Nibbled to death
Feb. 10th, 2007 21:28![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
torquillWeather notwithstanding, I endeavored to install my stereo this weekend.
I ran the cables easily enough yesterday. Today was the day to mount equipment and tear the dash open to replace the old stereo with the new.
I actually really kind of like doing internal body work on Hondas -- most of the panels come off in a very obvious manner, usually with bare hands, once in a while with a phillips screwdriver. The front seats have exactly four large and accessible bolts securing them, and otherwise come out very very easily. After I found the hidden screw (it's a good thing I play Myst so much, as I finally thought to see whether I could take the clock out and look behind it) the console came out with no trouble. It's the best sort of challenge, quite satisfying.
Then I discovered that I didn't have the right harness; there was a body change between '94 and '99. Okay, go to Best Buy and get a harness. Come back and recall that I need connectors. Wait for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
foogod to come over, and discover that not only do I need to put in connectors between the aftermarket harness and the stereo wiring, I need to hook up the speakers. Where do they plug in? Um.
I left the speaker connections in the other car. Sigh. So I need speaker wire, no problem. I need connectors to hook the speaker-out lines to the aftermarket harness, no problem. I need a connector to hook the speaker-out lines to the amplifier -- problem. It's an Alpine connector, on an old old amp. Sigh.
We went to Frys and got speaker wire and a bunch of molex connectors for the other wires, and confirmed that I needed to order the Alpine connector online. All right. Finally back home. I spent some of the evening crimping and soldering the connectors, and I now have the aftermarket rig all done up. Great. I even ordered the Alpine connector (two, actually, just in case) for almost $10 in shipping. Ouch. Tomorrow I put my passenger seat back in and reassemble the dash with the old stereo, since I won't have the Alpine connector before Tuesday, which puts installation on next Friday at the earliest. Good thing I have the theft-prevention code for the old stereo...
I've been adding it up in my head, though. $20 for the "installation kit" which gives me a frame to put the new stereo in. $20 for a new harness. $20 for speaker wire and connectors. $20 for the Alpine connector (including shipping). I'm getting nibbled to death by little stereo ducks. I'm glad I have enough disposable income to do this.
I should have known it wouldn't just be a couple of hours. Nothing is ever that simple.
I ran the cables easily enough yesterday. Today was the day to mount equipment and tear the dash open to replace the old stereo with the new.
I actually really kind of like doing internal body work on Hondas -- most of the panels come off in a very obvious manner, usually with bare hands, once in a while with a phillips screwdriver. The front seats have exactly four large and accessible bolts securing them, and otherwise come out very very easily. After I found the hidden screw (it's a good thing I play Myst so much, as I finally thought to see whether I could take the clock out and look behind it) the console came out with no trouble. It's the best sort of challenge, quite satisfying.
Then I discovered that I didn't have the right harness; there was a body change between '94 and '99. Okay, go to Best Buy and get a harness. Come back and recall that I need connectors. Wait for
foogod to come over, and discover that not only do I need to put in connectors between the aftermarket harness and the stereo wiring, I need to hook up the speakers. Where do they plug in? Um.I left the speaker connections in the other car. Sigh. So I need speaker wire, no problem. I need connectors to hook the speaker-out lines to the aftermarket harness, no problem. I need a connector to hook the speaker-out lines to the amplifier -- problem. It's an Alpine connector, on an old old amp. Sigh.
We went to Frys and got speaker wire and a bunch of molex connectors for the other wires, and confirmed that I needed to order the Alpine connector online. All right. Finally back home. I spent some of the evening crimping and soldering the connectors, and I now have the aftermarket rig all done up. Great. I even ordered the Alpine connector (two, actually, just in case) for almost $10 in shipping. Ouch. Tomorrow I put my passenger seat back in and reassemble the dash with the old stereo, since I won't have the Alpine connector before Tuesday, which puts installation on next Friday at the earliest. Good thing I have the theft-prevention code for the old stereo...
I've been adding it up in my head, though. $20 for the "installation kit" which gives me a frame to put the new stereo in. $20 for a new harness. $20 for speaker wire and connectors. $20 for the Alpine connector (including shipping). I'm getting nibbled to death by little stereo ducks. I'm glad I have enough disposable income to do this.
I should have known it wouldn't just be a couple of hours. Nothing is ever that simple.
