Well, after fourteen years with the same radio cd/cassette player I have decided on a upgrade. What was state-of-the-art then is now an old dinosaur which is very embarrassing. Friends marvel at my cassette deck, and I remember when we were all transitioning from cd to cassette and this player was pretty cool.
Since then we went to MP3, and now it appears everything is digital. I purchased a cheap Clarion that takes USB and SD cards and it was amazing. Everything has shrunk in size. I think this is great for the Fiero since I remember the days when you would hit a bump and the CD player would skip.
What units are you guys using?
Incidently, this thing only cost $60 at crutchfield. My old player back in 1999 was $300. It's 1.5 Din. Huge and heavy. I guess I'll save it.
Times flies!! My Eclipse CD8454 (2004 Product of the Year) is ten years old, but still works great and had features that kept it from becoming "out of date".
Too many specs to mention, but plays all music formats, can use Memory Sticks, has built-in electronic parametric equalization w/ pink noise generator mic/tuning, 6-channel outputs (front/rear/sub-woofer), and is almost "self-programming". I can go from the deck (6 outputs) straight to the Mcintosh amp (6 inputs). It has both an AUX input for connecting any MP3 device and an iPod connector as well.
I have a Kenwood, my wifes car has a Sony, anything will be an upgrade and even cheap ones have audio inputs and even bluetooth, Serius radio or Pandora capabilities. I got the Kenwood over some others because it could change face colors to a ton of choices and I matches it to the dash. My Wifes Sony has a red face tho it is more red than the Fiero dash.
There are ways to make it not stick out, alot of aftermarket installs stick out twards the shifter. Mine sticks out no big deal to me.
Crutchfield is always the best deal I can find. I recommend upgrading your speakers too if they are stock.
What is so amazing about these new stereos is you can have over 1,000 songs at your finger tips. You dont have to carry or switch tapes or cds anymore. Every this is so self-contained. The units are smaller, and yet are more powerful.
Just think if the engines evolved the same way. IC engine would be amazing. Strange little else on the car has evolved as much. Most is still the same.
I put a newer delco/pontiac CD in, modified with an AUX port. I play all my audio from my phone, either through Google Music or Audible.
My thoughts on in-car technology is that no matter how much money you sink into it, my phone can do it already, and next year will do it better. For my stereo, I just want it to get audio from my phone with a minimum of fuss required.
I agree that newer pontiac cd is the way to go. Modified with the aux port it is infinitely upgradeable and looks factory. It is also less of a theft target. Just my opinion.
I have one of the newer Pontiac monsoon radios and its great and all due to its fitment and color but buying the radio used has a huge down side. To be honest this is the third Pontiac radio that I have bought that has developed volume and circuit board problems(terminal) and has blown bulbs (which is fixable). For the same amount of money you end up spending (or a lot more like me $$ ) you can get a single din aftermarket head unit to do everything that the Pontiac radio does and a lot more. You also wont have the stupid reoccurring problems like the last three of my Pontiac radios had unfortunately.
Maybe Im just unlucky
If you read these articles below youll understand better what im talking about lol
If you've been happy with the g.m. radio till now.. I'd get the 99.99 kenwood or pioneer.. with ubs in and Bluetooth. Only reason I'm looking to install a later g.m. cd player out of a g/p is my Fiero is an Indy.. I just have to find out what to do about thetheft lock.. on them.. I know you need the vin #..
the pawn shop 3 miles from me.. has a bunch of aftermarket kenwood/pioneer/blowbunk /etc cheap.. might be worth it to stop by your local ones.. just have a c/d and a speaker handy to test it out.. and alagator clips.. to use your cars battery to power it up.. just in case they play stupid and say they don't have a set of speakers and a 12v converter.. they do.. they test them before they hand over cash..
I've has very good luck with kenwood... good luck.. crutchfield.com sells the radios with everything needed to install, the din adapter and wire pigtail adapters and it free.. newer cars that have the service crap in the radio..(uses radio to tell you lights are on with human voice/etc that part isn't free.. but doesn't apply to our cars..
Mine has aux. port. Does that allow you to wire it straight to your phone? I have not researched any of this stuff. The technology has changed so much.
What about a bluetooth connected stand alone amp. Then you could just bypass the radio and stream direct from your phone. Car looks factory (no theft fears), no undersised 1 din radio (just does not look right IMHO), and it becomes an extension of your phones audio (music, voice navigation, ect).
I just got to find one as my radion lasts 10-15 minutes then goes into static as the tuner fails to hold station (voltage regulator failed in alternator fried it).
Will update when I find one.
Other thought is to buy a single din bluetooth radio and a half din something else or pop-out and up drink holder. Drink holder has been done but I dont like a sweating drink that close to my radio.
Does the cassette player still work? Why not use a cassette adapter and just plug it into a mp3 player, or your phone? The quality, while not perfect, is still good. I like the factory radio because of its larger interface (the single din aftermarket radios have tiny buttons) and also because nobody will steal it.
You could also get a newer Pontiac cassette player with an equalizer. I got one in the mall for $25 shipped, maybe I got lucky, but the sound quality is very good. It's not as convenient as a new radio with bluetooth but to me it was an acceptable alternative.
Mine has aux. port. Does that allow you to wire it straight to your phone? I have not researched any of this stuff. The technology has changed so much.
Yep with a headphone size jack (small), otherwise Bluetooth means wireless.
[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 07-03-2014).]
I myself put in a Kenwood (USB and bluetooth that allows for 2 devices to connect to it at the same time) and used the HUMount to install it. Much better sound than the GM CD player we had installed.
I put a 2 DIN Pioneer AVH 3600DVD. Works great! has beautiful touch screen with the option of choosing a background picture, which I made the Fiero Pegasus Emblem, you can choose the illumination colors to match the rest of the car. Has CD, DVD, AUX, Bluetooth, USB, Pandora and Serius ready as well as optional GPS and lots of RCA outputs for external amps. I have been very satisfied with it!
Does the cassette player still work? Why not use a cassette adapter and just plug it into a mp3 player, or your phone? The quality, while not perfect, is still good.
No no no... there's a much better alternative than that.
To be able to play digital music files in the car, I use one of these FM transmitter gizmos. Allows you to plug in an SD card, USB flash drive, or an analog 1/8" stereo input.
Works great... and it's less than ten bucks. Such a deal.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-05-2014).]
I have always gotton some static/ background noise with the FM transmitter audio links. One was bluetooth and one was headphone jack connected to my iPhone.
And BTW I found plenary of bluetooth amps through google. Many even offer RCA input from a stereo also.
I have always gotton some static/ background noise with the FM transmitter audio links.
Depends on the frequency that they broadcast at. Obviously you don't want it anywhere near a frequency that local FM radio stations are using. The cheap little unit I have allows you to select whatever frequency you wish, so it's easy to find a spot on the FM dial that is unoccupied. I use 87.5 MHz here and get nice clean reception.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-05-2014).]
I have always gotton some static/ background noise with the FM transmitter audio links.
You can also try an FM Modulator! It has a connection that hooks directly into the head unit's FM antenna port, and the antenna hooks into it. So when it is on, it blocks any other radio frequency for a clear, noiseless sound! And when off, the antenna works just like normal! And it gets input from RCA inputs, so you can hook whatever king of input cables you want to it! Only downside, is you have to remember to turn it on and off, if you are switching between radio and it.
) you can get a single din aftermarket head unit to do everything that the Pontiac radio does and a lot more. You also wont have the stupid reoccurring problems like the last three of my Pontiac radios had unfortunately. 
