I've got a 1989 FJ62 and I'm looking to upgrade my sound system. Does anyone have any recommendations on a head unit or plot holes to avoid?
Sound system
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I recently got the Sony XAV-V10BT Double DIN that has the Dynamic Stage Organizer (DSO) technology. I had no idea what this was, i just wanted a plain looking head unit, but it is awesome. Setting the DSO in high makes the speakers sound like they're in the dash instead of down low by my feet. I also purchased speaker adapters from @TheNeek for the front doors along with Polk Audio DB522 DB+ series speakers. Huge improvement in sound and no major modifications needed.
My cruisers PO put in a pioneer sound system in, it’s a low-midrange head unit/ speaker. However it sounds pretty good and I think it’s a great upgrade to do because it makes driving the cruiser so much easier on long trips. Overall I really like it. Go check pioneer out!
Rockport Fostgate makes some great 5" shallow mount speakers that work great in the front doors of my 60. No window track interference.
I left my stock stereo in the dash and put a bluetooth receiver in my Tuffy console then added similar Rockport Fosgate 6 "x 9"s in the rear cargo panels. It sounds great!
I left my stock stereo in the dash and put a bluetooth receiver in my Tuffy console then added similar Rockport Fosgate 6 "x 9"s in the rear cargo panels. It sounds great!
My setup is near identical, except I'm running the Continental VDO head unit. Sounds pretty good for a budget system.
Replacing the radio in a 62 is very easy. No cutting, modifying, or spicing wires is required.
Reuse the side mounted brackets from the OEM unit.
You won't need the sheet metal mounting sleeve or the bezel. A double DIN fits in the dash hole perfectly.
Use a Metra 70-1761 (1987-up Toyota) wiring harness. Metraonline.com
It gets a bit more complicated if you want a separate amplifier. Small ones can be mounted in the dash above the glove box.
Reuse the side mounted brackets from the OEM unit.
You won't need the sheet metal mounting sleeve or the bezel. A double DIN fits in the dash hole perfectly.
Use a Metra 70-1761 (1987-up Toyota) wiring harness. Metraonline.com
It gets a bit more complicated if you want a separate amplifier. Small ones can be mounted in the dash above the glove box.
JVC w/ CarPlay and Focal speakers.
Get whatever stereo suits your fancy.
If your Cruiser is like mine and the stereo rats have been in there, then you'll need a soldering iron, heat shrink, and some spare wire to undo the work of the stereo rat. Do it right once and you'll never have to touch it again.
If your Cruiser is like mine and the stereo rats have been in there, then you'll need a soldering iron, heat shrink, and some spare wire to undo the work of the stereo rat. Do it right once and you'll never have to touch it again.
This is what I am dealing with now.
Can't even find the speaker wires to the RH front door - they are just lost somewhere in the dash.
I am going to have to pull the dash apart, and I suspect run some new wires - but I don't want to leave a mess of unused "lost" wires floating around.
Four problems with that:
1. It is genuinely a daily driver, so I can't do anything that will leave it off the road for any length of time;
2. I have no idea what I am doing.....
3. I really have no idea what I am doing....
4. No, seriously, I have no idea what I am doing....
So I am about to learn about wiring a 60 series under the dash, and I hope I don't rip out anything that I need......
By the way, although mine is a 62, it is an early 62 with a 60 dash (Square binnacle) and that means a single din, but I am putting a 10" screen into it, and running a reversing camera, and hopefully setting in a dashcam also, and it has GPS and ...... I am going to learn an awful lot when I finally decide to take the time to do it all......
For now, the only music is the sound of the mighty 4.0ltr 6...... and the tyre noise.... and the gearbox noise...... and the wind noise from the roof rack.....
Get in there and tug on some wires to see where they go. If you don't find them in the dash, then start tracing from the speaker foreward instead of from the dash to the speakers. 60s are simple creatures. Still, get yourself a soldering iron and heat shrink. Weller is a good brand of iron.This is what I am dealing with now.
Can't even find the speaker wires to the RH front door - they are just lost somewhere in the dash.
I am going to have to pull the dash apart, and I suspect run some new wires - but I don't want to leave a mess of unused "lost" wires floating around.
Four problems with that:
1. It is genuinely a daily driver, so I can't do anything that will leave it off the road for any length of time;
2. I have no idea what I am doing.....
3. I really have no idea what I am doing....
4. No, seriously, I have no idea what I am doing....
So I am about to learn about wiring a 60 series under the dash, and I hope I don't rip out anything that I need......
By the way, although mine is a 62, it is an early 62 with a 60 dash (Square binnacle) and that means a single din, but I am putting a 10" screen into it, and running a reversing camera, and hopefully setting in a dashcam also, and it has GPS and ...... I am going to learn an awful lot when I finally decide to take the time to do it all......
For now, the only music is the sound of the mighty 4.0ltr 6...... and the tyre noise.... and the gearbox noise...... and the wind noise from the roof rack.....
Edit: Why are you putting a backup camera in there? The last time I used one of those was to keep an eye on the grain in the tank on a combine harvester. In Aus I believe they are called, "headers". I did three harvest seasons in Washington State and one harvest in New South Wales. It's bad when you fill the combine up so much that grain is spilling over the side.
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My set up in my troopy is not show room but pragmatic and sounds excellent near my head. I am often off grid out of range so put all my music on an mp3 , the better quality player, exy but good, and jbl xtreme, excellent bass. Can remove it easily and take the party with me anywhere and a good anti theft aspect pending when and where I park. I charge directly from my inverter from behind the passenger seat.
Love it, love music. Being bluetooth iphone and guests can use it too, also handfree phone talks.
Love it, love music. Being bluetooth iphone and guests can use it too, also handfree phone talks.
Maaaate...... I have a soldering iron and a meter to check if there is any actual electrickery going through those hoses...... I just don't really knowing what I am doing with it.
And yep, the next step was to track the wires from the door hinge.
But mine has only two speakers (in the doors), and I want to fit some to the back, so I will be running extra anyway.
Right now I have wires that have been cut off (no factory plugs), and some of them are weird colours, not matching the charts I have, and just taped off at the ends.
I bought some ISO plugs so once I ID the wires, I will wire the plugs according to the wiring diags, and the other one to the stereo wires (which are all labelled).
I should be able to do it, but I will be slow and learning a lot......
But the 60's are simple and great to learn all sorts of stuff on.
I have done more on this thing than I ever did on any other car I have owned.
Yet another thing that is so great about a 60....
I meant to add: as to the the reversing camera - my little car has one and my wife loves it. She will really appreciate it in the 62 as she is short anyway and has trouble seeing behind it.
It will do double duty as a rear dashcam, and the plan is that I will use the two cameras to record trail trips.
So although the 60 is simple, this unit will have two cameras, reverse activation, GPS, USB plug input, and ... I can't remember what else, but I am confused just thinking about it.....
Actually it should all be pretty straightforward, I just have to do it.
Oh, and I will be making a housing to mount to the top of the dash next to the instruments, and it has to look pretty too....
From a simple thing, it has grown into a project!
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