Hey all,

If anyone is interested I finally got my installation pictures up.

Check them out at http://www.riocar.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album84&op=modload&name=Photo_Gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Any comments are appreciated (good or bad)....

Thanx!

Wow, a decent install into the same dash as my 2000 SL2. Time to take these pictures into the supposed professionals and ask them to fix mine yet again.

My first install seemed nice, until I used the unit as it is, a pull out stereo. It broke their mounting, and so they fixed it this time, by somehow restricting the heater control to only go to the mid point. I still don't quite trust myself to fix it with as weird as the Saturn dash is, so they get one last chance on their "Lifetime warranty".

It also confirms that a second head unit in the dash will be possible, but with some work.

Looks like you did a similar install on your dash to what i did. Nice job! Here are my own photos:

http://steve.nac.net/empeg/install
(scroll to the bottom for the good pics)

i'll post them on riocar.org soon.

Thanks for the comments...all the effort put into this one was worth it. Drakino, your dash in the 2000 SL2 should be identical to the one in my 2001 SC2. Have you considered mounting another head unit in there along with the Rio? I can let you know exactly how to do it if you want to attempt it yourself. Now that I know exactly what to do it seems easy in retrospect

If anyone is interested I will be getting some better daytime pictures of the install in the next day or two...

Chip - nice install....in the 'What I've Learned' section you state that your MB Quarts sound very tinny and are quite loud around the 3k range....at least someone else agrees with me on this fact! Almost everyone I talk to says MB Quart is the best, they're 'awesome', blah, blah, BLAH.......

Anyways, my point here is this. Next time you splurge for a new set of speakers (and I take it from your install page you are a SQ person) audition some component sets with silk tweets. They sound so much more natural and are much less fatiguing to listen to for extended periods. Myself, I invested in a set of CDT Audio HD642DTs which I will be installing today (finally!)...probably the best kept secret in high end car speakers.

Yep, looks identical to my dash. I'm still contemplating a second unit, but with as little as I drive my car now, it will be a while before I justify it.

I may just tear my dash open and see if I can fix their mess. What did you do to secure the empeg cage?

I drilled holes in the side of the Empeg mounting cage and then used some shallow/tapered bolts to secure the cage to the modified dash kit. I also used the ISO mounting strap to secure the back of the empeg cage to the back of my Alpine unit. Let's just say it is very secure

I would love to pull it out and take some pictures, but it is extremely tight behind the units (wire city) and it's a good two person job just to get the units back into the dash.......