Yeah, DD conversion kits don't exist for the 07+ sedans, and the one guy I had test the system without the factory headunit in place said nothing worked without it, so the potential headunit upgrade is to add a aftermarket headunit, keeping the factory radio intact and in place, and tie the new radio into the factory amp/speakers or replace the amp/speakers completely - a total "from scratch" audio system.

There are adapters that let you put a second source to that display though, with one of those and a headunit that mirrors the display output, you could potentially hide the radio somewhere semi-accessible, possibly connect up the steering wheel controls to it, and have an aftermarket radio fairly seamlessly integrated. Potential headunits that would work well like this would be something that includes a full-function remote (extending the wires for the remote receiver and mounting it somewhere far away from the actual headunit is pretty trivial) and/or does a lot through voice control to make up for the shortage of buttons. You might be able to find room for a single-din pop-out display screen in the center armrest for access to advanced functions too.

I'd love to give it a try, myself.

 

Here's the type of thing done in an first gen (installed in a different location, obviously) I'm talking about with being able to put an aftermarket radio in the 07+ sedans:

 

Great guide!

I am thinking to get the following setup:

- Metra kit $166:

- Metra Steering Wheel Control Interface $49:

- Kenwood DDX470 DoubleDin $285

- Waterproof license plate frame with rear-view camera $50:

- 2.4g video wireless transmitter $15:

_______
Total: $565


Any comments or suggestions?

 

You still need the wiring harness or ROEM-NIS2, and an antenna adapter listed in the first post.

Also, wiring up the wireless transmitter is twice as much wiring as going the hard-wired route for the rearview camera. Going under the carpet and through the center armrest/console isn't very hard, neither is going alongside the door frame under the carpet.

Option A:


Or B:

 

I never listen to the radio, do I still need the antenna adapter?

If the rear view camera requires so much wiring, I would just keep it till I install subs in my car... since I gotta do all that anyways.

So for now I just need the Double din kit + stereo system + ROEM-NIS2 + Steering wheel control ?

 

I suppose you don't need the antenna adapter, but it's usually under $10, so as something somebody who may purchase your car in the future may want (or use against you when bargaining) it's worth doing.

If you're planning to do an amp+subs and rearview in the future, save yourself the time and connect extra wire to the reverse signal wire, and RCAs for the rearview, as well as all the subwoofer channel during the headunit install. There's a lot of excess room along the center console and around the center armrest, so you can have all those cables right there ready to go in the future.

 

Good tip thanks.

 

Just out of curiosity where have people been tucking the PAC ROEM-NIS2? It's not exactly a small unit.

 

When you get in the stereo area there is a cigar box sized area for wires to be tucked. I just opened the area under my shifter to adjust preouts.

 

Hey, thanks for the awesome thread guys! I recently had the climate controls go out on my 2003 G35 Coupe 6MT, and my FM tuner had already not been working for several years. After seeing that this was a common problem and all the resources, I took a shot a fixing it. I ended up getting the Pioneer FH-X700BT head unit, the Metra board, the Scosche CNN03 harness, and the Axxess ASWC-1 unit. I have the nav system, so I followed the instructions in the G35 Metra 2 video on youtube (that I believe you linked above) for modifying the nav controls, the metra unit, and the OEM metal bracket to get it all to fit together.
Anyway, it all worked out, including keeping the nav system functional. Thanks for the extensive resources here, it certainly helped me get through the process.

 

You did it all without asking for help?

Nice work! pics?

 

I've never done car work before, but I'm fairly handy in general. And there was enough info out there I could just search for videos and answers, rather than asking people to answer the same questions they've already answered before.

I took a whole bunch of pics as I was doing it (so I could remember how things were before I messed them up), so if anyone needs a pic of some aspect of the process, just ask. Attached (assuming I did it right) is a pic of the final result, with the new head unit and the nav system popped up (it opens and closes properly through the metra) and operational.

 

Looks great and I remember seeing that din at best buy. Not my cup of tea but it's super practical. Did you complete any of the requests on the threads front page?

 

I was just looking for something with lots of good reviews and thus likely to have solid bluetooth support, as that seems to be an area where people tend to have some problems. Once I toned down the gaudy colors to the minimum, it looks nice enough.

Good call on the requests on the front page, I had overlooked that link. Looks like there's a request for pics of the metra / nav modification process. I'll look at the pics I took, I hope a couple of them would be helpful.

 

Looks like I have a bunch of pics that might be useful. I have pics of the Axxess tap-in process, before and after, and several of the fitting process for the nav board and the addition of top screw holes / spacers to the metra board. They're all high-res too, from my DSLR. What's the best way to post them?