2006 Subaru Legacy Custom Stereo Install 

Doesnt mention you can get the converter kit from japan (avojdm and other similar suppliers) for $480 New Zealand Dollars including delivery. Bit cheaper than the $1400 his company sells it for which is a ridiculous markup. However everything else he said was good information

If I was a paying customer I would be 110% pleased for this. Attention to detail and workmanship are on point.

JDM kit from Japan. Perfect for right hand cars, swaps heater controls on left hand cars. But for a cost effective job, and your first attempt, you did fine.

I normally don’t comment on this shit, but man, how easy would it be to just mod the dash for single din? Come on. Take the board out, fill the holes with putty, bondo the front, paint, and it’s done. Would look thousand times better.

It's just a custom job , most shops in the US would not touch that, they would just suggest adding a DSP unit or a bluetooth amp. I think is a simple custom set up, Awesome job.

What you could do is source the heating unit from a different legacy that has the separated unit and get the double din fascia for above it... that's what I'm going to do with my Subaru Outback 2007 car. Just haven't worked out if I want NAV up top and the Double din stereo down the bottom. It will be either way because I really don't want the stock stereo in my car at all. Just an FYI you can remove the top vent cover and remove the flappy part it's a clip in unit, which will allow you to slide in a single din mount plate and slide a single din stereo into it... I haven't done that specifically yet but I did take the flappy bit out and slid in a single din stereo and it works like a charm, although it's not secure yet but it does work

You've done so much, Congratulations I'm having the same problem. I'm not satisfied with the music system, but it's impossible to find the appropriate part. I congratulate you again for your work, Don't let them show that we don't need them. Do I do this, Absolutely no

Good job James! I cant say that i blame your customer. Im going through similar problem with my ford fusion( mondeo, ithink in Your part of the world). $500 dash kit for $200 stereo.

Great vid. I have a 2005 Subaru Outback 3.0R and therefore the stereo with the integrated climate controls. When I discovered this years ago I cursed the engineers that came up with this lunacy. Years earlier I cursed them for their design of the cabin air filter placement. Men like them will be hunted in the end times.

Well, i don't want to say it's ugly, because it's not, but it definitely looks out of place. Also leaving those side buttons in makes it look a lot worse than it could, yet again you had no other option. All things considered you did a great job and you did it professionally, carefully checking whether everything works or not. I have seen many cases in my country where someone 'properly' bodges something on a car and while it works, 8 different things don't. Oh and thank you for the extra stereo installation ideas. I am sure your video will help a LOT of people out.

for anybody wondering: you can get the double din fitting kits over at "japan parts" No big deal. But they do cost you over 150 bucks like he said

Ribbon cable is audible "beeps" from the heater control to the radio's amp section.

Man!! Finally found a video that is explaining exactly what I need to do and find out that I have the Outback that can't fit a sterio in the top console! WAAAAHHHHH

could have painted the 2 large knobs black so it kinda would have blended in, just my idea..... keep up the good work!

I think it's..all. Good.the customer is happy. That is important.you didn't try fool any body..it's a very good job.

A friend from me hafe the same subaru and he wants a other radio tomorrow, he want it in the glovecase, i hope he understands thats this way are much better because the original system are useless if you made like he want. I want show him your video and i hope he understand that dis way is easyer and cleaner. Excuse my englisch, i know isnt perfect, but thank you very much 4 your video, i hope my friend want do it like you did, is easy to do because you explaine id good✌& greetings from switzerland.😎

I hear Kilo in the background. I love them, I've recently discovered the duo, being from the states I love to hear great music from other countries.

JDM do a pretty good double din mounting kit with a separate ac/heater controls and a face plate for about $400/500, you should check them out.

Painting the silver knobs black would probably look a bit better, but a pretty clean job overall

Bro that's awesome work, now I got an idea on how I can do my 2000 cefiro awesome James and thank you.

I thought he was going to say sorry for the voice, I'm from new Zealand 😂

yo this guy is talented for real for real

I have gone through this on my 2007 US Legacy. I used the parts from avojdm as previously posted because I don't have the separate AC controls like that car does. Having the luxury of time I first would have tried to glass the back of the panel and then cut out the single or double din slot, but hats not realistic for your case. With your time and budget constraints I like what you did, I think it looks pretty cool.

What an absolute monstrosity!! It's not overly expensive to buy an aftermarket face for this Subaru.

Lots of clever work here, but I can't get past the split knobs. I also don't love the "proud" mounting the the head unit. I realize the customer was not going to pay for you to body work the face to fill extra holes, but perhaps a better alternative would be to cut and glue on an ABS panel across the mid area of the factory panel and ISO mount the head unit. When you have to make a custom mount you might as well set the unit flush. Not ideal, but cleaner and still fairly cheap. At the end of the day, if the customer is happy, you did a good job.

Thanks for the video.We have a problem with a customers 05 legacy with the silver front set up that has excessive pararistic draw with the radio hooked up.On the back the stereo and ac controller are one unit,so we are now looking for options to just replace the radio and now see that it might not be an option?

They if you’ve got the Macintosh style setup. They make a top facia which cost a couple hundred dollars. But they’re about $900 in Australia... for the kits for a complete replacement and that has a seperate heater control. On that note. I need to colour match my facia to silver...

@ 16.42 you have found that the AC controls still work without the stereo connected. Why then did you not get a 2-din mounting bracket for the non-automatic AC, that is the one with three holes where the AC controls come through? With a bit of cutting you should be able to make one bracket out of two? Or am I overseeing something? The bracket for the non-automatic AC costs around 30 euros (in Europe, of course), about 48 Australian dollar. Still, you did a fine job considering the low-cost part of it.

Churr kia ora bro liked your outro👍mrs has the same suby and she wanted an amp so i left the factory stereo and just added a high low line converter to run it,but always wondered how to fit after market unit,...churr shot

Great job, idea for next time could be fiber glassing in those two button holes either side of the HU or cutting plastic to size and gluing it in.

Hey, I have a 2007 subaru Legacy b4, and the dash is not looking good at all. Can you help me find a dash for my 07 subaru in your area. Please let me know.

A bit of info that may help is cut a polycarb peice to cover all of it .paint the back and cut the din,, looks factory but i have 05 so wont work

Nice work dude! I enjoy your content as I am an auto electrician up in Auckland.

I'm not digging it man. Cutting up a dash like that... And what do you gain? It's a pretty basic radio you put in there. What does it do better than the stock one? USB? Install a USB interface. More power? Install an amp. Bluetooth? Again, install an interface. Just don't cut up a dash like that to put in an ordinary radio. It's not like it's a P99RS or does navigation or anything. Everything it does can be done with interfaces on the stock radio.

i have the 06 legacy with the mcintosh same as in vid @7:00 it has no aux button, aparently there is an 8pin slot at the back that i can put an aux adapter do you know if this is true? i really dont want to replace the whole unit just to have aux capabilities

3d print your own kit corner the market

How about buying the top pocket from a wrecker. My OEM still works so using top pocket with a mechless android and just inputting from preouts into aux.

Im in oz. Have silver and am looking towards android 10.1 9inch set up up top and covering old one with carbon fibire

Ya they are a pain in the ass for sure, you can get the kit, not sure why is so expensive for you guys. We retail it here for around 750 Canadian

i would have removed dials and filled in the gaps where they dials were and then painted a matt black strip across the panel where the new head unit sits, just to make it all sit nicer and look a bit more natural

Might try the salvage yards for the center stacks that you need and start buying them up. Thinking out loud, would you be able to manufacture an upper section out of plastic and mount to the frame of the original dash? Could you pull the knob as replace with holesaw cut disc made of plastic and CA glue them in? Like it was said before, most shops woukd not touch type of modifications. Looks good James.

Hey mate would love to get some advice from you for my 2007 Fuga. Do you have a shop in Christchurch? If yes can you please share the details.

Do you know how to hook up an aftermarket subwoofer to an 08 kenwood system? I think there's a harness you can get for a OEM sub. Could you use that to wire in an aftermarket one? Looking at using the factory radio with a line output converter to my sub and component speakers

While it does not look factory, it does fit. Would it be wise to get one of those factory fitment kits and reverse engineer it? Could you fabricate one out of mdf?

i totaly aprove this radio sir its a freaking cool radio .. and i not only say that becouse of the fact it changes color ...... no realy ......

What a pita. Customer obviously doesnt wanna spend mega dollars on a custom or factory looking install so how far do you go to polish a turd. As far as cost effective thumbs up. I would have looked at removing all the buttons and trying to fill. Fibreglass and/or bog. But then again it is the cost effective factor. You did great with the limited options you had. Keep up the great work with the videos man.

My mates got the silver version stereo and I defs need help getting a new radio in it with aux I have no clue as to how tf imma do it. Is there a way to run a wiring from the radio to the dashboard which leads to an aux in ?

Bro do you have the video on subaru legacy 2005 bl5 stereo change? Thanks

Can you please help me. I installed a new stereo but the keyless remote entry is not working

Yep, thats a botched job. But not to bad looking botch job. WOW $1400 for the facia, im a kiwi living in Perth Australia with a 2003 Outback and got a facia for $240 off Ebay, plus $80 for the wiring harness

I have the US version Legacy. If I bought one of these stereos and cut the climate control off, would it be compatible with my car?

Good adapting to situation. I would try to find a source for the top pockets from a junk yard / breaker so you can do your cleaner option.

I’m split on this one. For what you had to work with it turned out pretty good. But I’m pretty sure metra or scoshe makes a dash kit for that car.

Hey bro what can ya do if all the wires at the back arent quite the same colour as they usually are in factory head units

How much does 3d printer cost. More than the install kit

Hey James, have you install a Kenwood navigation kna-g430 on the same 4th gen Legacy with OEM screen? I'm having a problem that the voice is not working. Only the "beeb" is working with everything else.

awesome work!!!....but now im wondering if it would be possible to fit a double din in one of those.

You can buy the top half faceplate online for about $120 NZ

Can i buy the black bit for my 05 and put single din in

Hey James, I really liked the job that you did on this Legacy. I didn't have any hope until now but atleast it is possible. I live in Auckland and I am in a same situation too. I have a Subaru Legacy 2008 with the screen and I want to get the stereo installed with speakers, amp and sub-woofer. Where are you guys in New Zealand?

A Chrysler 300 dash kit might have the half circle knob things that will fit

nice job!

Anyone know if you can fit an 06 after market fitting kit to an 08?

I like it James, good cost effective option. I wonder if the face plate is ABS, if so, maybe the old silver dials could be filled. Two Qs. Can you fit the black climate/stereo unit to a prefacelift car, 03-06? And how do you think it'd go fitting a double DIN? Chur from Dunners

If only he waited a year or two... you can buy a complete double din face for like $65 now, you just use the lower heater controls and transfer them over.

I got the same setup as in 7.30min in, have you ever fitted a double din headunit in like this my man?

That might kill the resale. New buyer may see that and be turned away. These new cars requiring 400 in kits and harnesses to install a 300 radio.

Great price effective solution

Why don't you just use processors like the audiocontrol dq-61 or the audison bit one.1 instead of tearing up the factory radio. Also, there should be kits available that are cheaper than $1,500 come on.

Hi there can i talk wz u about subaru legacy 2006 car audio .. please reply me ASAP

Uh my McIntosh is a glass unit rather then the standard plastic one ??

Honestly, if I had been charged for this, is be pissed. Mostly due to the jagged cuts made to the two knobs.

It looks good

Cut the heater section of mount back on car and custom make a plastic piece for the top half

Also could have taken all the buttons out Bondow and painted the top half black

Soooo mounting in the glove box wasn't not an option???

No Way would I do a Botched Up Job like that? That's a Real Mess, I personally would not be caught driving my car with that mess sticking out of the Dash! You mean well Brother but You screwed up!

Why does your fitting kits cost so much for the double din? I only paid 500$CAD for mine including shipping (571.74NZD as per google) Even though it is a JDM part it fits nicely into the USDM car. Either way, "botched" or not this is some great work! keep it up!

Mm yeh I wouldnt of done that way myself but guess it works

I have this car and i am trying to look for a solution to not look bad but it's really hard. Maybe i can ask an electrician to solder a bluetooth module to the aux output and then just switch with the aux button to my phone and its done.

$1500 for $300 HU, cut the dash and just replace it when sold, I bet a second hand center console is a cheaper option. Car audio life.

Dude you can get a dash kit for a nice premium of 300 from Japan

great job!!!!!

Hey dude! are you still in business? I'm also in chch

Oh. That looks terrible bro! : ( Wish Subaru hadn't fit such a poor stereo.

or use a dsp/ line out converter...

Make with fiberglass

I think they would call it here in the states...”GHETTO INSTALL!”... sorry mate doesn’t work for me

I have the "silver version" can't separate those -_-

yeah, does not look good, should pressure to get the kits cheaper

I would not say botched but on the other hand hacked hell yeah

I bought a dash kit for my 2006 legacy it cost 40$ Canadian on Amazon

Black out buttons for shore

Jeez love your work but that is one fugly install. Oh well the customer gets what the customer wants 😏

Good effort man but I wouldn't pay for that just looks like shit

Here is the kit you will need for next time, or, order it and have this customer come back in so it looks proper: avojdm.com/dual-zone-av-panel-set-h6217ag911/

custom front panel use factory buttons

the legacys are a real pain to work with :/

Connects2 make a fascia for that car which is available in the UK. Connects2 might not be available to you but if you need a fascia it might be worth contacting them, they are very helpful. www.connects2.co.uk

Channel name should be '' Subaru audio.etc''