A couple (well, three actually) questions regarding radio installation in
an '85 Jetta:


First, I currently have a VW "Premium Audio" from I think a '92 or so
installed. It works fine and fits, but just doesn't "look" right - I
would've expected the front of the radio to be maybe flush with the trim
ring for the heater controls but it sits further back flush with the dash.
Plus there a bit of a gap around the edge of the faceplate.

Am I missing a trim ring or something, or did the "correct" radio for this
car just have a larger/thicker faceplate ?

Second, I'm considering putting in a later model "Monsoon" single-din head
unit, instead of the Premium Audio unit. The ones I've seen have orange
backlighting. Were there any Monsoon head units that had GREEN backlighting
that would match my '85 Jetta ?

Third, browsing the net, I'm beginning to get the impression that the
Monsoon head units aren't the most reliable radios around. Am I better off
sticking with the older "Premium Audio" ? Main reason for going to a
Monsoon head unit would be to add an iPod interface.

Thanks.

- FM -

On Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:35:35 -0600, Fred Mau <fred-dot-mau (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote:

than the 2x7 single-din
green or orange

samstone (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote in news:45e701ee.28335362 (AT) news (DOT) epix.net:

Well the opening itself is definitely single-DIN. IIRC, the original radio
for this car was the single-DIN "VW Design" radio (made by Panasonic?).

The cutout itself is okay, it's just the the plastic of the dash looks like
maybe there a trim ring or something missing, I have about an 1/4" recess
in the plastic all around the opening.

- FM -

On Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:35:35 -0600, Fred Mau
<fred-dot-mau (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote:

There are many other radios that will offer an IPod interface other
than the Monsoon. (My Alpine has aux in, and it was a cheap (under
$200) model at that...)

Many aftermarket radios have the ability to change colors (again, I
had a Kenwood (before the Alpine) that you could set to either green
or red, and I believe the next higher up model had other color choices
too.

I'd shop around some before you get fixated on Monsoon.

PeterD <peter2 (AT) hipson (DOT) net> wrote in
news:jo7eu2de48p4efm0tqiaoq1f0ul85o3bls (AT) 4ax (DOT) com:


Yeah, I've loked at some of the aftermarket radios from Blaupunkt, Alpine,
etc., but haven't found anything that will blend in with the understated
appearance of the '85 Jetta dash, all these radios are too 'glitzy' and
light up like times square on New Year's eve.

I previously had a Blaupunkt CD143 "Miami Beach" (vintage '96 or so) that I
liked but it died and their newer stuff doesn't look the same. I heard a
rumour a couple years back that the Blaupunkts sold in the USA now are
actually made by Sony. Don't know if it's true or not but it would explain
the styling change and why they look so "Japanese" now.

Only aftermarket radio i've seen online that I like is the Becker 7993
"Grand Prix" but I can't find it for sale in the USA - and judging by the
overseas prices, even if I could find it, would probably cost significantly
more than even a brand-new Monsoon.
http://www.soundlabsgroup.com.au/c/B...cker+Car+Audio


- FM -

The 85 had an odd ball fit to the radio. I imagine there's a few radios that
don't fit in there right. There's a rubber plug that fits on the back of the
radio that goes in the hole in the back of the radio hole. It holds the
radio out farther. If you didn't remove a factory radio with one on it, or
get a radio designed for the 85, you wouldn't know about it. The last 85 I
did, I welded the front plate with the dash screws off the old radio to the
new radio box to get it to fit flush inside the trim panel with no adapters.
It was a removable face pioneer. Then widened the trim to get it to remove
correctly without hanging up.
"Fred Mau" <fred-dot-mau (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote

Fred Mau wrote:
My experience is with an '87 GTi. The opening in the dash is a regular
single DIN, but as far as I know (the original head unit was long gone
by the time I got the car) the hard plastic dash trim that goes around
the stereo, heater controls, switches etc. went on in front of the
factory stereo. The opening in the trim is slightly smaller than the
front panel of my head unit, so to fit a Blaupunkt head unit I had to
file the opening in the trim a tad larger. The DIN mounting sleeve is
put in place with the trim removed, then the trim is put back on and the
head unit installed. I am happy with the way it looks. Before filing the
opening in the trim larger, I had to install the sleeve through the
trim, and the radio would then sit around 8 mm further into the cabin.
It did not look right.

The support at the rear of the head unit was a rubber plug that screwed
onto the radio and that went into a hole in a bracket behind the radio.
This is intended as a vertical support of the back of the radio, not the
prevent the radio from being pushed into the dash. My Blaupunkt had the
threaded pin at the back for the rubber plug, but I did not have the
rubber plug. I was able to cut a firm rubber ball (from the toy store)
into shape and use it for support instead of the rubber plug. You may
have to get creative with the rear support, but I would not leave the
rear unsupported.

On my '87 the stereo was connected to unswitched +12V from the battery
only. Most after-market units require both an unswitched and an ignition
switched +12V wire. Power is drawn from the unswitched wire, the
switched wire is only used for ignition sense. I was able to find an
ignition switched wire at the back of the rear window defogger switch
adjacent ot the radio. Don't worry about current draw on this wire, it
is minimal.

"Randolph" <trash (AT) junkmail (DOT) com> wrote

I've had to improvise similarly. I've used a screw in that hole and then a
pencil eraser (the "cap" kind that fits over a pencil). Worked great.

On my '91 I found a switched wire in the stock radio harness itself even
though the stock radio wasn't turned on/off w/the key. Use a meter/test
light to find one.