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New Radio Install


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I've Just bought a defender 90 (1995 Hard top) its as basic as it gets (which is quite nice in a way, simple). All I have in the dashboard is a cigarette lighter. 

Has anyone retro fitted a radio to a basic dash? I was also thinking about just some bluetooth speaker, I don't really listen to the radio as such, its always been played through my phone on any vehicle I owned/driven. 

I think for the meantime its a bluetooth speaker job but Im looking for a more permanent solution.  

 

The question  im asking is - Has anyone fitted a radio unit from nothing? or Has anyone just installed a set of bluetooth speakers (links would be nice)?

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I'd say it's worth taking the dash apart to see if the connector is there for a radio install. If it is I would just get a cheap head unit that you can use to connect your phone to (and some speakers of course!)

My 110 is a basic ex-utility hard top but even that had an OEM Landrover branded radio cassette.

I've since replaced it with thisIMG_20220306_164156721.thumb.jpg.a7fc62d1b96e0e42b36aa503ef743f8d.jpg

It's a basic "mechless" Pioneer DAB unit that cost less than £200 which I've paired with some 2-way 4" speakers in the original under-dash holes. It allows me to listen to DAB radio, play music though phone/iPod, and show the image from the reversing camera I fitted. It also allows screen mirroring with my phone so I can see/hear the sat nav function on my phone through the radio.  

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A radio install is a very basic thing from a wiring POV.

You need permanent live, ign live and a ground. Even the early models will have feeds for all this tucked in behind the clock and cigarette lighter socket inthe middle of the dash, so you should be able to tap into those. A later '95 model may have a bespoke socket in it's loom for all this, I don't know.

Like you I mostly play music from my phone. I have a (fairly old now) single dDIN Pioneer radio/CD/USB head unit that also does bluetooth. My phone uses Android Auto and Spotify to send music over BT to the car.

Here's a pic borrowed from the web that shows how my head unit is installed. This mount is a standard LR part.

image.png.40966ed1a33075e3b5a370bfd7485c22.png

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This is an old photo of my radio install using the standard LR part, bought from my local dealer for a very reasonable price (at the time).

Since then it has been replace with a Raptor unit which is great if you don't mind the utilitarian / non-standard look.

 

DASH 1.JPG

RADIO MOUNT.JPG

DSCF0079 (2).JPG

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/4/2022 at 8:45 AM, Filbee said:

I'd say it's worth taking the dash apart to see if the connector is there for a radio install. If it is I would just get a cheap head unit that you can use to connect your phone to (and some speakers of course!)

My 110 is a basic ex-utility hard top but even that had an OEM Landrover branded radio cassette.

I've since replaced it with thisIMG_20220306_164156721.thumb.jpg.a7fc62d1b96e0e42b36aa503ef743f8d.jpg

It's a basic "mechless" Pioneer DAB unit that cost less than £200 which I've paired with some 2-way 4" speakers in the original under-dash holes. It allows me to listen to DAB radio, play music though phone/iPod, and show the image from the reversing camera I fitted. It also allows screen mirroring with my phone so I can see/hear the sat nav function on my phone through the radio.  

Is that the Mudstuff console? It looks very neat. Still got to fit mine so this might spur me on 

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1 hour ago, 1750gtv said:

Is that the Mudstuff console? It looks very neat. Still got to fit mine so this might spur me on 

Yes, that's the Mudstuff double-din centre console. Pretty straightforward to fit, but just make sure you don't overtighten the screws for the switch retainer in the rear of the console. They snap quite easily if you're not careful!

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As an alternative option there are lots of "mechless" radios out there (with no CD player) which can be very shallow and don't require much if any space behind them to mount - there's just about room above the cig lighter for a double-DIN one which for about £50 from China gives you GPS, bluetooth, USB + SD card, reversing camera, android, DAB dongle, etc. etc. and the one I last had was all of about an inch deep.

This one cost a whole £12 and is very flush since the case was 90% air I cut & shut it:

IMG_3863.JPG

It's got AM/FM, SD card & USB, I think newer ones add bluetooth. Sound quality is rubbish if you're sat with the engine off but on the move a Defender is too loud to notice it :lol:

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Evening guys, just about to install a radio in mine too, was thinking of tapping into the cigarette lighter feeds but I have found some others tucked behind the dash if anyone has a diagram please? 1995 300tdi.

 

The 4 wires sitting are 

Brown/green

Black/green

Red/green

Solid green

 

Thanks! 

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