Need help, ideas...

[Ajanta]

[Before I knew about this group, I posted this question to home audio
and Toyota groups. If you saw it there, please excuse the duplication.]

My 1998 Toyota Camry LE has an in-dash cassette/receiver (branded
"Toyota"). There is a free pocket below. The receiver also controls a
cd-changer (brand "Eclipse") that sits in the trunk.

I find the location of the cd player extremely inconvenient
(inaccessible, keeps getting bumped by luggage, is in the way of car
tools and spare tire, etc) and am considering following solutions:

(1) Moving the cd changer inside the car. However, it is pretty big and
I don't see an obvious spot for it.

(2) Buying a new cd player (need not be changer) that would fit in the
free pocket and be controlled by the existing cassette receiver.
However, I don't know where to get the right component.

(3) If nothing works, then buying a new unit with cd, cassette, AM/FM.
This is probably the most expensive option.

All advice and ideas appreciated.

[D.Kreft]

On Dec 29, 9:37 am, Ajanta > wrote:

> (1) Moving the cd changer inside the car. However, it is pretty big and
> I don't see an obvious spot for it.

This problem has been traditionally solved in cars by moving it to the
glove box...which needless to say, would require a *lot* of hacking and
custom work, and is not always possible in all vehicles due to the
placement of electronics and A/C ducts. I'd say *this* would be your
most expensive option.

> (2) Buying a new cd player (need not be changer) that would fit in the
> free pocket and be controlled by the existing cassette receiver.
> However, I don't know where to get the right component.

This is kinda ghetto. Piping an aftermarket head unit in through a
factory system is almost always going to be either nigh unto impossible
or leave you sorely disappointed.

> (3) If nothing works, then buying a new unit with cd, cassette, AM/FM.
> This is probably the most expensive option.

I think you should really ask yourself how badly you want to hang onto
those old tapes. There are precious few head units to choose from that
have both tape and CD (are there *any*???), and if you can find one
you're going to be stuck with what you find (which may just be
expensive junk).

If you can afford to leave the 1980's behind and move into the 1990's,
I'd say ditch the tape action altogether and just go with a good CD
player.

-dan

[[email protected]]

Pioneer makes a few AM/FM/CASS/CD decks. I think they tend to be
around $300.
Sanyo makes a single din cass/cd unit $350
Occasionally I have installed changers under seats incase you haven't
looked there yet.

I have also installed aftermarket decks with the factory decks. This
actually will work, but it will cost around $100 for the parts and
labor (plus the cost of the CD head unit). I used a 4 channel speaker
switcher and two relays to controll the setup. Basically when you turn
the aftermarket CD player on, one realy switched off the power to the
factory cass player, and the second relay triggered the speaker
switcher and allowed the CD player to play through the factory
speakers. When the aftermarket player was turned off, the relay
released and power was restored to the factory unit.