These days, most new cars leave the factory with a pretty decent sound system. While they may not always satisfy the audiophile, they do just fine for the majority and they are pretty reliable to boot. Working in the industry, I’ve come across plenty of aftermarket stereo installs that made a total mess of the functionality of the vehicle. From butchered fitments, to botched wiring it is often a nightmare for the tech who is asked to fix some installer or owner’s mistakes.

For all of these reasons, I usually stay away from replacement radios but the used Xterra we picked up a couple of months ago had been fitted with a Pyle radio that really was a pile. FM was the only function that worked, though even that was a bit of a crap shoot as the display did not work. I’m not an audiophile, so I went on a hunt for an inexpensive basic radio that included a CD player. A search through a few major chain sale flyers turned up the Sony cdx-GT110 for a great deal. As an added bonus, it also has a front jack for and mp3 player.

I’m pretty much a bolt on sort of guy who’s never had any real luck with any electrical project beyond replacing a light bulb, so usually I wouldn’t endeavor to take on the task of installing a stereo. The trip to Pocono Raceway was looming though and we didn’t have time to wait for the techs at work to get on the job so I pulled out the instructions and soldering gun and hoped for the best.

First up, is the removal of the offending pile.

One of the things I love about the Xterra is it’s simplicity of design. Undo those two screws and the trim bezel just pops right off.

Once the trim is out of the way, the stereo is held in place with 4 screws. Just unscrew the old unit and put the new one in it’s place.

The old unit came with it’s very own rats nest of wires. The only positive here is that each wire had a little tag on it telling the installer where things go. That made life easier for a colour blind guy like me.

The contents of the box: radio main body, face plate, wiring harness, instructions.

While most stereo installers rely on quick connectors, I’m a firm believer in doing things old school. Out came the old Weller soldering gun, solder and a heat proof surface to prevent any heat related mishaps inside the truck. Heat shrink tubing would have been nice, but there was none in The Garage, so electrical tape will do just fine.

Each wire was stripped, soldered and taped. Then take the time to assemble all the wires into a harness using little zip ties. This prevents wires from being pinched or chafed inside the dash.

In all, with the instructions as a guide, the whole process went smoothly and took just over an hour. The dark gray face fits the dash so well that it could have been a factory option. It looks great and sounds great. On the long drive to the Pocono Mountains the mp3 plugin will be most appreciated.