with blue trim. Long way to go yet!
I dunno about the portapotty, but The microwave, hmmmmmmm, dont give me ideas! I have been seriously contemplating modifying the center console to adapt a carfridge however! one step at a time robbo......

XR6-VCT-2000 · 27-05-2006, 08:04 PM

yeah Robbo , nice job

, all you need now is some blue fluffy dice to match the dash mat ..lol

oh , by the way - does anyone know if a toutchscreen lcd the size of the double-din slot is available ? , i'de like an lcd but i want to mount it on the dash/headset slot, preferably not a popout screen, just a toutchscreen same size as the double-din slot with a cd/dvd slot underneath the screen , any help appreciated , cheers .

28-05-2006, 12:57 PM

robbo : wicked... love the ipod mount? just out of interest does it charge the ipod too you sound like a bit of a whizz with electronics, so spose you could get the amps outta the usb/firewire plug? or you using the cradle just to hold it.

love it ;)

JC · 28-05-2006, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6-VCT-2000

yeah Robbo , nice job

, all you need now is some blue fluffy dice to match the dash mat ..lol

oh , by the way - does anyone know if a toutchscreen lcd the size of the double-din slot is available ? , i'de like an lcd but i want to mount it on the dash/headset slot, preferably not a popout screen, just a toutchscreen same size as the double-din slot with a cd/dvd slot underneath the screen , any help appreciated , cheers .

Alpine, Clarion and Pioneer all have one. Here's an example of the Alpine one:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-2006-ALPINE-IVA-W200E-6-5-TOUCH-SCREEN-DVD-CD-MP3_W0QQitemZ9731407316QQcategoryZ67772QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem]Alpine 2-DIN touchscreen[/URL]

GlennBA · 28-05-2006, 03:48 PM

I wouldn't mind doing a roof mount screen on mine.. but i'll save and upgrade the audio system a bit first. I'll take pictures of the roof mounted strobe lights i installed yesterday lol..
I put them in place of the map lights

XR6-VCT-2000 · 28-05-2006, 04:45 PM

cheers for the link JC .

robbo_yobbo · 28-05-2006, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggee

robbo : wicked... love the ipod mount? just out of interest does it charge the ipod too you sound like a bit of a whizz with electronics, so spose you could get the amps outta the usb/firewire plug? or you using the cradle just to hold it.

love it ;)

Yea, it charges the ipod too at the same time. The cradle replicates the ipod plug on the back of it plus gives an audio/video line out also, so the car charger that came with the ipod plugs straight into that and then its just a matter of hooking the other end up to accessory power.

PS - to any1 installing a roof-mount screen, bear in mind that your sun visors will have to be chopped and recovered to fit around the screen.

miitch · 28-05-2006, 09:41 PM

I just got most of my sub box / boot install done today, just gotta make up a longer wire for inside the sub box, line the inside of the box and carpet the outside, i'll get some pics tomorrow when i do some more work on it.