Allrighty then, got some time to finish it up today, and I must say I impressed even myself. :P I think it looks really clean and professional, and the best part is that I didn't have to permanently alter anything that affects the appearence of the interior. AND I've got the unit wired in so that it comes on automatically with the car or accessory power, and then shuts off with the rest of the electrical when I open my door after the car is off.

Step by step:
Step 1: Remove Dash and Deck



Step 2: Splice in the power. I used these nifty little things that allow you to splice into an existing wire without stripping, cutting, or soldering. They were news to me although I'm sure they are old news to most people. :P (and yes, those are my jeans)



Step 3: Attach bracket to dash trim. I put strips of adhesive along the front (ie the portion that comes into contact with the trim piece) of this small bracket, and fed the "peg" through the hole which used to house the gain control.



Front view of the same thing, notice the peg the radio attaches to.



Step 4: Wire FM Direct adaptor. Antenna for XM goes in the side, FM antenna into one lead, and signal from the box to the deck'* antenna jack. This works great and gives CD quality sound.



Step 5: Reinforce area behind mounting bracket. The adhesive on the bracket seemed strong, but I wanted to make sure I had my bases covered. I just used some of that metal strip for electrical/plumbing, drilled a few holes, used a couple bolts and voila, reinforced. I also removed the backing on the adhesive pad that was stuck on the back of the bracket attached to the trim piece for added security, it'* really solid now.



Step 6: Mount antenna. Stuck it inside the car to the speaker grill to avoid any weather or vandalism issues. Thus far I have not had a single problem with reception, and even kept a strong signal among skyscrapers in downtown Calgary.



Step 7: Slide deck in and replace trim.



Step 8: ENJOY!

looks good

WOW that is a REEEEALY clean install....

Danke, I wouldn't have it any other way. :P

Looks good Ryan. Nice,neat and clean

damn nice install!
Good idea of the gain control, probably doesnt work with your new HU anyway lol

Nope, it was just something useless I liked to play with when bored. Now I have the XM **** :P

Nice install.

Does your headunit support XM? Mine does...no need for the extra screen

looks great, my hu has support for XM, but I am too lazy to buy the other parts, I just download what I want, but having XM would be sweet for long trips.

Excellent job Ryan. Nice and clean. How long did that take you to get all hooked up?
Let'* see some night shots of your cockpit....