Install ideas for Sirius plug-n-play unit?

[Art Vandelay]

Hi all - I have an '04 Mustang Coupe and am thinking of getting a Sirius plug & play unit... except that ALL the "mounting" ideas I've seen pretty much suck. I definitely DO NOT want it on the dash, nor attached to the windshield. I want the least obtrusive setup possible, and the only idea I can come up with is to use the forward cupholder.

Anyone have any other ideas? If anyone here has mounted a Sirius or XM PNP unit attractively and can post a link to pics of same, that'd be awesome.

Thanks!

 

[ForPointSex]

When I had my XM, I mounted it on top of the coinholder.
http://www.geocities.com/joop1987/interior.jpg http://www.geocities.com/joop1987/xm.jpg

 

[Acheron315]

I always thought that if I got one, I would mount it on the inside lid of the center console...where it has those clips for the garage door opener. That way it would look stock but I could open the door and it would be readily accesible.

 

[Art Vandelay]

When I had my XM, I mounted it on top of the coinholder.
http://www.geocities.com/joop1987/interior.jpg http://www.geocities.com/joop1987/xm.jpg

That looks pretty good! Can I ask what mount you used and how you rigged it?

Thanks!

 

[Art Vandelay]

I always thought that if I got one, I would mount it on the inside lid of the center console...where it has those clips for the garage door opener. That way it would look stock but I could open the door and it would be readily accesible.

I thought about that, but that's where I've got my garage remote and my community gate remote. Maybe I'll revisit the idea though. Thanks.

 

[saxman9801]

which unit

Which unit do you have? I will take some pics of my xm unit for you, it would help if i knew which unit you had then i could give you some mounting ideas i used to be a install junkie and will do what i can to help. Dan

 

[saxman9801]

Pics of my xm unit installed

Here are some pics of where i put mine so it was out of the way, let me know if you have questions and yes the antenna inside the back window works like a champ with full signal everywhere. Dan

 

[Art Vandelay]

Which unit do you have? I will take some pics of my xm unit for you, it would help if i knew which unit you had then i could give you some mounting ideas i used to be a install junkie and will do what i can to help. Dan

That's just it Dan, I haven't bought one yet! The cleanest install possible is the determining factor. I've pretty much decided I want Sirius, and the slight differences in features between units aren't nearly as important to me as is having it out of the way and not having my interior looking all junked up. Choices are the Xact and the new JVC SR2000 (vertical units), or the Sportster or the new Audiovox PNP3 (horizontals).

 

[Art Vandelay]

Here are some pics of where i put mine so it was out of the way, let me know if you have questions and yes the antenna inside the back window works like a champ with full signal everywhere. Dan

I am SO GLAD to hear the antenna inside on the rear deck works well... that was yet another thing I wasn't wild about was having the antenna attached to the outside of the car!

 

[saxman9801]

I am SO GLAD to hear the antenna inside on the rear deck works well... that was yet another thing I wasn't wild about was having the antenna attached to the outside of the car!

The xm antenna works great, i have the roady which is mounted in my pics, it looks real clean and does not looked tacked on there, and the best part is i did not have to put any holes in the car, i was quite pleased, the jvc unit is big so i would go with either the sportster or the audiovox, whichever one is smaller, they are both horiziontal which will mount much better. Let me know if you want more pics or ideas, Dan

 

[Art Vandelay]

The xm antenna works great, i have the roady which is mounted in my pics, it looks real clean and does not looked tacked on there, and the best part is i did not have to put any holes in the car, i was quite pleased, the jvc unit is big so i would go with either the sportster or the audiovox, whichever one is smaller, they are both horiziontal which will mount much better. Let me know if you want more pics or ideas, Dan

Dan, what did you use to mount the Roady in that spot? Is it attached to a particular mount? No holes is GREAT... is it adhesived or velcroed or what?

The brand-new JVC is much smaller than the old JVC... pretty equivalent to the new Audiovox and to the Sportster, just vertical instead of horizontal. The newest Audiovox and the Sportster are almost identically sized. Horizontal would fit better where you have your Roady or just under the instrument cluster, and I like both those units best, but I was also considering the verticals with the idea of a cupholder mount. The Xact is the smallest of the 4 but it is vertical.

 

[saxman9801]

Dan, what did you use to mount the Roady in that spot? Is it attached to a particular mount? No holes is GREAT... is it adhesived or velcroed or what?

The brand-new JVC is much smaller than the old JVC... pretty equivalent to the new Audiovox and to the Sportster, just vertical instead of horizontal. The newest Audiovox and the Sportster are almost identically sized. Horizontal would fit better where you have your Roady or just under the instrument cluster, and I like both those units best, but I was also considering the verticals with the idea of a cupholder mount. The Xact is the smallest of the 4 but it is vertical.

Personally i would not go vertical, in the cupholder looks ok but it is hard to reach the buttons, and also hide all the wires, i have mounted them under the cluster before too, but again it is hard to make the wires all look clean. Mine is attached through the cig. lighter hole. What i did was remove the factory cig lighter and ran the swivel mount through the hole that was there, then i drilled a hole in the mount and ran my wires through there as well, basically the base is mounted on the back side and the post sticks through that i mount the roady to, makes it really clean and very easy to do, then i reconnected the cig lighter back behind the dash and zip tied it to the frame and plugged the unit into it there, If you like i can take pictures of the mount I used and how to mount it, with out punching holes or gluing to anything you can see if you would like. Good luck Dan

 

[Figment]

Hi all - I have an '04 Mustang Coupe and am thinking of getting a Sirius plug & play unit... except that ALL the "mounting" ideas I've seen pretty much suck. I definitely DO NOT want it on the dash, nor attached to the windshield. I want the least obtrusive setup possible, and the only idea I can come up with is to use the forward cupholder.

Anyone have any other ideas? If anyone here has mounted a Sirius or XM PNP unit attractively and can post a link to pics of same, that'd be awesome.

Thanks!

if you have a 04 they are sirrus ready, you dont need the aftermarket control unit. you just have to buy the kit

 

[Art Vandelay]

if you have a 04 they are sirrus ready, you dont need the aftermarket control unit. you just have to buy the kit

I've been told by Ford Motor Co., my dealer's service dept, and a couple of aftermarket installers that not all stock units are Sirius-ready... supposedly only the 6-CD Mach 460 and Mach 1000 are Sirius-capable. The stock plain-vanilla AM/FM/CD and 1st step up AM/FM/Single CD/MP3 are not Sirius-ready... I have the latter.

If anyone knows for a fact that this ISN'T true and that I can just add a tuner to my OEM unit, please let me know! Thanks.

 

[saxman9801]

It is the mach systems that are sirrius ready, if u got the standard cd player it does not have the sat radio feature. Dan

 

[jimtesla]

Nice install on the antenna

I had the antenna installed on my dash in my 2000 ranger..it worked great till I got in the canyons.....going south OK going north I lost signal....
I took it back to Best Buy and they put it next to my windshield and ran the wire down the molding....Its OK looking

But it works great now......

Another word of caution on XM and interior installs of your antenna....

Outside major metropolitan areas you will have a harder time picking up signal and may need to install the antenna outside.

They have a big warning on this at their web site.....

 

[saxman9801]

Nice install on the antenna

I had the antenna installed on my dash in my 2000 ranger..it worked great till I got in the canyons.....going south OK going north I lost signal....
I took it back to Best Buy and they put it next to my windshield and ran the wire down the molding....Its OK looking

But it works great now......

Another word of caution on XM and interior installs of your antenna....

Outside major metropolitan areas you will have a harder time picking up signal and may need to install the antenna outside.

They have a big warning on this at their web site.....

It works like a champ in the window, as long as it can see the sky you are fine, if it is under the metal then it does not work as good, I live in idaho we got lots of rural areas and canyons and trees and it works like a champ. Dan