Factory Radio vs After Market
 

I need to fill you guys in first about my story before I get to the meat of this Title.
When I first brought this amazing car (1997 XJ6 {X300}), I completely fell in love! She had a few issues, but she deserved to shine! I wanted to bring her back like as she rolled off the assembly line. No varying, no substitute, she had to be original. So, I hunted down part after part. When I came to the radio, I found someone on eBay, who had one that had been factory reconditioned with a year warranty; the one I had worked except that the display was out. With the ski slope bezel, I knew it would be difficult to go with an after-market one. That in itself confirmed my ideas to keep it original. I won that bid and received the radio in about a week. But I wanted to play my IPod, so I found an item (MONSTER iCruze) that allowed me to disconnect my CD Changer and use the M-Bus connector on the radio, to hook up this device to play my IPod and keep everything as original as possible. Sounds perfect, right? Wrong. Well the new radio wouldn’t recognize the iCruze interface adapter. The display shows ‘NOT CONT’. So, I installed the original one back in and it did work, but the display was still out. I contacted the guy on eBay and he gave me such a run around and finally after 3 weeks we worked out a compromise and had Alpine rework the radio. When I got it back, it would work intermittently. Sometimes the iCruze would lock up and wouldn’t turn off. This meant I had to pull the unit out again, to get to the area behind the radio so I could disconnect & reconnect it. Then the display lights started acting up…….. A guy can only take so much, so I broke down and searched the internet for an after-market radio that had all the features I was looking for but that wouldn’t look weird in my console. I found a fascia adapter in the UK with the harness adapter that meant I didn’t have to cut into the radio harness and if I should ever want it back as factory, I could do it without any problems.
I found a receiver that I think I can be happy with, A JVC Arsenal KD-A725, It has a lot features but I won’t go into all of them except a few. One that I like is it has a separated variable color display, so I can match my dash lighting, but it can also cycle through all the colors continuously for a really cool effect. It also has two USB inputs (front & rear), AUX input jack, and an Expansion port for other external components.
I had to change out the speakers also, because the front two were blown. So decided to change out the front and rear and I went with Kicker KS600. Overall it went well. I would have prefered to keep the original equipment but, it was not performing like I thought it should. so I've opt'd to change to after-market with the option to revert if need be.
Here is the final result of all my work. How does it look?

Oh, I almost forgot. I bought an extra rear console vent to modify so I could put the RCA Jacks in so my Granddaughter can listen to her DVD's through the car stereo! All can be put back as if I never touched a thing!

Great Job with the install, Bob!

I had to hike out to the shop and plant myself in the back seat of my '95 to see what used to be where your rear seat inputs are(vent open/close wheel.) So you just pinned the rear vents open?

It really looks nice and blends well, but....(with username beginning with Ahol...you knew there had to be a "but") I prefer the OEM-look overall. However, I certainly understand your desire for added/modern functionality. I'm using a cassette adapter and have a suction-cup Droid mount stuck to the ski-slope at top-right corner of the J-Gate. (by now you are no doubt saying to yourself, if not to another, "And he thinks that looks better than my professional install?!?") No! I didn't say that! I like the look of the OEM head, but I'm sure if I posted a pic of the set-up under yours opinions (includling mine) would be that yours is preferable. For now, I am willing to tolerate the wires and mount for the functionality of phone/audio/nav et al that the Droid brings. I have toyed with the idea of installing a Parrot - Put one in my daughter's 03 S-Type and I like the functionality - but I'd hafta make a harness to avoid cutting into the car-wiring so I'll hold off on that...at least until I replace the front-door speakers (rattle-rattle)

Like I stated above, I really wanted to keep her as OEM as possible, being a type A person, I just couldn't stand something that doesn't work like it suppose to. If the radio would have just worked, I would have kept it like is was. Everyday when I drove her, it would just piss me off.

I've been really happy since I did change it out. I'm keeping all the parts, just in case I wanted to put her back like she was. The harness wasn't cut and no one would ever know that she ever had been "modified". The extra rear vent I had, had louvers that were broken and I just pinned them together so the air would blow straight back. Even that I can remove and put the other one back in in-case I want everything orig.

The radio I chose has bluetooth, iPod/iPhone ready but not really interested in going that route.......yet.

Thanks for your honesty!

Your system is not looking awkward nor quirk . It's worth every second for such a job

Your installation looks great!

I was in the same boat as you... I dearly wanted to keep the original Jaguar unit, but the failed illumination required too much guesswork at night (which is when I drive the XJR the most). I using it to play music from my iPhone with a cassette adaptor, which was acceptable, but I didn't like all the wires strewn around the interior of the car while driving.

In the end I opted for a Pioneer unit that had a Bluetooth function to allow me to talk on my phone hands-free, and play music from USB flash drives - my preferred method of in-car music storage. My only stuff-up was not connecting the electric aerial up, so my radio reception is rather lacking.

I like the look of yours, I esp like your interior dark trim! What's the exterior color of your XJR? I sometimes wish I could put the aerial on a switch, to be used only when needed. I hardly use FM/AM I have the capibility to go Satellite, which I would have to run another antenna, then I wouldn't need the aerial at all. I personnally think that when the aerial is up, it takes away from the overall appearance of the car.

Mine's Ice Blue metallic... 2nd choice after Carnival red.

I thought about putting the aerial on a switch, but just can't be bothered dismantling the centre console again so soon... I hear you regarding the appearance. I didn't like the fact that the aerial was always up even if I was listening to CD's/cassettes/iPhone. Unfortunately, my passengers often insist I turn the radio on, rather than listen to my Celine Dion collection. Philistines!

Zej, +1 to Bob's compliments on your installation. Looks nice. I'm much more pleased with the cassette-adapter sound quality on my XJ compared to the same adapter in any of my Ford's...and I have hands-free phone capability with my system as long as I remember to kick the blower down to low if it's up (Have one louver set to blow on Droid as it won't charge if temp gets to 113F) If not,..."..what? I can't understand you!...what'd you say?!?" Would like to add phone and audio BT capability..but my head unit is fully functional...so for now I opt to stay OEM. Woulda taken the same decision as you guys if it was jacked-up though.

I agree with both of you 'bout the switched-aerial. Honestly....I truly don't miss much from my Gr. Marquis....but aerial-on-a-switch and auto headlamps were fitted when it rolled out of Dearborn in '91......and Ford couldn't get that across the pond by MY 95?!? (ok....I miss the cavernous boot, too ;-)

Doesn't look as good as my Alpine.
But wow, a working clock, now that is worth shouting about!

I had the clock reworked by ModuleMaster.com with a lifetime guarantee on the LCD unit, all for under $100.00. I'm sure yours radio does look good. You ought to post some pics so we all can enjoy. I'm am pleased with mine though. JVC has always been a fav of mine. Thanks for your opinion.

Really nice job Bob. I've been looking around for the fascia and harness adapter for quite some time. Can you steer me in the right direction? Sorry if this has already been addressed.

-Mike

JAGUAR XJ6 CD Car Stereo Fascia Fitting Kit 1994 - 97 | eBay

Jaguar Sovereign Fascia ISO Harness Lead Car Stereo Kit | eBay

Awesome zej, you are the man!

Sure, Mike, I got mine at:

Harness: Autoleads PC2-55-4 - Jaguar Sovereign, XJ6, XK8, XKR, XJ-V8, XJ12 Wiring Harness

Fascia: Autoleads FP-14-00 - Jaguar XJ6, XJ12, Sovereign upto 1997 Fascia Trim Panel

You can also try: Buy Jaguar XJ Car Stereo Fitting Kit online at Nexxia=

Right on Bob! Very much appreciated!!

Bob, thanks for the links. I went to a well-known local installer and he wanted to charge me $250 to build a face plate for my XJR. ~$75 for a faceplate and harness isn't exactly cheap but it sure beats $250.

Hi,

I did put the antenna on a switch. I put the switch, push on push off from Radio Shack, inside the ash trey. Simple but you do have to dismantle the center console.

The antenna wire I believe is green/brown.

bliving7

Bob

What was the deal on getting your clock reworked and fixed? I think there's power to mine, but the LCD display is shot. My radio has a mind of it's own as well, but for now, I'll just be happy that it plays at all. But I would like to get the clock fixed, and removing the radio is pretty easy for me now, so I'm sure I can remove the clock unit and send it somewhere if I have to.

Thanks

$90 USD rebuild at modulemaster.com