Well It's been a few months since I last posted here but I did FINALLY get it mostly completed. I went with a newer stereo than the old SONY WX4500X I had in the dash. Upgraded to a KENWOOD DDX812 double din with a touch screen.
It's got a few bells and whistles built into it like BLUETOOTH, DVD PLAYER with true 5.1 channel surround sound. Rear view camera capability(not using that one though) can add on a Nav system and either XM or SIRIUS SAT Radio and even a T.V. TUNER if I so desire but most likely won't. It has dual zone capability so the back seaters can listen to what they want while the front passengers listen to something else. It even allows me to custom tune the speaker distance-to-ear settings. As for my monitor I changed that as well and got a brand new 15" widescreen bare monitor that has 2 RCA inputs and a VGA computer hook up as well for an onboard computer system to be added later on down the road. It's mounted to the dash for now but next summer it's getting fiberglassed into the dash so it'll look even better like I wanted to do but ran out of time, weather and funds for this year. As to what I'm going to do about the big gaping hole in the dash where the stereo used to live, I'll be putting the switches for the rear heater/defroster and tailgate window into a removable panel with a cubby hole pocket for the remotes for the stereo and monitor. And no I won't be watching video's while driving as the monitor is to be used as my inside rear view mirror.
I've already looked into the State law regarding this and found that it is legal to do it this way up here. Here's a link to the law. ......
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/g...88Z&session=25
and here is the subsection of the law that allows me to do this....
04
(c) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to
05 (1) portable cellular telephones or personal data assistants being used
06 for verbal communication or displaying caller identification information;
07 (2) equipment that is displaying only
08 (A) audio equipment information, functions, and controls;
09 (B) vehicle information or controls related to speed, fuel level,
10 battery charge, and other vehicle safety or equipment information;
11 (C) navigation or global positioning;
12 (D) maps;
13 (E) visual information to
14 (i) enhance or supplement the driver's view forward,
15 behind, or to the sides of the motor vehicle for the purpose of
16 maneuvering the vehicle; or
17 (ii) allow the driver to monitor vehicle occupants seated
18 behind the driver;
I'll post some pics of of it all tomorrow night. Gotta charge up the old school digi-cam and find some film for it (3.5" floppy disks)
Oh and my old modified WINK mirror is now collecting frost in the shed. It won't be going back in again