NEW refurb CD/Tape radio

Check this out.... http://oem-auto-accessory.com/am_fm_cass_cd_buick_.html

United Radio in Syracuse will refurbish your GM radio as well. It is equally not-cheap.

The other thing to note is that the CD player assemblies in these units are manufactured by Sony, and they have a known problem of overheating after about an hour of playing. One thing you can do to mitigate this is to cut a hole in the HVAC ductwork and direct some air directly onto the radio housing to help cool it. Never actually done this, but it's a suggestion.

I am curious,are the factory units really that much better than the aftermarket systems to command such a high price for a refurbished unit?I know that the dealers have always charged ridiculous money for the top of the line sound systems that have a GM parts number somewhere on it.I have never been convinced that the sound produced by the factory units were as sharp as a premium grade aftermarket system that was properly installed.
Thanks
Flasheroo

I like the factory units becuase...they look factory. But honestly, aftermarket units (quality ones) can totally transform the sound. I had a very nice system in my old '92 RMW and it was AMAZING!

I just don't like the look of an aftermarket unit in a LT1 Roadmaster. Dunno. Im getting old.

I hate the way most aftermarket radios look too. I'm just glad mine can make the display red like the interior of the car. Helps it stick out less.

I want a factory CD player because MOST wastes of life, I mean Thieves, will just walk right on past them.

I remember when my father's Olds was broken into and they stole his big bad Sparkomatic Tape Deck, lol. That was in the 80's for anyone not familiar with the sparkomatic

Stingroo wrote:

I hate the way most aftermarket radios look too. I'm just glad mine can make the display red like the interior of the car. Helps it stick out less.

Bingo. When I did the one in my VW. I made sure the display would match the VW blue/ red dash lights(it does perfectly). The deck in my wagon sucked. I ended up getting one out of a '94 Impala. Sounds and looks much better.

I have one of these stereos in my garage, I've never used it. I bought it for a '96 deville, but it wasn't compatible. It came out of a '97 Lesabre, I don't have the theftloc code for it, don't know if its activated....I'd be willing to part with it dirt cheap, like $15 or $20 shipped lower 48, assuming I can find a box for it....

I am always looking for a better factory radio. You two have pics? Why does the '94 look and sound better? It's the same as the 96. The '97 lasabre, does it fit?

I can get some pics tomorrow evening, it looks identical to the one in the link. It has the same blue plug as the '95+ Roadmaster, allthough the brackets may be different?

A bit late, but here are the pics...

I wish my car was a double din... That would be a sweet deck for it...

Cadet57 wrote:

I wish my car was a double din... That would be a sweet deck for it...

I agree...I'd love to have it in my caprice, and really need something for my '92 roadmaster, but it will fit in neither

phastlt1 wrote:

Cadet57 wrote:

I wish my car was a double din... That would be a sweet deck for it...

I agree...I'd love to have it in my caprice, and really need something for my '92 roadmaster, but it will fit in neither

Yeah 91-94(i think) was a 1.5 din, the 95+ had a double din iirc. As I have a 94 Impala SS radio in my wagon.

Now, does that radio have the PWM for the lights in the ECC? Aftermarket radios do not have it and the ECC is on full bright all the time. It's annoying as I leave for work at 4:30 am every day..... So factory radio went back in.

Krzdimond wrote:

Now, does that radio have the PWM for the lights in the ECC? Aftermarket radios do not have it and the ECC is on full bright all the time. It's annoying as I leave for work at 4:30 am every day..... So factory radio went back in.

Not sure what those abbreviations are???? I've had it plugged into a '96 Deville harness, it powered up, and the cd player accepted cd's. Unfortunately, eventhough the deville has the same plug, it's wired differently. And it was a bit different of a size, so that was the end of my master plan. If you want it, I'll let you have it for the price of priority shipping.....I don't think the theft loc is activated, but if it is, as you see in the pics, I have the vin of the donor car so the code can be obtained.

PWM is Pulse Width Modulator; changes electrical current into "pulses" and the ECC Electronic Climate Control reads those pulses to determine how bright the display should be. Aftermarket radios don't have this feature so the climate control is always at full brightness.

Consider it sold, I am on my phone, so PM will follow when I get home...

That works for me......

Let me chime in that if anyone has another good stereo for a 96 let me know. My CD player works fine and my buttons are not worn off, but my cassette play does not work.

I can't torture my wife and kids with my old 80's cassettes and I really miss doing that. ; )

-Mike

I still have mine....old dude never got back with me.

How much would you want for it? What's the shipping. I am interested. E-mail me offline if you'd like. Mike_Massey@Dell.com

Thanks!

O wonder if any of those cd radios interchange w/ my 93 wagon ? anyone have a guess or knowledge of ?

You could always get the 1.5DIN Chrysler CD-cassette radios they put in minivans and Grand Cherokees and the like. Cover up or rub off the Chrysler or Infinity logo. These are great radios and they can be found in both amber backlighting (think those were in Cirrus/Stratus) or green (minivans, JGC, Durango, others). Not hard to make a pigtail either, take a Metra wire kit, cut the connectors off, splice them into the Chrysler connectors, shave off the mounting tabs, etc...