Need to replace aftermarket radio with another

[Stainless]

After over a year of neglect, I'm trying to fix a few odd and end things on my DeLorean. One of them is figuring out what to do with the Kenwood kvt-617dvd head unit that the previous owner installed. It seems that the brain (located in the cubby behind the driver seat) has gone bad, which means the system doesn't work and there's no music. I've tried troubleshooting it for hours and can't find anything wrong with the system, which points to the brain being bad. It used to work great. If I'm going to start driving this thing more, I've got to have tunes, which means I need a different head unit.

I've never felt the need to have a DVD player in the DeLorean, so I figure I should replace it with a non-DVD head unit. The Kenwood DVD unit has tons of wiring, which gives me pause when I think about replacing it. The previous owner put in a lot of work to install this thing, even swapping the location of the vents and the radio so that the vents wouldn't be blocked when the air is on. Gotta give him props for that, I suppose.

54668

For now, I'm fine with leaving the vents in their modified location. I have a few questions and concerns:

The radio antenna cable currently goes to the brain in the cubby. With a new head unit, I assume that I'll have to get an extension cable so that the radio cable will go all the way up to the head unit, correct?
I assume that the molex connection for the Kenwood unit wouldn't work for a different model head unit, like a Pioneer head unit. What all is involved in swapping from one aftermarket unit to another?
I'd like the new unit to play CDs, MP3 CDs, and have an aux input for an iPod, but I don't want to spend a couple hundred bucks, if possible. Any recommendations?

Below are some pics of the head unit molex connection and the brain in the cubby. You'll also notice that the a/c adapter has come off behind the head unit, which is hopefully why I don't get a whole lot of air coming from my center vents. I'll put that back on there eventually.

54667 54669

[DMC-Ron]

You said you were happy with the Kenwood. You might just check eBay. Your Kenwood might be there for just a few dollars. A working replacement would get you back and going without much hassle.

Ron

[David T]

Today there is a wide range of all kinds of things you can do. Modern electronics has come a LONG way in terms of functionality. Go to crutchfield.com for ideas. Nothing is going to be plug-and-play except what you have. Anything else will require new plugs. The antennae cable may still be under the console from the original radio. The cheapest route would be to find another "brain" or maybe have your dead one repaired, there are shops that can do that and it may not be expensive. First verify you have power and ground to it. The problem may be a blown fuse or a bad connection.

[Nuclearbacon]

I have a NIB RetroSound model 3 that I bought because I thought they wouldn't do a warranty return for mine.

I'll have it on the forsale thread shortly

[Gregadeth]

I went through the same thing earlier this year. Mine had a Kenwood KVT-911DVD and the same brain you have also located in the cubby, along with miles of wiring. A lot of work had been put into mine as well. There were wires going to the speedo cable/lambda counter. It even had a navigation unit with sensors glued to the dash, and "antenna signal boosters" glued to the rear window. I ended up going back to the original Craig head unit (with aux input) but did install a small Kenwood subwoofer to get some low end. I also left the antenna cable disconnected since I wasn't going to use the radio, otherwise yes, you will most likely need to make it longer to connect it to the back of the head unit. The mountain of wires seems daunting but you will feel accomplished when completed.

My write-up and pics here:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?241-What-have-you-done-to-your-DeLorean-today&p=217446&viewfull=1#post217446

[Stainless]

I went through the same thing earlier this year. Mine had a Kenwood KVT-911DVD and the same brain you have also located in the cubby, along with miles of wiring. A lot of work had been put into mine as well. There were wires going to the speedo cable/lambda counter. It even had a navigation unit with sensors glued to the dash, and "antenna signal boosters" glued to the rear window. I ended up going back to the original Craig head unit (with aux input) but did install a small Kenwood subwoofer to get some low end. I also left the antenna cable disconnected since I wasn't going to use the radio, otherwise yes, you will most likely need to make it longer to connect it to the back of the head unit. The mountain of wires seems daunting but you will feel accomplished when completed.

My write-up and pics here:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?241-What-have-you-done-to-your-DeLorean-today&p=217446&viewfull=1#post217446

This is awesome! I haven't read through your thorough write-up yet, but I will likely closely follow what you did to put me on the right track. Thanks so much!

[DMC5276]

Stainless, just an observation from 3rd photo. You mentioned that the previous owner moved the stereo up to where the vents were, but it doesn't appear that the ducts were extended to the vents...unless that piece was removed for the photo. When heating, this will blow additional hot air onto the back of the head unit. Not sure how you could remedy this. Anyone have ideas?

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk