Has anyone installed an 8-inch Alpine nav unit in their '07-'09?

[marsh2o]

I'm looking to upgrade my Shaker 500 head unit with an aftermarket nav system. There are a number of good systems with 7-inch screens that will drop right in, but I would really like to install the Alpine INE-Z928HD head unit (http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/ine-z928hd), which is double-din sized and comes with an 8-inch screen. Alpine makes a bezel that permits installation in a 2010+ Mustang, but nothing has been released for the '07 - '09 cars. Has anybody tried this or know somebody who has?

[UCLAman]

I have the Pioneer unit but I think its the 7 inch GPS unit.

[peter301]

I have an 08 and also have the Pioneer with the aftermarket kit for installation and it looks great, but not sure about the Alpine set up. If it's of any concern, I look at several units from different makers and went with the Pioneer as the factory Ford and Shaker units are made by Pioneer in the first place. Although the wiring is different, it just seem logical to me to go with it and with the seperate control of the sub-woofers it allowed me to really wake up the system and control the sound quality 1000x's more...

[marsh2o]

Yes, if I were going to choose a nav unit with a 7-inch display, it would be a Pioneer. Installation-wise, that is by far the most logical route to go, but the larger display on the Alpine unit is really impressive and the system has received good reviews for its speed, usability and graphics. So, if there is a way to get this unit to fit the '07-'09 dash, that's the way I'd like to go.

[peter301]

My guess is that becuase the 8" is not as popular or made by several companies in different variations as other head units, the kits, which are made for each cars from another independant company, may not be made for it at all. If you have a car electionics shop that can handle custom installations in your area, that might be the best way to go for such a specialized head unit size.

[marsh2o]

If you have a car electionics shop that can handle custom installations in your area, that might be the best way to go for such a specialized head unit size.

 

 

You are probably right, although I fear that going this route might price the project out of my league. However, it's amazing how simple things like this can look on shows like West Coast Customs. Then again, they never tell you the price tag . . . .

[peter301]

You are probably right, although I fear that going this route might price the project out of my league. However, it's amazing how simple things like this can look on shows like West Coast Customs. Then again, they never tell you the price tag . . . .

 

 

Those shows are actually filmed several at a time over the months of actual time and then put together. You can catch little peaks at other cars being built that you have already seen on a previous show, lol!! Unfortunately, that old saying applies here: "If you have to ask the price, then you most likely can't afford it." I know you like the Alpine, but the Pioneer is a more reliable head unit, and the top models in their line usually are a little better then the majority of others out there, so you may want to take another look..

[MJN]

OP I can put you in touch with a real good guy that knows alot of ford installs, I used him for my 06 F150 install. I did a Alpine nav with hands free, he had all the stuff pre bundled and ready to just plug in and install the unit.

[marsh2o]

Over the past week or so, I've made some careful measurements and checked out the universal 'perfect fit' bezel, offered by Alpine. My conclusion is that there really isn't enough room to fit the 8" Alpine unit into the present stock double-din space -- although it would be possible if you completely redesign the center stack similar to what is shown here:

 

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/maaco-medusa-mustang.html

So, at the moment, it looks like I will be going with the 7" screen Pioneer Z140BH unit (or maybe its successor, the Z150BH, that I expect will be introduced at the 2013 CES)