Car Stereos: Adding/modding AUX Input, car stereo system, rca outputs

Question
Hi guys,

I purchased a 2nd hand car with an aftermarket CD/Radio system already installed.

I have done my research on the system that is installed and it has one left and one right RCA output on the back.  The system has no other inputs or outputs (no AUX, no Bluetooth).

What I would like to do is use these RCA connections so that I can piggyback an iPhone (or other 3.5mm device) into the speaker system.  I do not want to use something that transmits into the FM spectrum (as the quality of these adaptors is often undesirable).

The only viable solution I have come up with is to use a RCA piggyback cable (e.g. http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=WA7090) with another RCA-3.5mm Stereo jack (which I will then run through to the glove box and use from there.  The down fall of this is that I have to use a silent CD to get this running.

I need to pull the panel of central console off anyway for other work on the car so there is no issue there, so I am comfortable pulling the car apart to some extent, and am also comfortable pulling the stereo out from the dash and running decent cable management.  I'm happy to purchase cables

Summary and question:
• What's the best way to integrate an additional input (specifically a 3.5mm stereo input) into my car stereo system without replacing the stereo?
- No tape deck
- Single L/R RCA outputs
- Low budget

My only fear is I'm thinking a too complex solution to an easier job.

Thank you all in advance, looking forward to hearing back.

Cheers,
David

Answer
Hi David,

Unless there's an aftermarket or factory amplifier in the car, the rear RCA outputs aren't currently being used at all, so there'd be nothing to piggyback to.  And even if there is an amp in the car, if it's using speaker level inputs, you will have nothing to connect your iphone/ipod to.

What I would recommend is buying an ipod/iphone deck for the car -- there are plenty of budget ones out there that will do bluetooth a2dp and/or iphone integration out of the box.  Based on the amount of time and wiring you'd spend and buy, you'd probably not spend all that much more, and if the car already has an aftermarket deck, you likely already have an aftermarket harness ready to wire it into.

(Also, if you wanted to be really sneaky, you could buy a deck of the same brand name as the current aftermarket one, and you might find it's plug and play.)

Justin