Put a deposit down on an '03 New Beetle 2.0 Auto last weekend. Asked
the dealer to get a price for me to swap out the existing cassette
based head unit with a single CD unit (not the 6-disc changer).

They came back with a price of £500 plus £50 to fit! Seems way over
the top to me; anybody else ever had a similar upgrade? What did you
pay?

Si

Si Commando wrote:
Put a deposit down on an '03 New Beetle 2.0 Auto last weekend. Asked
the dealer to get a price for me to swap out the existing cassette
based head unit with a single CD unit (not the 6-disc changer).

They came back with a price of £500 plus £50 to fit! Seems way over
the top to me; anybody else ever had a similar upgrade? What did you
pay?

I didn't; I use an iPod. However, what I WOULD pay would be £10-20 for a
Fascia adaptor, and then £200 or less for a decent MP3-capable
single-disc CD player. I have a JVC SX998R which was £170 new a couple
of years ago with an Aux-in on the front; similar units are just over
£100 now. And it came with an IR remote which is incredibly useful.

Richard

--
RichardK - 1980s in a can. http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/music/
Retro computing - http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/retrotech/
Cars - 2004 Beetle Cabrio, 1992 Sera Phase III (yes! Just two!)
MidiGuitar, AU/X. Apple 77-05. See links. Email - upgrade to 128

Thanks for the reply Rich, I'm really after a VW head unit though.

I can't even find a price for one on the internet to compare....guess
I'll ring a different dealer in the morning.

Si

Si Commando wrote:
Thanks for the reply Rich, I'm really after a VW head unit though.

I can't even find a price for one on the internet to compare....guess
I'll ring a different dealer in the morning.

eBay, but the problem is that it is a Beetle and has a specific shape.
You really don't have much choice (later models, btw, have MP3 CD players).

Richard

--
RichardK - 1980s in a can. http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/music/
Retro computing - http://www.dmc12.demon.co.uk/retrotech/
Cars - 2004 Beetle Cabrio, 1992 Sera Phase III (yes! Just two!)
MidiGuitar, AU/X. Apple 77-05. See links. Email - upgrade to 128

RichardK wrote:
Si Commando wrote:
Thanks for the reply Rich, I'm really after a VW head unit though.

I can't even find a price for one on the internet to compare....guess
I'll ring a different dealer in the morning.

eBay, but the problem is that it is a Beetle and has a specific shape.
You really don't have much choice (later models, btw, have MP3 CD players).

Richard

--


I wonder if that's what it is....perhaps you can only get the mp3/cd
player and it costs more... still, at £500 smackers I could buy a
bloody nice system for the lounge instead!

Si

"Si Commando" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks for the reply Rich, I'm really after a VW head unit though.

The VW head units are made by Blaupunkt, There is no reason on the planet to
justify the quoted price for the head unit and then to add insult charge for
fitting!
If the car is brand new and not yet collected then it is an option, even on
the gti for 500 quid you get 6 disc changer and armrest with storage and
rear passenger vents.

I think the dealer is making a mug of you,have you tried another dealer?

That's pretty disgusting if you ask me. If you were buying a new Bug you
could get, from the VW UK website, "CD autochanger, 6 disc, front armrest
mounted" for £405 which is still over the top but less so that the price you
have been quoted.

What about seeing if you can get one of those fitted instead. Still
probably be a bit over the odds but at least you get a bit more for your
money.

Shame the deposit is down - your negotiation position has just got very much
weaker.

What head unit does the car have? Are they the standard Gamma or Beta with
a different facia?

http://www.k9spud.com/vwcdpic/ has an interesting article on adding standard
aux input to your head unit (so you could use an iPod)

http://www.addacdchanger.co.uk/index...acturers_id=58 are one of
millions of on-line companies offering cd changers for your car from about
140ukp to 160ukp

http://www.incarexpress.co.uk/view_p...partno=MVGS007 is from In Car
Express (who have a very good reputation in uk.rec.audio.car) and offers mp3
capability as well as being a cd changer for 230ukp plus fitting but you
would need to call them to check compatibility

I would call the dealer and tell him to stick his head unit upgrade up his
arse as well as any future servicing or car purchase business unless he can
come up with anything even remotely sensible. When he seems to not care
(which is the usual situation with main dealers in my experience) get
something along the lines of the units above.

Let us know how you get on

C

"Si Commando" wrote in message

They came back with a price of £500 plus £50 to fit!

Apparently they are quite hard to get hold of too (probably because they are
so expensive). I just fit an official VW 6 chnager to the armrest and kept
the casette deck. You can control the CD from the deck still and you get
proper track display so the only thing you gain from the front CD player is
an extra slot (with the loss of casette obviously).

---
Sam