Crutchfield for the DIY-ers Deal
 

With respect to our RS sponsors on Audio/Video/Security, I just want to share this for the people who would like to do their own installation work.

Crutchfield currently offers free kit and harness included to car decks and headunits. I think the minimum purchase is $119.99. This includes free shipping as well. Crutchfield also has a Canadian website so no need to worry about bad FX rates.

They also have great customer service.

In my case, I will be buying a double din for $299CAD. I am saving about $55 before tax for the dash kit and harness needed for my install.

Just thought I'd share this for the guys who wants to DIY.

I've purchased from Crutchfield multiple times in the past, and I'd have to say, they are gradually increasing their prices / overall package deals. When I first bought from them a solid 6 - 7 years ago, there was no minimum purchase price for having the mounting kit and wiring harness stuff -- they were just included from the get-go. As a matter of fact, that was one of the selling points they repeatedly advertised, emphasizing the ease of DIY installation.

Then a couple of years ago (2 - 3 years, maybe?), I was looking for a replacement deck, and they have introduced a $50 or $60 minimum purchase price before the wiring harness and mounting kits were included for free. They still offered a lot of highly affordable entry level products ($29 speakers, for example), but without the wiring / mounting kits, it makes DIY installation difficult for someone like me that has very limited wiring / electrical skills. This effectively means I have been pushed to look at their higher priced products since I would have had to pay for the wiring / mounting kits if I were to buy the entry level stuff.

It seems that the minimum purchase price has now been pushed up yet again. I certainly don't blame their decision to do so, but I find it unfortunate since I think this means they have effectively abandoned a good chunk of their entry level customers.

On the flipside,
If you buy from a local retailer you get personalized service, unbeatable warranty, first hand knowledge, support, advice, set-up, aftercare support and a one year over the counter exchange policy. Well, I can really only speak for my shop.

Or save a few bucks and hopefully it will be ok. :heckno:

I agree with you 100%. I have been a customer of yours for as long as I can remember and I think you are still the best in business. I still love you Soundsgood Mike. No homo :)

I went this route because I would like to try to do the install myself. But don't be surprised if I come running back knocking at your door to fix my eff up hahaha

I get that some vehicles can be complicated, but are you really trying to scare people away from DIY on an automotive forum? :rukidding:

Used Crutchfield a few times (over a decade ago), was satisfied each time. Never had to use their support, but heard good things.

That said, I'm older, less maneuverable in tight spaces, and no longer strapped for cash. Would rather pay someone else to do the under-dash work these days.

I don't think he's scaring people away...

Imagine the amount of hackjob "DIY's" that they see come through their shop.

Years ago, I went to Soundsgood to replace speakers that I had DIY'd, with new/better ones, to be installed by soundsgood.

Mike asked me "who installed these speakers?" and I lied and told him it was the previous owner :okay:

Custom audio installation will obviously require some skills, especially if anything needs to be fabbed (or maybe even wires spliced). But the beauty with Crutchfield is, they have already done the hard part and figured everything out for you int terms of mounting brackets and wiring harnesses. As long as you aren't doing anything wild, as long as you follow their direct fit / direct replacement options, there is absolutely nothing difficult about swapping speakers and decks.

There is a place of both professional installation and buy-your-own-to-DIY, and Crutchfield is arguably one of the best retailers catering to the latter.

I dont' mind crutchfield. If our dollar was better and I made a little better money at my job, I'd be ordering stuff from them regularly.

Personally I find that with anything that's related to my car, I can usually do a better job (and cheaper) as a hobbyist than any shop who's pushed for time and charging me.

Just the same reason why I choose to do my own oil changes. I know that I'm not rushing myself and the job will be done thoroughly and to my own standards. When inspected by mechanics (brake jobs, spring replacements etc) they are usually impressed at my attention to detail.

For those reasons alone, I'd rather work on my car myself and trust very few mechanics to work on my cars for things I dont' have the time/space to do

Not at all! I am just posting to advertise and spam this thread. Haha!

Hey, I started out working on my own cars nearly 25 years ago and let me tell you, I am a million times better now than I was even 5 years ago. A guy came in yesterday with 4 ga wire running through his fender and door jamb. Not only was it a huge fire hazard, but it was just plain old HACK! We have a level of standards that mose DIY guys would not even be close to. There are some other shops though that 'do it for the money' only and not for the passion. We wouldn't be a business without our passion!

Out of curiosity, for the uninformed, what exactly is the fire hazard?

The wire being exposed, susceptible to cuts/shorting?

Does the gauge of the wire relate directly to how much of a hazard it is?

My system atm is semi-hack...since half of it was installed by you guys, and the other half by..."a friend."

[threadjack]
What would be your shop rates to just go through my system and bring it up to your standards?

You can PM me if you want to talk in a more private setting.
[/threadjack]

The wire was unfused at the battery. With repetitive opening and closing of the door, it was only a matter of time when that wire would be exposed and 'poof' battery explosion. If the wire was properly run through a grommet in the firewall, it would be 87.7X safer - even without a fuse!

Wire gauge can have an effect on the safety of that wire and amplifier. If you run 100 amps through 8 ga of wire for 17 feet, the wire can actually heat up and burn even if there is a fuse inline. I'll Pm you.