UPS Delivery

[Artcwolf]

Ok...I'm sure there are reasons...albeit unknown to me...but this is frustrating. Look at the pic attached.

Now why could my package not be delivered today?

That's my new head unit and I want a cd/mp3/wma player in my car! Not at the receiving station!!!

Oh well, it's to be delivered tomorrow. :spin

[Artcwolf]

This is the head unit...pic is linked.

<img src=http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pio/pe/images/portal/cit_3442/50410536DEH-P4600MP_big.jpg> (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4039_50410536,00.html)

[Silent_Death911]

Originally posted by Artcwolf
Ok...I'm sure there are reasons...albeit unknown to me...but this is frustrating. Look at the pic attached.

Now why could my package not be delivered today?

That's my new head unit and I want a cd/mp3/wma player in my car! Not at the receiving station!!!

Oh well, it's to be delivered tomorrow. :spin
11:46AM? That's real late for a pick-up by a truck. That latest is around 10:00AM. If you're lucky of course.

Just wait.......that CD thingy looks nice. :Wink :Nice

[wazman]

That time is when it arrives at the Dallas hub. The next thing on there will be the "Out for delivery" notification, which should be very early tomorrow morning.

[coreyross]

Brings back memories of the Pioneer I had - except mine had that cool organic display deal. Then someone else decided they wanted it more than me and broke into my car. Needless to say I no longer have that stereo. It sure was sweet! Now I have a top of the line Viper protecting my beast! :devil

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by coreyross
Brings back memories of the Pioneer I had - except mine had that cool organic display deal. Then someone else decided they wanted it more than me and broke into my car. Needless to say I no longer have that stereo. It sure was sweet! Now I have a top of the line Viper protecting my beast! :devil

I had a $500.00+ dollar Kenwood originally...it died after 6 months.

Now I've come to the conclusion that you should only buy what you need on your head unit. Less to break. Total for the above after shipping was $190.00 and that included the mounting kit and wiring harness.

Just my $0.02 :)

I have a higher end Audiovox Prestige on mine...soon to have some extra sirens on it. :devil

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by wazman
That time is when it arrives at the Dallas hub. The next thing on there will be the "Out for delivery" notification, which should be very early tomorrow morning.

Yeah, I know. It just sucks to see that it was in Dallas before noon and realize it still won't be at my door until tomorrow.

I hate morning radio...too much friggin' talk shows. All I've got in the G-Ride is a stock tape deck. I don't own any tapes...do they even sell them anymore?

[eire1274]

Originally posted by Artcwolf
Total for the above after shipping was $190.00 and that included the mounting kit and wiring harness.
Nice! Where'd you get that from? I checked my soon-to-be catalog and the best I'd be able to do (when we open) would be $164, and we will be (by far) the cheapest dealer in town. That price would, of course, not include shipping since we're to be a cash-and-carry+installation retail spot anyway.
I have a higher end Audiovox Prestige on mine...soon to have some extra sirens on it. :devil
Good man. Viper alarms have caused me no end of trouble in the past with flakey brains, battery-eating remotes, and window/sunroof actuators that flake out if the humidity gets over 25%. I prefer Audiovox, Bulldog, or Delta.

Edit: AAAUGH!!! BestBuy.com has that deck on sale for $169.99 with free shipping!

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
Nice! Where'd you get that from? I checked my soon-to-be catalog and the best I'd be able to do (when we open) would be $164, and we will be (by far) the cheapest dealer in town. That price would, of course, not include shipping since we're to be a cash-and-carry+installation retail spot anyway.

Good man. Viper alarms have caused me no end of trouble in the past with flakey brains, battery-eating remotes, and window/sunroof actuators that flake out if the humidity gets over 25%. I prefer Audiovox, Bulldog, or Delta.

Edit: AAAUGH!!! BestBuy.com has that deck on sale for $169.99 with free shipping!

Crutchfield.com is where I ended up buying it from. It was $180 + $10 shipping. I bought from Crutchfield because they let me know that it would fit my vehicle. I had to call in to find out why the Panasonic I was looking at would not fit and the lady on the other end of the line told me it was a depth issue. I had my doubts so I went out and measured. Sure enough, after pulling the factory deck out, there was not much depth to be had in that 88. GM put large plastic duct work behind the deck making it almost impossible to mount many decks on the market.

I checked Sounddomain.com but they did not have my vehicle properly spec'ed out so, for that feature alone, I purchased from Crutchfield. If I had done what I usually do, I would have purchased my deck from Sounddomain.com, got it, tried to install it, cuss, then send it back. Kudo's to Crutchfield for having my vehicle spec'ed. I'm not normally a Crutchfield kind of guy for car stereo but this time, they saved me some time. They also sent me the wiring harness and mounting kit.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
Good man. Viper alarms have caused me no end of trouble in the past with flakey brains, battery-eating remotes, and window/sunroof actuators that flake out if the humidity gets over 25%. I prefer Audiovox, Bulldog, or Delta.

I've heard pro's and con's on Viper alarms and Audiovox came highly recommended. I used to be a Clifford guy but now that DEI owns them, I've heard they are not as good as they used to be (same for Orion).

I've been happy with mine...good range and extremely reliable. It releases the door locks and the trunk so I'm happy. Especially considering that the factory keyless remote was falling apart and the trunk would sometimes open all on it's own.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
Edit: AAAUGH!!! BestBuy.com has that deck on sale for $169.99 with free shipping!

Yup, however, they do not include the mounting kit nor the wiring harness.

But, for your frustration, they do include sales tax...which, here, brings the grand total to: $184.01. Mounting kit is an extra $7.99, wiring harness I'm probably overlooking but I don't see it.

So after all the extra's BB is more expensive than Crutchfield.

[eire1274]

Originally posted by Artcwolf
I've heard pro's and con's on Viper alarms and Audiovox came highly recommended. I used to be a Clifford guy but now that DEI owns them, I've heard they are not as good as they used to be (same for Orion).
Haven't messed with any of the new Orion stuff, though I've heard the same. I used to be a tremendous fan of their subs before I got into Volfenhag. Their amps were good, too, though overpriced IMHO.

A friend of mine is being sponsored by Treo (http://www.treoonline.com). I got to hear his truck at the World of Wheels show at the Omaha Qwest Center last weekend... sick! 2 Treo 12" subs and 4 Treo amps that aren't on the market yet. Loud enough to shake the whole place (and it's a BIG place) and CLEAN.

Sad thing is, I can't get Treo stuff. :Nope

[wazman]

Originally posted by cR i 5M
UPS SUCKS

I have to pound this into everyone's heads. It took Fedex a week to get from CA to RI and it took UPS 2 weeks for a lighter package! I HATE to use UPS. Fedex OWNS ups.

See, I've had exactly the opposite experience. UPS is always fast and on-time. We do most of our ordering out of the Chicago area (about two hours away), and every time it's there the next day. When we order from the company we use that ships out of South Bend, Indiana, which is about three hours away, it takes two to three days for it to get here.

How can it take extra time to cover the same ground?

[eire1274]

LOL! Now, you see, I so prefer UPS.

Ever since the Fedex guy left a $1600 set of 4 brand new ADR wheels on my doorstep, even though delivery instructions specified a signature drop-off. He had hauled them up the stairs to the front door and apparently didn't want to take them back down, so he forged my signature.

I am SO lucky somebody with brand-name knowledge didn't spot those 4 big blue ADR boxes, call a few buddies, and sprint off with them.

[egarrard]

Nice deck you bought. What is the difference between the Pioneer and Prestige lines? Other than $10.

[wazman]

Did it come yet?

[redphoenix]

Always had problem with UPS.

From Cali the day that it was "shipped" from Cali to FL is

Fedex = 2-3 days
USPS = 2-3 days
Ups = 3-7 days

All the time. I only use UPS if its from Canada.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by egarrard
Nice deck you bought. What is the difference between the Pioneer and Prestige lines? Other than $10.

Pioneer and Prestige?

I'm so confused.

Pioneer has a higher end line called Pioneer Premere. Mine is just standard Pioneer. There seems to be an equivalant Premere deck for every standard deck. Biggest difference is Premere comes w/ a 2 year warranty, Premire stuck on the front of it, a higher price tag, and you can't purchase it on the internet.

Prestige is a line of alarms by Audiovox.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by wazman
Did it come yet?

Yup, and I just got done installing it.

The only thing that sucks is that no matter what I do, the deck is crooked.

I'll take a pic tomorrow if I remember so you can see what I'm talking about. The mounting plate isn't adjustable (don't ask me why but it needed to be able to slide from one side to the other just a fraction of an inch) but they are made to lock in place. When the facia is placed back on the car, the deck looks like it's lopsided. The left hand side of the trim ring is under the facia while most of the right side is visable.

Deck works though. I've just got to figure out how to clean up the install. It just is irritating.

[eire1274]

Take a couple pics and post 'em here or email them to me. I've done some bizarre installs, and know guys who do nothing but car stereos for a living, so I might be able to offer advice one way or another.

[Artcwolf]

I went out and grabbed a couple of pics. The first one you can see how bad it really is.

[Artcwolf]

Here is a more wide angle view.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
Take a couple pics and post 'em here or email them to me. I've done some bizarre installs, and know guys who do nothing but car stereos for a living, so I might be able to offer advice one way or another.

If you need a pic of how the mounting kit works let me know. I'll pull the facia off and take some pics of how the mounting kit is sitting on the dash.

Essentially, there are two small posts on either side of the deck. The mounting face plate sits on those two small posts. There is no adjustment from side to side.

Even if there was, I think the trim ring is still going to have to be cut down to fit properly.

[eire1274]

Yeah, get me a pic of the mounting kit if you can. Most (in my experience) good mounting kits fit close enough to the deck's frame that the surround bezel covers any seams or gaps, but this looks really gappy.

What's directly under the deck slot? If that's an unused factory stereo component, I can check and see if there is a 1.5 DIN mounting kit made for your car, which would clean things up a lot. Of course, this is useless if that's a needed piece of electronics.

Added: Olds 88, right? What year? What brand is the mounting kit that was supplied?

More added: I need more info on your vehicle. I can't even find an installation guide that matches your dash configuration.

[Silent_Death911]

Originally posted by cR i 5M
Its strange. It must be the routing with each company becuase I hear that EVERYTHING from Fedex goes to Memphis sorting facility first.
Except for those 3 or 4 packages I got from Newegg that went to the NJ sorting faculity first.....but maybe that's just me.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
Yeah, get me a pic of the mounting kit if you can. Most (in my experience) good mounting kits fit close enough to the deck's frame that the surround bezel covers any seams or gaps, but this looks really gappy.

What's directly under the deck slot? If that's an unused factory stereo component, I can check and see if there is a 1.5 DIN mounting kit made for your car, which would clean things up a lot. Of course, this is useless if that's a needed piece of electronics.

Added: Olds 88, right? What year? What brand is the mounting kit that was supplied?

More added: I need more info on your vehicle. I can't even find an installation guide that matches your dash configuration.

Directly under the head unit is a small storage space. I do not know what brand of mounting kit this one is, the one that came with the radio is Crutchfield brand and just has a simple cover to hide the hole benith the radio. No storage space. Both kits mounted the same so I chose to use the mounting kit that they tried to use when they tried to install my deceased kenwood. This way I got a small storage bin.

The gappyness is more on the sides than top/bottom. What's causing the gappyness is the trim ring pushing out on that plastic facia.

I'm open to suggestions as the only solution I see is to cut the trim ring down on the sides until it fits.

It is a 1997 Oldsmobile 88. The killer is that there is no room behind the radio. Only certain radios will fit and I do not see any decent way of modifying that. I think that is why the mounting kits keep the radio at the top...the maximum amount of depth is provided there. It looks like crap but for now at least I have a cd player...

[egarrard]

Looks like it's either trim the chrome piece or trim the dash opening... :Crying

Any way to put new holes in the mounting bracket that will move the deck forward 1/4 in or so. Just enough to clear the plastic so the chrome trim fits in front rather than partially behind?

[eire1274]

Ah, looking at that first pic again I can properly see the storage space. I was seeing it as a raised plastic surface rather than the depression that it is. Trick of the flash, which tends to rob images of depth.

Okay, I looked at some Metra documents for your car, and there's not much else you are going to be able to do. Technically, there is not room in there for a 1 DIN headunit, you are correct that this Pioneer deck is shorter than the DIN specification which it why it fits.

Here is my 1st suggestion, and I think it may solve some of your problems by partially moving the deck forward, slightly: it appears that the farthest back edge of the deck is not properly supported, which is causing the whole unit to sag or tilt backwards, which prevents the trim bezel from lining up flush. Sagging decks are also much more prone to skipping. What I would suggest is cut some strips of hard packing foam (like what some hard drives and CD drives are still packed in). Place a strip on top of the deck, just enough to add a bit of tension between the top of the housing and the top of the compartment. Stack as many strips as needed to firmly lift the rear edge of the deck between 1/4" and 1/3", just enough to compress the top piece of foam about 50%. It's a tricky operation in some cars, but you should be able to do this with no adhesive.

The foam will hold itself in place due to tension, and will both lift the deck into proper alignment and act as a shock absorber. It's probably going to take some playing around with to get it right, so have a beer or two before attempting. It is not a "pretty" fix, but it works very well and is a permanent solution (until you replace the deck again).

I had to do this exact same thing in my 76 Pontiac GP, which had a similar layout (storage spot beneath the radio). There is no frame kit available for that car, so I had to modify the dash (with a large pocketknife) to accept the deck, and then spent a good hour wedging so everything would line up, otherwise it looked crooked and the outside trim bezel would pop off if I hit a bump. I've had several people ask me if that was a professional fabrication job, but I just pop off the trim bezel and let them see the nastiness it covers. LOL.

It looks to me like the sagging is the major cause of your troubles, but then again I'm looking at pics and not the real thing. Let me know if this even seems to be headed in the right direction.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
Ah, looking at that first pic again I can properly see the storage space. I was seeing it as a raised plastic surface rather than the depression that it is. Trick of the flash, which tends to rob images of depth.

Okay, I looked at some Metra documents for your car, and there's not much else you are going to be able to do. Technically, there is not room in there for a 1 DIN headunit, you are correct that this Pioneer deck is shorter than the DIN specification which it why it fits.

Here is my 1st suggestion, and I think it may solve some of your problems by partially moving the deck forward, slightly: it appears that the farthest back edge of the deck is not properly supported, which is causing the whole unit to sag or tilt backwards, which prevents the trim bezel from lining up flush. Sagging decks are also much more prone to skipping. What I would suggest is cut some strips of hard packing foam (like what some hard drives and CD drives are still packed in). Place a strip on top of the deck, just enough to add a bit of tension between the top of the housing and the top of the compartment. Stack as many strips as needed to firmly lift the rear edge of the deck between 1/4" and 1/3", just enough to compress the top piece of foam about 50%. It's a tricky operation in some cars, but you should be able to do this with no adhesive.

The foam will hold itself in place due to tension, and will both lift the deck into proper alignment and act as a shock absorber. It's probably going to take some playing around with to get it right, so have a beer or two before attempting. It is not a "pretty" fix, but it works very well and is a permanent solution (until you replace the deck again).

I had to do this exact same thing in my 76 Pontiac GP, which had a similar layout (storage spot beneath the radio). There is no frame kit available for that car, so I had to modify the dash (with a large pocketknife) to accept the deck, and then spent a good hour wedging so everything would line up, otherwise it looked crooked and the outside trim bezel would pop off if I hit a bump. I've had several people ask me if that was a professional fabrication job, but I just pop off the trim bezel and let them see the nastiness it covers. LOL.

It looks to me like the sagging is the major cause of your troubles, but then again I'm looking at pics and not the real thing. Let me know if this even seems to be headed in the right direction.

I'll give that a shot....it will be tricky as there isn't much room behind the deck for wires and foam but I'll see what I can do.

Even then, that might level it some but it won't correct the trim ring from being too wide for the dash facia. The peice with the two a/c vents is what completely removes (goes from the glove box to the steering section). It sits partially on top of the trim ring of the deck.

The only way I am seeing to correct that is to measure that trim ring, establish center, measure opening in dash facia, and trim the excess off of the trim ring w/ a dremel tool. Albeit, extremely carefully as that could get very ugly, very quick.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by egarrard
Looks like it's either trim the chrome piece or trim the dash opening... :Crying

Any way to put new holes in the mounting bracket that will move the deck forward 1/4 in or so. Just enough to clear the plastic so the chrome trim fits in front rather than partially behind?

I could put spacers between the mounting bracket and the dash so that it would sit the deck further out; however, I would then have the mounting plate pushing the dash out and I'm not sure that the trim ring would fit onto the deck from the front.

Trim rings fit on quit tight so that they give a good, clean appearance. There isn't a lot of play room, so to speak.

I'll take a couple of shots, hopefully today, of the dash pulled apart so this will all make more sense. I think that eire is starting to get a feel of how things go together and a couple of pics might spark some ideas.....















Like using a case of beer, a #$#$@$# plasma cutter, #$@$%% mig welder, a .22 caliber nail gun, and a roll of duct tape. :devil

[egarrard]

My only thought is that you seem to be at a point where you might need to modify the dash. That will ruin the car's resale value, unless you go to the junkyard and get a new dash piece to butcher.

Another thought would be to get a piece of wood that matched the trim and make a plate to mount you receiver to that fits in the depression in the dash. It would take some work, but wouldn't require cutting the dash.

By the way, getting back on topic for a second, I ordered a USB hub from TigerDirect yesterday. UPS just delivered it.

[eire1274]

I looked at the pictures after getting some sleep.

I still think a lot would be corrected asthetically by preventing the rear-end sag you've got there.

However, I looked at the trim again, and I think you are right. It needs to be trimmed. DO NOT TRIM THE DASH PANEL, as there is a high likelyhood that it will look like ass when you do it.

Also, Metra makes a mounting frame (part number 99-2001) that removes the storage spot, but it moves the front edge of the deck slightly into the passenger compartment so the trim and the dash line up a little better. I believe most Best Buy and Circuit City stores carry Metra kits for $10-$20.

[wazman]

Originally posted by eire1274
I looked at the pictures after getting some sleep.

I still think a lot would be corrected asthetically by preventing the rear-end sag you've got there.

However, I looked at the trim again, and I think you are right. It needs to be trimmed. DO NOT TRIM THE DASH PANEL, as there is a high likelyhood that it will look like ass when you do it.

Also, Metra makes a mounting frame (part number 99-2001) that removes the storage spot, but it moves the front edge of the deck slightly into the passenger compartment so the trim and the dash line up a little better. I believe most Best Buy and Circuit City stores carry Metra kits for $10-$20.

If only I could prevent my rear-end sag that easily...

[Silent_Death911]

Originally posted by wazman
If only I could prevent my rear-end sag that easily...
:lmao :rofl2 :lmao :rofl2

[eire1274]

Originally posted by wazman
If only I could prevent my rear-end sag that easily...
I was waiting for that.

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
I looked at the pictures after getting some sleep.

I still think a lot would be corrected asthetically by preventing the rear-end sag you've got there.

However, I looked at the trim again, and I think you are right. It needs to be trimmed. DO NOT TRIM THE DASH PANEL, as there is a high likelyhood that it will look like ass when you do it.

Also, Metra makes a mounting frame (part number 99-2001) that removes the storage spot, but it moves the front edge of the deck slightly into the passenger compartment so the trim and the dash line up a little better. I believe most Best Buy and Circuit City stores carry Metra kits for $10-$20.

First, I want to make it clear that I am NOT going to trim the dash facia. When it comes to sacraficing either the trim ring or the dash, the trim ring is much less expensive and easier to replace. Not to mention resale value...although, unfortunately, Oldsmobiles don't hold resale value very well.

I will see what I can do with support, there is one major thing that will affect being able to accomplish this. That is space. Things are a bit tight behind the deck. There is a box case around where the deck sits in the dash. This keeps anyone from reaching behind or from below the deck making placing spacers extremely difficult. Also, there isn't much room for the harness, antenna adapter, and future connections (i.e. XM radio, AUX input connection, cd-changer). Placing spacers will remove almost all the available space. The way the RCA preouts were done is they plug directly into the back of the deck. I would have preferred at least some short extensions rather than making me try to fit the whole RCA jack behind the deck. Yes, space is that tight.

I will work with it...well, later today and take some pics so you all can see better what I'm referring too. I knew that this was too easy to be true....

[eire1274]

First off, remember, I'm talking about adding the spacers to the top and bottom of the deck to shim up the rear edge's height, not putting anything behind. Still, I realize, a tricky prospect.

Secondly, in some audio hobby shops you can get these little right-angle RCA wires. The male end is a low-profile right angle attached to a 3-6" wire attached to a normal female plug. Work great for all sorts of low-space installs (I've used them a couple times when wedging an amp into a space smaller than it is).

[Artcwolf]

Originally posted by eire1274
First off, remember, I'm talking about adding the spacers to the top and bottom of the deck to shim up the rear edge's height, not putting anything behind. Still, I realize, a tricky prospect.

Secondly, in some audio hobby shops you can get these little right-angle RCA wires. The male end is a low-profile right angle attached to a 3-6" wire attached to a normal female plug. Work great for all sorts of low-space installs (I've used them a couple times when wedging an amp into a space smaller than it is).

Yeah, I'm aware of that but I guess what I was trying to say is there is no way to access the area of the dash that the deck sits in except from the front.

Yes, the right angled RCA jacks...I'll have to see if those will be feasable. Those are a definate possibility. I'm going to pick up the RCA cables today so I can get them installed. I don't want to have to pull the deck out too many times.