General Swap cassette for cd player

[doctorchris]

cazzo_man has hinted at this issue but in the middle of a thread about the workshop manual on cd so replies might be limited.
My daughter is keen to buy a 1.1 Active as the price is very good but she wants a cd player rather than the cassette. I have suggested that as the car on offer is about £250 above the very best net price I can find she asks for the Fiat cd player to be installed. Has anyone done this? If not anyone have experience of fitting an alternative cd player. We thought of maybe keeping the cassette head unit but installing a cd player in the boot and connecting them up.

 

[pandissimo]

cazzo_man has hinted at this issue but in the middle of a thread about the workshop manual on cd so replies might be limited.
My daughter is keen to buy a 1.1 Active as the price is very good but she wants a cd player rather than the cassette. I have suggested that as the car on offer is about £250 above the very best net price I can find she asks for the Fiat cd player to be installed. Has anyone done this? If not anyone have experience of fitting an alternative cd player. We thought of maybe keeping the cassette head unit but installing a cd player in the boot and connecting them up.

One option is an FM Cd changer. Connects to the existing radio antenna, comes with a small control panel wich goes on the dash or in the glove box for security, and an infra-red remote. Had one in my other car and it worked well. If you install it yourself with velcro strips you can easily move it to another car. Prices can be very high so shop around. Mine wouldn't play MP3's so I let it go with the last car.

http://www.lowcostcaraudio.co.uk/sh...FM-6-Disc-FM-modulator-CD-Changer_productJJ44



Or if you don't want the expense how about a portable CD or MP3 player and a cassette adaptor?

 

[doctorchris]

Thanx for your idea.

 

[Boanerges]

I think you can get away with removing the standard radio cassette and fitting any CD player with a removable front panel.
You don't need to worry about buying a standard Fiat CD player for £200 plus. I removed the radio-cassette in mine and it left a neat DIN sized hole which accepted the metal cage for a Kenwood CD player I bought from Halfords for £99. It was a bit of a tight fit but you can make all the wires disappear down the back of the dashboard then push the unit home. It leaves the cubby hole above for CD's and things too. You do not need to buy any kind of facia adaptor as I did this and then was suprised I could fit the new unit in the original hole.

 

[doctorchris]

My daughter has persuaded the dealer to fit a CD player for her within the asking price.

 

[mark1962]

hi on swapping the cd over ....did you need any new connections? as in din adapter leads? i have a now spare panasonic cd unit and want to fit it to the panda

 

[doctorchris]

Dunno cos the dealer did it.

 

[mark1962]

panasonic unit pretty much straight swap only thing is only works with ignition on ie engine running so i have to put up with that as only other way around it would be to give the red wire (ignition feed) a permant live wire...but that leaves unit capable of being left on unattended..oops flat battery possibilties

 

[pandissimo]

panasonic unit pretty much straight swap only thing is only works with ignition on ie engine running so i have to put up with that as only other way around it would be to give the red wire (ignition feed) a permant live wire...but that leaves unit capable of being left on unattended..oops flat battery possibilties

Well, that's encouraged me to blow 60 quid on a JVC er, thing with MP3 Cd player. I'll see if I can photograph the installation when it arrives next week.

Got any pics of your installation Mark1962?

 

[mark1962]

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/thumbnails.html?c_album=3430123
try this.
the panasonic unit in the panda cost £57 year ago from makro's its just a basic 1 cd player that has rds radio and 4x40watts output

the other unit you might see in the other pics is a "rock" unit bought off "price drop tv" cost £32 this unit does mp3 disks no rds and only 4x24watt output BUT it does have front aux input which is just perfect for attaching my creative zen 30gig mp3 player..... who needs cd's lol

 

[pandissimo]

Re: Swap cassette for cd player/ MP3 CD player upgrade.

Well, that's encouraged me to blow 60 quid on a JVC er, thing with MP3 Cd player. I'll see if I can photograph the installation when it arrives next week.

Got any pics of your installation Mark1962?

Ok, a JVC KD-G321 MP3/CD/RDS radio arrived from Fleabay, today, 4 x 50 wattsrated, or 4x19 watts RMS. Nice silver coloured unit, plays MP3 cds with up to 512 tracks, has disk and folder random MP3 playback. Also has a stereo pre-out on the back and mobile phone mute sockets if you want to add even more stuff to your ride. Total price £66.98 inc courier delivery.

Eagerly willing to go where no human eye has ever set foot I chopped up a wire coathanger into four 20cm lengths, pushed them fully into the four holes in the radio, and pulled out the Panda Blaupunkt CD radio. On the rear are two plugs for the power and speakers, plus a multi -coloured plug to feed the dash display with station and CD information. The JVC comes with an ISO adaptor cable, just plug this into the two power/speaker leads. Ignore the multi-coloured leads and tuck them away at the back of the radio.

Next you need an ISO-DIN antenna convertor to convert the right angle Blaupunkt antenna plug to fit the back of the radio. (£1.70 inc postage). Then you need a fascia convertor (£16.99) to cover up the gaping hole left by the huge standard CD player. You gain a little cubby hole to put your shades in, too.

The JVC unit sounds noticeably better than the original unit, is louder with better bass punch and treble definition, and the ergonomics are much easier than the Blaupunkt. MP3 CD playback is excellent and folder navigation is easy, - as long as you've lablelled your folders 01,02 etc. If not the unit navigates through them with the <<->> button.

Excellent upgrade, depsite having to buy the extra bitz. Other single-DIN Jap radios might need the same fascia plate and possibly the antenna adaptor to upgrade the stock Panda CD player (but not the cassette radio - see Mark's post above for upgrading the Fiat Cassette radio. )

Total costs: £85.67 inc postage.

 

[pandissimo]

Well, that's encouraged me to blow 60 quid on a JVC er, thing with MP3 Cd player. I'll see if I can photograph the installation when it arrives next week.

Got any pics of your installation Mark1962?

OK, here's mine, the JVC-KDG321 MP3/WMA CD radio in the Panda with the new fascia adaptor. The display is scrolling 'JIM MORRISON'

I don't know why.

4 x 50 watts music power! Yay! Seems much more powerful than the original Panda radio, more bass, more Wombles. Everything!

:woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: