Audio Systems: Complete novice needs advice!, vw golf iii, hooking up an amplifier

Question
Hello Alan,
   I recently got my new police auction gem (a 95 VW Golf III) all legal and road ready. However, I'm not too fond of the stereo in there, which is a stock Premium Audio (Clarion) anti theft cassette player. The thing is made of shoddy plastic and already 2 knobs have snapped off, the tape deck door is missing, and I'm just too lazy to bother finding a code for it, much less springing the 200 plus dollars to get a OEM cd changer. I just picked up a Sony Xplod single disk in dash player, complete with harness rack, codes, and a set of RCA outs (what are these?) for a reasonable price on eBay, and I was wondering if you had any advice on what to look for when switching the stereos to avoid any electrical or compatibility problems. Of course, I wont be attempting to do this alone, but it's always good to learn from the more skilled, so any advice would be appreciated and not forgotten.
Thanks in advance,
Harry

Answer
Harry,
RCA outs are for when you're hooking up an amplifier to the head unit. You hookup the RCA outs to the amp to carry the signal. As for looking for stereo switching, there isn't really any electrical or compatibility problems. The gear is all pretty standard since it all has run off of a 12 volt system. You should sit down and write out what you want your stereo do to for you, decide how much you want to spend (in total), then visit a shop and see what they can do for you. This assumes that you want to have a decent stereo and aren't content with just a new head unit. :) Without knowing more there isn't a lot I can tell you. Speaking with a sales rep should give you a much more clear idea of what you want. But in the end remember to get what you want to get, what you think sounds good and is in your price range. I hope this helps. I'm going out of town and won't be back for 10 days, but if you want more help when I return, please don't hesitate to ask.

Best Of Luck,
Alan