Car Advice - Window Tinting and GPS

[epitome1170]

I am looking to tint my car windows and put in a navigation system into my RX8. One thought was to have a factory navigation system so the inside still looks clean and does not have a scabbed on accessory. However, that runs around $2k.

I was wondering if anyone knows:

1) A good place to get windows tinted in Overland Park.

2) A good alternative to the factory GPS system.

[DaKCMan AP]

A fried/co-worker of mine put a car-puter into his Jeep. It's had a nice touch-screen and he can run all different applications on it. He can play games, music videos, radio, office applications, etc. All he has to do is install a map program (already done) and buy a gps receiver for under $100 and he has a GPS system. The whole thing is going to run about $1K when it's all said and done. He installed it all himself, so it's just parts.

[epitome1170]

How does that look in his Jeep? Is it flush with the dash or is it look scabbed on (which is what I am trying to avoid)

[DaKCMan AP]

It's not completely flush with the dash. The screen is about 1/2-inch thick and is attached to the dash where the radio/cd/whatever used to be.

[DaKCMan AP]

this is a terrible picture but you can kind of make out the touchscreen.

http://photos-436.facebook.com/ip006/v35/75/27/48200263/n48200263_30522436_1942.jpg

[epitome1170]

Looks pretty nice, but I am a bit worried about it fitting into the area the current radio system is in. Not sure if you have seen the inside of the RX8, but it is almost circular, so I was thinking the screen may have to flip out, i.e. one of the Pioneer systems does that.

[epitome1170]

Here is what the inside looks like... (radio unit)

[epitome1170]

Anyone know if a good window tint place in OP

[Otis99]

Get an Eclipse NAV system. I had one installed about a year ago and it is nothing short of AMAZING. It will play CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and supports Satellite radio and HD-radio. It has a very large screen, something like, 6.5 inches and is pretty easy to use. Also comes with two drives so you can keep the Nav disc in one while switching out CDs in the other.

They make a more expensive model with a built in hard drive that you can store movies and music on. I considered buying that one but decided against it.

I bought mine and had it installed at a place called Midwest Customs. They are located over by the AMC 30 movie theater in Olathe. The guys there do outstanding work and do a lot of custom jobs for Chiefs players and other local celebrities. If you stop by their shop most likely they will have one on display that you can play around with.

I believe the current model is called the AVN6000. Mine is last year's model, the AVN5435. The new one looks to have quite a few enhancements that I wouldn't mind having.

[sedated]

Anyone know if a good window tint place in OP

http://www.yellowpages.com/sp/yellowpages/ypresults.jsp;jsessionid=UZKPO1O4UBNJJQFI21HBNWQ?t=0&v=3&s=2&q=window+tinting&ci=Overland+Park&st=KS&_requestid=136106

[dtebbe]

I would not make it difficult or expensive:
http://www.garmin.com/products/sp330/#

The C330 is so small it does not look bad, especially if you hard-wire a power cord for it.

Plus you can take it with you if you travel.

DT

[epitome1170]

Get an Eclipse NAV system. I had one installed about a year ago and it is nothing short of AMAZING. It will play CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and supports Satellite radio and HD-radio. It has a very large screen, something like, 6.5 inches and is pretty easy to use. Also comes with two drives so you can keep the Nav disc in one while switching out CDs in the other.

They make a more expensive model with a built in hard drive that you can store movies and music on. I considered buying that one but decided against it.

I bought mine and had it installed at a place called Midwest Customs. They are located over by the AMC 30 movie theater in Olathe. The guys there do outstanding work and do a lot of custom jobs for Chiefs players and other local celebrities. If you stop by their shop most likely they will have one on display that you can play around with.

I believe the current model is called the AVN6000. Mine is last year's model, the AVN5435. The new one looks to have quite a few enhancements that I wouldn't mind having.

That looks about what I was looking for if I go with the indash approach. What does the installation run on that though? Any clue?

[epitome1170]

http://www.yellowpages.com/sp/yellowpages/ypresults.jsp;jsessionid=UZKPO1O4UBNJJQFI21HBNWQ?t=0&v=3&s=2&q=window+tinting&ci=Overland+Park&st=KS&_requestid=136106

Do you have any personal experience with any of them? I have had some bad experiences with a few places in other towns because of crappy tinting job and I do not want to go through that hassle again.

[Otis99]

That looks about what I was looking for if I go with the indash approach. What does the installation run on that though? Any clue?

Installation on mine was super cheap (forget how much exactly, seems like it was less than $50) , but they didn't have to really do any custom work to get it installed. I have a Subaru Impreza STI and it pretty much fits right into the stock brackets without any modifications. I didn't have to install a trim piece or anything.

I considered installing the unit myself but decided against it due to the sheer number of extra connections requred. Not to mention that you have to splice into some sensor wires (speedo pulse wire and a few others) in order for the Nav to work right.

If any custom trim work needed to be done I could see it costing a little more. If you have a double-DIN sized dash on your RX8 it should be an easy install, but there would be a trim piece or two that may have to be custom fitted to make the unit flush with the rest of the dash.

[Otis99]

Also for whatever it's worth I looked at several other models before settling on the Eclipse. The Pioneer AVIC-D1 was one, but it lacked DVD playback (wanted for long car trips) and I didn't care for the interface. Also looked at a Kenwood unit (don't remember the model name) and I was less than impressed with the fact that you had to buy all kinds of extra modules to get full functionality out of it. Like having to install a DVD drive under your passenger seat or in the glove box.

The Eclipse has a few add in modules like that but the only one I got was for Satellite radio. They also make one that you can hook up to an ipod and you can control everything from the touchscreen on the head unit. I don't have an ipod so I didn't get that one.

[epitome1170]

Installation on mine was super cheap (forget how much exactly, seems like it was less than $50) , but they didn't have to really do any custom work to get it installed. I have a Subaru Impreza STI and it pretty much fits right into the stock brackets without any modifications. I didn't have to install a trim piece or anything.

I considered installing the unit myself but decided against it due to the sheer number of extra connections requred. Not to mention that you have to splice into some sensor wires (speedo pulse wire and a few others) in order for the Nav to work right.

If any custom trim work needed to be done I could see it costing a little more. If you have a double-DIN sized dash on your RX8 it should be an easy install, but there would be a trim piece or two that may have to be custom fitted to make the unit flush with the rest of the dash.

Thanks, I guess I will have to go by and see what they can do/recommend. The thing that worries me the most is since it has that circular appearance that a unit may not fit in it properly.

[sedated]

Do you have any personal experience with any of them? I have had some bad experiences with a few places in other towns because of crappy tinting job and I do not want to go through that hassle again.

I went to the place on Shawnee Mission Parkway, between I-35 and Nieman (across from Skate World (?), the Russell Stover's place, used to be a Perkins there too)

They did a good job, had the car for like 8 years after the tint, no problems.

They also had a special tint that matched my car's color perfectly (the car was a weird shade of brown). Very helpful.

[Otis99]

I found some references online to some RX8 owners that successfully installed an Eclipse Nav system. I assume that no matter what system you buy you will have to deal with this issue. You may be in for a couple hundred bucks in custom moldings though, but at least the results look good.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=87949

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/807209/10 (check out pages 10-12)

[epitome1170]

I found some references online to some RX8 owners that successfully installed an Eclipse Nav system. I assume that no matter what system you buy you will have to deal with this issue. You may be in for a couple hundred bucks in custom moldings though, but at least the results look good.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=87949

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/807209/10 (check out pages 10-12)

That is awesome... that is exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for.

Rep

[Moooo]

You need to get the GPS that has Yakov Smirnov as a voice.

"In Soviet Russia, road forks you!"

Moooo

[epitome1170]

You need to get the GPS that has Yakov Smirnov as a voice.

"In Soviet Russia, road forks you!"

Moooo


ROFL

Find me a GPS system like that and I will think about it.