[mille162]

Before I go into details and bore you, I'm looking for:
-help removing radio screen trim piece in '05 CC
- any pics, details, diagrams of what's behind that screen and how much room there is

I need a reliable and easy to program navigation system and I'm not interested in a stand alone unit, I want it built in and flush. Goodmans has told me it would be cheaper to trade my car in on a GS and replace the single DIN unit.

Harware wise I've found at least one acceptable solution. Alpine has a remote touchscreen that will control the nav unit through their vehicle hub pro. Can also plug in the ipod, BT, rearview camera, DVD/CD, etc. I hear their nav system isn't the best, but will work, the BT is minimal and won't access many of the nicer functions of my phone (Nokia 9300i). I spend the majority of my day on the road in the car so those features are important to me. Pioneer has a superior system, but not one with a remote screen like the Alpine (which meets the space issue). I don't care about the HVAC or trip computer display info, I'm fine with just turning the knobs below and looking at their markings to determine where the settings are.

Goodmans (PA) gave me an initial estimate of $2000-$10,000 for install only. I've done some pretty trick installs in previous cars myself (up to fiberglassing custom molded speaker enclosured and rewiring the entire car with power and speaker wires). I can't imagine this being $10k in labor for just the head unit install, we never even talked about speaker and amp upgrades!

Anyone out there do anything different with your CC radio? I was thinking a flip out/up screen could easily fit where the CD changer was in the center console if I could hook up a slave monitor in the dash to read off of while driving, but no one seems to have a system that will do nav on a slave screen.

I'll of course post what I find out and end up with. I'm going to get an expert friends opinion later today (former IASCA national champion), but I think the easiest will be the apline with the center unit fiberglassed smooth to just fit the screen (cover up phone buttons and other unused ones) and then cover the upper and lower piece in leather . Just need to figure out how to get the top part of the unit out now w/o breaking anything...

 

[Troesma]

The screen unit simply pops-out of place by using 2 DIN plugs to pull it out, grabbing it from the 2 slots at the sides. No screws, no fixes, no nothing and your only problem could be denting it at the slots if you use, e.g. a screwdriver.

Now, there is not much room behind there. Can send you a photo of my central console completely taken away (did a re-coating of the trim; picked the car today and I must say I'm impressed... better than factory). Just PM me.

BTW, I recall seeing some months ago a dude which had a 3200 and he fitted a Pioneer SatNav with the screen popping-up from the air vent in the dash top (which is pretty much the same plastic trim as the one in the 4200). He re-trimmed the cover unit and did some stuff to cancel the vents (and re-direct the pipes) and had the screen fitted there. You could not tell it was not OEM. Unfortunately I have no photos.

Ed

 

[mille162]

The screen unit simply pops-out of place by using 2 DIN plugs to pull it out, grabbing it from the 2 slots at the sides. No screws, no fixes, no nothing and your only problem could be denting it at the slots if you use, e.g. a screwdriver.

Now, there is not much room behind there. Can send you a photo of my central console completely taken away (did a re-coating of the trim; picked the car today and I must say I'm impressed... better than factory). Just PM me.

BTW, I recall seeing some months ago a dude which had a 3200 and he fitted a Pioneer SatNav with the screen popping-up from the air vent in the dash top (which is pretty much the same plastic trim as the one in the 4200). He re-trimmed the cover unit and did some stuff to cancel the vents (and re-direct the pipes) and had the screen fitted there. You could not tell it was not OEM. Unfortunately I have no photos.

Ed

Thanks for the insight, went to a shop today and we got it removed and I got a much better quote. Including a new fiberglass piece to cover the shaped piece, all the Alpine hardware and install for $4200.I've seen this shops work before and they've done plenty of IASCA winning custom jobs so I trust the f/g piece and quality of install. The plan is going to cover the piece with leather instead of trying to match paint.

 

[Troesma]

Would be great to see the finished product. TBH, it *might* be a smarter move to try to adapt the top dash vent, as this guy did on his 3200. Why fiberglass+leather rather then trying it in carbon, or use an epoxi-based coating? It could prove be difficult to get the same hide (or comparable) to the OEM; in carbon (or coating) you by-pass this issue neatly.

Again, I must say the re-coating of my console resulted in a 100% colour match having a superb finish. I'll take some photos tomorrow. The guys who did the job here are specialists in restoration (Ferrari, Maser, Lamborghini) and it shows they are pros. If you are going to make a fiberglass replacement mount to fit the Alpine screen, I would go the coating way (of course, doing the whole console, as I did, to get a perfect match). You would need to smooth-finish the fiberglass base mount, to get a mirror-like coat.

Anyway, of course it's your choice.

Ed

 

[haha]

...I'll take some photos tomorrow...

any luck with the pix yet

 

[Troesma]

Had no time to get a couple of shots (been snowed-under work...)

Tomorrow should be done

Stay tuned.