aftermarket radios with display and rear view camera capability

[tiotaco]

Anyone with pictures showing installation

[LA_in_CA]

I wasn't sure if you wanted photos of the person installing or what it looks like after. Here's my after.

This is a Pioneer radio with apple car play that I had installed. You'll notice the USB cable in a cigarette lighter port. This charges my phone as well as connects to the radio. Can bluetooth the radio and hands free calling, but then I can't use the Apple car play, which I love because reply audibly to text messages. My radio is XM Sirius compatible and I have a little satellite receiver on the dish, but I got mad as XM because they wouldn't give my my 3 months free with new radio and cancelled them all together. But, you can also use satellite radio with this particular radio.

tbird radio.jpg

This is a photo of what my backup camera looks like. I probably need to adjust it down a little:
tbird backup.jpg



Got a professional audio group to install the whole shebang in Baton Rouge in early 2019 and it was about $1,000 or $1,500. Best money I ever spent.

[Sealy]

image_54382.jpgimage_54383.jpg

This is the Pioneer install I did a while back. New install would be basically the same.

[tiotaco]

Thank you--just what I wanted to see.

[RETROBIRD]

Wow, those installs look fantastic

[RETROBIRD]

What model Pioneer did you install????

[Sealy]

Mine is an ancient AVH-P4400BH. But, it works for as much as I use my Thunderbird. Go to Crutchfield or Pioneer online to see what new is available.

[Frank Dreano]

My Kenwood GPS/Apple Car Play/Pandora//Hands Free/Backup Camera rig - installed it myself
IMG_1592.jpgIMG_1897.jpg
And works with stock steering wheel controls

[Suefio]

Hello, Happy New Year:

It's been a year or so since I've been around, but I usually get great feedback when I need help in these forums. I'm back to driving the bird as my only vehicle for awhile - even so I don't drive it too often, still stays in the garage most days.

Does anyone have any more updated information on a Radio unit I can have installed? I have no clue what model to try. My needs would be Iphone, sirius xm, and backup camera would be nice. I would like to try and keep the price down but get good quality.

I'm also wondering if I should install a car starter. I'm still at only 58,000 miles, new transmission a few years ago. Other than cosmetic things like new C-Top, interior paint refresh, etc I haven't had to worry about too many other major things beign replaced, thank God.

Thanks so much !
Sue

[007Cruiser]

Hi Sue… I’m still stock in the radio department but I would imagine that this shop in Eatontown could probably handle both jobs. I haven’t personally used them but they have good reviews.

https://www.tintworld.com/services/automotive-services/

[ambitio]

My Kenwood GPS/Apple Car Play/Pandora//Hands Free/Backup Camera rig - installed it myself
IMG_1592.jpgIMG_1897.jpg
And works with stock steering wheel controls

Hello
Out of curiosity if I may ....
Where can one find that (perfectly?) color matching black bezel to put around the new unit ?
Thanks

[Suefio]

Great, thanks Gene!! I will check it out!

[Frank Dreano]

Hello
Out of curiosity if I may ....
Where can one find that (perfectly?) color matching black bezel to put around the new unit ?
Thanks

I've done a lot of modern radio installation in vintage cars and modern trucks - its hard to beat the prices, complete kits and follow up technical support of Crutchfield - they've been in the automobile audio business a LONG time - that is where I got my Kenwood, the pre-wired adapter harness to mate the radio to the Thunderbird harness, the surround faceplate and the steering controls adapter.
https://www.crutchfield.com/m_266150/Car-Stereos.html

A word about installation (I did my own), WHOever does it, if the system includes a backup camera has to be super careful about routing wires to the rear end of the car. Do it careleslly and the moving hardware for the convertible top can break or pinch the wires or worse. The trunk liners have to come out and part of the cockpit and the installer MUST follow the existing factory wire bundle to ensure nothing will snag on the convetible top pivot points and actuator arms! Its not hard, but just requires some attention.....

The Thunderbird requires an inverted signal to activate the backup camera; e.g. most radios use a positive output for this but our cars use a negative output (ground); so the installation may require a switching relay. Cruthcfield has all the info on that.

[doc]

With the modern radio/backup camera systems, when you connect to your phone (android in my case) to an app like Waze for example, does the map appear on the screen? If not, what does appear? Thanks!

[Suefio]

Hi Frank:

thank you for that info. It will be very helpful for the installers. I called the place that Gene recommended a they quoted me a price of $700 for the Alpine Radio system installation plus an additional $275 for the back up camera. The starter is $300, not worth it. Car is garage kept. He also said it may be somewhat difficult in the bird.

I’m going to try for one more quote and see what I get.