What options do you want in a "factory" head unit?

[Vanilla Sky]

One of the projects I'm working on alongside the LED lighting and factory Bose audio is adding options to OEM head units. I'd like to get some information from everyone to see if it's worth the trouble of modding these stock decks for sale.

Options I may be able to add:
-Pre-amp outputs so you can connect directly to an external amplifier
-Aux inputs
-Bluetooth audio
-USB for memory sticks full of music
-SD card reader for music
-Internal SSD for a TON of music, but this would be a cost-prohibitive option

So, are there any other things of interest I should add to my research and prototyping phase? Please reply here so we can get some talk going and make our dashes look stock again!

[obd0driver]

Here's a couple of thing to look at.

I have the factory Tape, CD, EQ and a custom aux. Jl speakers all around with a hidden sub that was factory for something else [emoji12] Works great.

http://www.3geez.com/forum/interior-exterior-care/44949-eq-connection-stock-hu-analog-out.html

Found this a while back.
http://www.gromaudio.com/store/usb_adapters/index.html

[Vanilla Sky]

Jeez those USB adapters are expensive. My solution would be MUCH more cost effective.

I knew about the existing pre-amplified outputs, but I feel it's important to have a common interface with the amplifier, which in most cases is via RCA interconnects.

If I get deep enough into these, they will be able to be ordered with only the options you want.

Parts like capacitors may need replacing, due to aging out as well. This would be a part of my normal deck service.

[Dr_Snooz]

A simple auxiliary input for a standard 3.5" headphone jack is all I ever use and only to listen to Alex Jones. :D

I remember that the volume knob on my OE deck crapped out. It produced static and noise that eventually got so bad the deck was unusable. I tried opening it up to shoot it with contact cleaner, but bugger me, Honda had put shielding all around the reostat. I couldn't get to it. I squirted around the shielding as best I could, but it only made the problem worse. :(

What do you think the price will be of this? Are you going to sell units direct or refurbish units we send you?

[Vanilla Sky]

I have a couple to rebuild right now. Unless you wanted your original deck back in your car, I would ship out a finished deck, and you would ship me your old deck to go back into my rebuildables bin.

From what I have probed around, the aux input shouldn't be expensive itself, but I have to average in all of the repairs I have to make to the deck to make it right again, such as scratchy pots and marginal capacitors.

Bringing a deck back up to new standards and adding just an aux input should be under $100, including cleaning, trimming, cap replacements, pretty much everything. I am in the costing portion of this project right now, which is why I'm trying to get feedback.

Something else that may be able to be worked into these is a more powerful internal amplifier. Would that be of interest to anyone?

-Derick

[gp02a0083]

really a typical headphone jack for an aux in or a usb type input would be great. not too fond of the whole cassette deck adapter thing, I hate that squelch noise

[Vanilla Sky]

That would be the type of input if I were going to drill the faceplate, which is the best option for most people.

[conozo]

I'm putting my stock AM/FM radio back in but was planning on using an amp for the speakers and would like to use an mp3 player for my music connected via AUX input. So my preference would be AUX input but on the back of it (I dont like extra cables hanging out of the front) and RCA outputs for the amp.

A SD card would be ideal for me but and would replace the mp3 player and AUX input but how would you control the songs and playlist with the factory head unit.

[Blaaz]

I used a later model radio ('95-'98) and connected a Alpine MP-3 changer to it. The later models have din plugs that are compatible with Alpine changers with a couple of adapter cables.

[Vanilla Sky]

I'm putting my stock AM/FM radio back in but was planning on using an amp for the speakers and would like to use an mp3 player for my music connected via AUX input. So my preference would be AUX input but on the back of it (I dont like extra cables hanging out of the front) and RCA outputs for the amp.

A SD card would be ideal for me but and would replace the mp3 player and AUX input but how would you control the songs and playlist with the factory head unit.

Rear aux is no big deal, either. SD card control would be via the faceplate, like a deck that came with the option to begin with.

Blaaz, the idea is that we have the original decks in these cars. The oldest ones are approaching 30 years old, and some people want to keep an original deck in such an old vehicle.

BTW, there were two OEMs for the decks in our cars, one was Matsushita (Panasonic), and the other was Alpine if I'm not mistaken. All of the spares I have are the Matsushita units, though.