I got a hold on two late-model Mazda headunits... one for free and the other for cheap. The free one was a Bose-equipped, satellite-radio-ready deck, but it was silver in color. Knowing that it would clash terribly with the interior (the principle reason I have so far avoided aftermarket headunits), I got a non-Bose black-faced unit on eBay. After pulling them apart, I reassembled them into a silver non-Bose piece and a black Bose unit. With a little work, the new Bose radio dropped into place perfectly.



It's amazing, but just updating this one piece really brings the interior forward about ten years. People sitting in the car are blown away when I tell them that the car is a 94.

Personally, I think it looks even better than the Spirit R stereo, and for a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

Looks really nice!

 

Looks really good! i might have to do this!

 

very nice.

 

Does it play Mp3's?

 

What color backlighting? Any advice for the install process? I'm very tempted to do something similar to this...

-Rob

 

That also puts the volume control closer to the driver, rather than having it on the passenger side seeing how it was intended for a rhd vehicle which put it on the wrong side for a lhd vehicle.

I wish you wouldn't of posted this....now I'm torn to either do the same thing, or go with my original plan using this double din head unit.......damn you, and I thought I had finally figured it all out!!!

 

Unfortunately not.

It's amber, blends in VERY well with the stock lighting. Dims with the dimmer switch and all.

Advice? Yep. Use this thread https://www.rx7club.com/interior-exterior-audio-26/bose-modular-din-radio-install-513449/ to fab up your own adapter harness. You need to add and move a few pins around, depending on the clips/pigtails you get to do the job. Also, you MIGHT run into a clearance problem with the mounting hardware bumping into the harness. I cut away at the support a bit and everything fit fine. You also need to adapt an antenna plug, as the 93-95 style clip doesn't work with the newer, more standard plug.

I'll get pics of the lighting up tonight.

Ha ha, glad I could complicate things. The reason I went this route is because it's well within my "master plan" for the car, which is to build it up to where Mazda would build it if it were released today. That and it was CHEAP. I had the tools for the job already, but if you went out and bought everything you needed to do it yourself, tools included, it could still cost less than $100. And then you have a clutch of tools!

Honestly, the FD has one of the most beautifully designed cabins of any car I've seen. Why wreck that with a gaudy aftermarket piece?

OEM install:

+ OEM look and functionality
+ Updated circuitry
+ Cheap
+ No fussing with amps
- Limited head unit selection
- No MP3 playback

Aftermarket install:

+ Cutting edge circuitry
+ MP3, ACC, iPod support
- Requires aftermarket adapter on Bose systems
- Double DINs can look chintzy/cheap
- Costs more

 

Okay, added shots of stereo when lit up.



^That's what you get if you switch to driving lights without the key on ACC.



^ ACC and driving lights. The display does not turn off when you turn the stereo off.

I also added a video of the fader function and me screwing around with the fast forward and rewind buttons. All are a huge step up from the old stock stuff. Also, as with all newer stereos, messing with the EQ settings is more cumbersome than the older analog dials, but whatever... with the Miata's TOPUP and TPDWN selections, it's pretty easy to dial in some good sound.

 

Although it makes the interior clean, not having the option to play mp3's suck.

 

I actually don't use MP3s very much, so it doesn't bother me.

 

Did it plug right up to the antenna and factory harness, or did you have to make some changes?

How hard was it to remove the faces and switch all the ***** over? Anything to be aware of?

 

That looks amazing.

Would the non-bose unit work for the guys who don't have Touring models? If so, want to sell me that non-bose one you have?

Also, does it have auxiliary inputs to attach MP3 players?

 

http://www.sylfex.com/products/AuxMod/

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showt...hp?t=123634459

 

Yes, yes (it's silver, I'll give it to you cheap,) and if you pay for the mods as listed above, then yes.

 

Check my post above. Everything's pretty straightforward.

You have to cut the DIN separator in the car, but that's not hard. Seriously, that thing must offer like NO support for the stock stuff. Also, when pulling apart the stereo face, just go slow and take note of where everything is coming from. Assembly is the reverse of disassembly.

 

Weird, when I posted that it didn't show me all the other new posts. I see it now.

 

Nice pic it goes good with the rest interior

 

Car matches really well.

 

Thanks! Like I posted above, that's my whole upgrade philosophy - "If Mazda did it over, this is what it'd be."

 

"Also, you MIGHT run into a clearance problem with the mounting hardware bumping into the harness. I cut away at the support a bit and everything fit fine."

Do you remember how/what you cut from the support bar? I'm up and running, but haven't been able to get the unit inside the dins yet. Also, did you do yours while the dash was on or did you have it apart during the install.

Thanks for any help
Phil

 

I used a Dremel to shave away about half an inch from the support about an inch right of the hole where the radio sits.

The other issue I ran into was that it was VERY hard to get the radio to sit back the last half inch or so. If you're running into this, use the same U-shaped tools you used to pull the old radio out to hold the new radio's clips down as you set it in. That did the trick for me.

 

Is this a stock piece or is it aftermarket?

 

First post!

 

So it plugs into the stock harness and stuff? Does it work properly with the stock Bose amp setup?