I have been pooring over all the posts for a C4 Bose radios. I can't believe I have to pay $550 for a plug and play unit from mid america just to get a cd player. Sorry guys but I am not removing my bose sprakers and amps. I know this is an old subject but I still need a answer. Can I buy an inexpensive cd player and mount it under the dash and have a easy wiring job? I have also heard of buying and adapter and replacing the unit with a later model radio with a cd player. Which radio would that be? Thanks....Jim

 

JIm,
I have an '85 coupe. I replaced the entire Bose system. Aftermarket head units adapted to bose speakers do not have any quality sound IMO. The rear bose amp and speaker is simply bolted to a 6x9 frame. Remove the bose amp/speaker housing and you can directly bolt in a quality 6x9 3 way speaker for about $80-100. In the front you can remove the bose speaker from the housing, buy the adapters on Ebay for about $4 for the pair and install a quality set of 4" speakers right into the Bose housings. Your amp will still be inside the housing. There are a multitude of aftermarket head units that will fit the Bose radio opening with an adapter. You can buy a head unit for $100 with a CD player. Buy a 1 din size adapter to fit the 1.5 din opening and wiring harness adapter for probably $20 to $40 together. You can buy much cheaper speakers and head unit but for $250 you could get a better sounding system than what you probably have now. The only thing you'll need to run is new speaker wire for all 4 speakers. There may be a way of using the same speaker wires that feed the bose amps but you may have to pick off the wires before they go into the amps. This may require cutting the harness or bridging on connectors to run to the speakers. If I were going to do a retrofit in a friends car on a budget this is the way I'd do it and still know it will sound pretty good. Yeah, you could buy an amp and 8" subs and remove the front bose housings...blah...blah....blah. Or you could be happy with a quick upgrade and still retain all your stuff to put back to stock real easy. Email me for discussion at renoman@prodigy.net It's a pretty easy upgrade if you're handy with some stereo wiring.

Art

 

You can't mix/match this system with standard stuff. If you insist on keeping your original amps and speakers (even thouugh they're probably already shot)... then look into getting a later year Bose unit.

FYI, when I replaced my semi-functional bose system on my '85, I put it in a box for 2 years, then threw it away. Speakers, amps, all of it. Nobody would buy it, and there's a damn good reason.

 

I hear vrumvrum can help you out with a HU mount.

 

do you have pics and a price of your hu mount?

 

Send me an email.

 

sent email

 

Jim,

my previous corvette was an '85.

In my '85 corvette I had replaced the passenger side crash pad (the "loaf of bread") with a "flush mounted glove box" from ecklers??? ( I think it was ecklers?) anyway......................

I installed a kenwood single CD player inside the glove box and used an FM modulator to interface it into my factory bose system, It worked perfect for me! and it was very inexpensive, I believe the CD plaver and FM modulator together cost me around $90.00 dollars.


If you can find another place to mount a CD player then you won't have to get the flush mount glove box. but the glove box DID look factory. it even had "CORVETTE" embossed into it just like the "loaf of bread" has that is there now!


unless you consider yourself an "audiophile", I think you might be happy with this alternative.

 

I do have an aftermarket Jenson CD player that bolts right up to the existing housing if you are interested for 100.00. I will try to post a pic for you.