While waiting for Jag to get the updated version of the ACM module in stock, (any day now...since February), I decided that I would just use the cassette adapter to hold me over. I have been using the adapter for the last couple of months with no complaints except it looks bad with the wires coming out of the cassette deck. The sound quality was good enough that I was able to tolerate the wire.
Yesterday, I had the idea of running the wire out of the back of the radio. So, that's what I did. After I got the radio out, I was happy to see that there were plenty of vent holes to feed a wire through. I looked for the area that made the most sense to try this as illustrated in the picture below.



I then took a stiff wire, fed it through the hole I wanted to use until I was able to pull it out the front of the cassette deck. I had to cut the wire in half on the cassette adapter so it would fit through the hole I selected and then I simpy soldered the two halves back together once it was fed through the radio. I attached the cassette adapter wire to the stiffer wire and fished it through the radio.



Once the wire was through the radio and soldered back together, I took some time to look in the radio with a flashlight and make sure the wire that is now inside the radio wasn't touching anything, (there is a heat sink on that left side the does generate some heat but using the hole I used keeps it far away from it, therefore limiting the chances of the wire melting). Once I was happy how it was fed through the radio, I secured it on the back side of the radio frame with zip ties and put the radio back in the car.



Then I drilled a hole in the back of the ashtray and fed the wire through. Now all the attachments I need are in the ashtray for listenting to music from my iPhone and charging it.



Since my iPhone has one of those rubber skins on it, it grips very well wherever it is laid. The cassette door flap is closed and it looks a lot better.



The good part about doing this is that you can put the wire in any location you want. You can easily run it to the armrest or anywhere else in the car and easily hide it. I happen to like the ashtray area because the phone can stay in a good spot where I have easy access to it and can take a quick glance at it when I need to. The downside to doing this is that there really isn't a good spot in the radio to leave some slack for the wire so the cassette deck has a stroke if you accidentally hit eject. That tape doesn't budge and bad clicking sounds follow.

This little project took about 30 minutes or so. I have an old ashtray that I am going to take to a fabricator and have them make a recess for the iphone to fit snuggly in. I will also have them make a hole for a black elbow jack to fit through so that less of the wire is exposed on the top side of the ashtray.

An experiment I would like to try is to find the point on the cassette deck where the left and right channel inputs could be soldered directly to the circuit board, which would by-pass the tape head, giving an even cleaner sound. Then you would just have to put a cassette with no tape in the deck. Anyway, something to think about.

I hope someone gets some use out of this post. I am not responsible for any damage that may result. Just use common sense there shouldn't be any problems.

Good luck
Paul

 

this is a great idea and I was actually thinking about doing a similar set up with the wires to hardwire a Pioneer AVIC-F500bt to the factory stereo system. I like how your ipod indiscretely sits on the compartment box now, it looks great.

 

love it, but unfortunately my car has a CD player not a cassette

 

You did a good job
I am also using cassette adapter in my rides but I don't think I would bother such a job though ,anyway kudos to you

 

Great idea. Nice and clean. The only problem I see with it is that a cassette adapter lasts me about 3 months tops before I get a loose connection or one side of the audio goes out, then it's time for a new one. I've purchased Monster, RCA, Philips and all have given out after a few months of use. I've got Nav too and I don't think mine will go out the top like yours. Too bad Jaguar didn't manufacture Aux inputs during production like quite a few car companies are doing today.

 

Fergie ? No, thanks I prefer Tiff Lacey wayyyyyyy billion times

 

LOL, buckawoo...So here is the deal. I take my kids to school in the morning and let them pick what they want to hear on the way. I don't have the entire Fergie cd on the iphone, just the "Big girls don't cry" song, which is one I allow my kids to listen to. If you think that is bad, you should see some of the other stuff I have on it. How about the High School Musical soundtrack, or songs from all the other Disney people that think they can sing? Luckily, the school is 10 minutes away. In all honesty, I go out of my way trying to "shield" my kids from most of the stuff they play on the radio, including the DJ's who think they are cool by throwing in a few curse words to sound cool. Basically, my iphone becomes a G-rated radio station on the way to school.

Cadillac, I prefer Tiff Lacey as well and most other vocal trance. I don't really have a favorite genre, my iphone has everything from classical to ACDC...just whatever I am in the mood for. I sometimes just stream Pandora from the phone through my car stereo, but that doesn't sound nearly as good as mp3's.

 

i wish i could play cds in my car