Save with Do-It-Yourself Car Stereo Install

The last two years, I have had a decent commute to get to my office.  As such, I have enjoyed listening to lectures, sermons, podcasts, and on-line classes (more about this to come) to invest my time wisely.  It has been difficult however as I had a stock audio stereo; I began burning CDs and finally wound up listening with headphones which isn’t the safest option while driving.  Well, you know the rest of the story…I decided to install a new stereo.

Of course, we wanted to opt for the thrifty way.  To save you the details, lets just say that Thrifty Al isn’t Mechanical Al.  🙂  So, when making this decision, I studied and came to the realization that the thriftiest method would involve some not-so-pleasant steps (like actually installing it myself).

First, I decided to look around for stereos.  I won’t go into the details, but I would recommend researching on-line (at the very least) the quality before buying.  I purchased the JVC KD-R200 a month ago (#1 at the time in Car Audio at Amazon.com).  Why?  The reviews were solid, the price was right ($69.64 at the time!), FREE Amazon Prime shipping is always a great deal, and it was much cheaper than I could buy at the store (Walmart’s lowest price is $100).  Check out the list of great deals on stereos that Amazon is current offering!

After receiving the stereo, I must admit I almost broke down a couple of times to have someone install it for me (remember I’m not Mechanical Al).  I called an audio shop (they estimated $85 installation fee) and just didn’t want to spend that much.  Thus, I bought the dashboard kit (to hold the stereo) and wiring harness (see below – connects to stereo wiring harness – see what I mean by fun?!).  Here’s a couple of pics of the process:

Notice the wiring harness.  Essentially I had to match up colors and twist them together with the twisting wire connectors.  Doesn’t seem too hard from the picture, but when you’re in the middle of it (not knowing how hard it will be) it can be a challenge.

Be careful of which set of instructions to follow.  A couple of sets on-line instructed me to remove the dashboard cover on my vehicle which had nothing to do with the actual install.  I wonder to this day whether they are laughing at people like me that followed their instructions to the letter.

So, here’s the final install.  It works and actually looks decent!

My Cost Breakdown:

$69.74 (stereo) + $15 (dashboard kit) + $14 (harness) + $5 (misc supplies) = $103.64

Retail:

$107+ (stereo/tax) + $85 (install) = $192+

I can’t complain about a savings of at least $90 (if not more).  And trust me, if Thrifty Al can do it…so can you (anyone remember the cooking show reference this comes from??)!

Now, imagine how much I can save us if Thrifty Cas will only let me replace the stereo in the van….