While I can appreciate the purists' mentality of preserving what the factory decided to put in the car, my recently purchased 2006 C4S Cab is lacking in some of the creature comforts I have grown accustom to in my cars.

Specifically, my car is "missing" sat radio, iPod control, BT and a touch screen NAV system. While most of these features could be added through MoBridge, NavTV, Denison, etc. add-ons to the existing PCM, the resulting system would still be run through a last-generation interface.

My car is a daily driver and I have a long commute each day...so I've decided to jump in and replace the PCM with the latest Eclipse system (over the newest Alpine). The install will be reversible for resale purposes as no cutting will be needed...just a patch into the bose FIOS system.

While I have the utmost confidence in my installer (AI Design in Westchester NY, who I've used previously for my BMW M5 and M3) who has done a bunch of work on other 997s and enjoys a stellar reputation, I am interested to hear if anyone on the board has undertaken a similar installation and whether there were any unexpected issues with the car post-installation. I acknowledge that most, if not all, problems will result from the installer's abilities (or lack thereof)...I just wanted to make sure I am armed with as much information as possible.

Thanks in advance and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

I like the OEM unit, but if I had to add BT, and iPod to my system again, I would consider the current offerings from the third party as well. There are some sweet systems available.

One thing that you will lose is the trip computer and a few of the other functions, this may not be a big deal to you though.

I have seen a third party system in a 997 GT3, as well as Blaktout has one in his car.

 

At a local C&C, I recently saw a tastefully modified 996 TT that had one of the high-end Pioneer systems installed. It is essentially a two piece unit that has a touch sensitive screen that fits in the space typically occupied by the Porsche screen, and a separate processor that deals with every possible aspect of modern auto electronics - radio, satellite, tbyt nav, dvd movies, bt, etc. It was a perfect fit using an aftermarket double din surround. Very nice work.
I'm still a purist, but this was an excellent piece. And the Pioneer device is the benchmark that many high-end screen replacements are based on. I know that in the Ford GT forum, people are swapping out their Macintosh (!) units with a double din fitting and this part.
If you'd like, I can find out more, possibly this weekend, as I'm (assuming no rain) likely to head to back to the C&C.

 

Hey Seegoblu,

I did exactly that with my car. While the PCM was ok, some of the costs to add things to it were simply insane. I have the latest generation Kenwood touch screen navigation dvd unit and I absolutely love it. It has all the features you said you were looking for, navigation (by garmin), bluetooth, sat radio, ipod connectivity, etc. One word of caution if you aren't wanting to undergo a huge operation: When I started the process I was intending on replacing all of the stereo equipment in the car to something clearer than the bose. Because of this, all the speakers (subs included) and original amp were removed and replaced. This was important because the Kenwood unit does not provide enough power to drive all the speakers in the car (it could drive the 4 up front, tweeters, and rear speakers, but not the subs). If don't want to replace your audio system, then you'd most likely have to add an amp in the front trunk space (wasn't an issue for me because it fit perfectly flush with the OEM six disc changer). You can, however, run into crosstalk and artifact distortion from combining a standard analog amplifier and speaker setup with the fiber optic bose wiring. Personally, and take it with a grain of salt cause I make my living with my ears, I felt that it was more than worth it to replace the whole system to add to the daily enjoyment of the car. Your installer may be better to answer why the spefic problems exist and if there's a great way to keep noise at a minimum (I can't necessarily troubleshoot the exact cause of the problem, but I can tell when it's there.) I'll post pictures in a few minutes, after I go take them haha, to give you an idea of what the whole setup ended up looking like. Feel free to ask me anything, in case I was a little erratic.

Regards,

Alex

 

Here are pictures of the head unit install and the surrounding piece they fabricated (perfectly matches OEM) and the unintrusive amp install. I've also got a picture of the box they made to replace the bose sub box...but honestly, it just looks like it came from the factory so it's not too exciting a picture.


-Alex

 

Thanks for the pictures, it's reassuring to know that the swap can be done successfully.

Did you look into the Alpine or Eclipse offerings?

 

I checked out the Alpine, and it looked quite nice. I had an Alpine unit in my previous car (no nav), so I definitely can vouch for the quality. In fact, I think if you were looking for the highest fidelity audio without an external amp, then Alpine would be the way to go over Kenwood. In the end the reason I went with Kenwood was that I was familiar and comfortable with the garmin powered navigation. Also for me, the Kenwood I have no experience with any eclipse product, so unfortunately I can't help you there.

-Alex

 

Given that I have a cab, I've put audio fidelity lower on my priority list than had I bought a coupe. I like the interface on the Eclipse better than the Alpine, but was torn between the two.

Thanks.

 

That totally makes sense. After you mentioned it, I went and checked out the Eclipse unit...that screen looks gorgeous, kinda makes my Kenwood look like a gameboy haha. Ease of use is the name of the game, cause you definitely don't wanna be fussing with the radio while you're driving (says the guy that perpetually fusses with the radio while driving).

-Alex

 

Hi Alex,

Thanks for posting information about your new stereo install. I also have a 997 and I'm interested in doing the same thing but I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Would you mind posting a list of all the items you ended up using; speakers, head unit, amps, subs, etc. I want to understand all that's involved and what a full replacement would cost me. Thanks in advance.

Stan

 

Interesting idea and a thought I did not have, but as I don't have either BT or Ipod and considered Denizen, great alternative.

Do you have a weblink for some info and an approximate price?

 

I have a 997.1 and have been considering the dension for Bluetooth and iPod connection. What would the cost difference be for sapping out the whole head unit. Not really interested in nav.

 

No problem Stan. The list is as follows: Kenwood 7140 head unit
Audison LRx 6.9 amp
Hertz Mille 165 System Speakers
JL Audio W6 subwoofers (2)

Soundwaves (who did my install) chose the appropriate size speakers from the Mille 165 line for the doors, dash, and rear. I need to find the box to get the exact size, as I don't recall off the top of my head what all was used. All told it was 7 speakers up front and 2 in the back plus the 2 subs. Hope this helps.

-Alex

 

Alex, this is really helpful so thank you very much. I have a 997.1 with no navi but bose sound and I was told many times that simply replacing the head unit was not advised (or impossible) given the bose optical setup. Also, as you found out, adding functionality like a simple mp3 input using a Dice controller and blutooth almost makes no sense from a price perspective. So this gives me a nice roadmap to work with.

One last thing, can you tell me what, if any, functionality was lost from the onboard computer? And I'm talking about the one that's in the center guage that controlled by the arm on the steering wheel column. Does all that stay functional? Thanks again!

Stan

 

The onboard functions weren't altered at all. However, my C4 didn't start it's PCM life with a ton of features. The TPMS, Oil Level, and the MPH notification all function as normal.