Pete Trasborg
Brand Manager, Jp
Two dead head units per year. That is the average price we pay for taking our Jeep off-road. Head units just don't deal well with the dust, dirt, and water that end up inside a topless Jeep. At an average cost of $200-$250 each, we are going through $400-$500 a year just in head units. That cost is even higher when we factor in the number of CDs we've destroyed in the dirt. Well, we've found a solution to dumping money down the drain to have tunes in the dirt.
We've done the tape over the slot trick to keep dust out of the CD mechanism, we've stashed the head unit in consoles and other enclosures, but somehow we always end up killing it. So, we've decided to get rid of the head unit altogether. By adding an amplifier and an iPod, we have all the music we could ever want, our CDs stay safe at home, never to be destroyed on a trail again, and our stereo actually sounds better than it ever did.
So, check out how we took an iPod, an amplifier, and two pairs of speakers to put together what might be the last stereo this Jeep will ever need.
One Stop Shopping
You can spend days looking for the right components at the right price. Or you could just get your stuff from Crutchfield. The company has competitive prices, stocks enough items to get the job done, and ships quickly. If that wasn't enough, the tech department is on call free of charge if you ever run into a snag and need professional help. If you are looking to save a few bucks the outlet store (with returns for sale) or the scratch and dent store (with nicked or bruised items) are both great ways to save some cash.
After years of wheeling, all of our existing stuff was hashed, so we replaced even the speakers. Here is what we got and what we ended up spending.
JL Audio Marin Series M4500 $369.99 Apple iPod Classic 120 Gb Silver $249.99 Polk Momo MMC5250 $179.99 Polk Momo MMC650 $99.99 StreetWires Power Station $89.99 StreetWires UCT14 (speaker wire) $30.00 Monster 1LJRY-1F (RCA Y-splitter) $10.00 Monster Mini-Jack to Dual RCA $14.99 DLO Action Jacket $29.99 DLO AutoPod (car charger) $19.99 OtterBox Armor Case for iPod Classic $49.95 Total $1,144.87