Replacement radio suggestions?

I''ve got a 2000 Saab 9-3 vert.  Radio is starting to give me problems; SID going bad (heard enough to know this is inevitible)...over time-much worse now, CD intermittently not working...and well.....I just want one with a Nav screen, etc.
 
Anyone found something that works well with a 9-3?  Also...I''ve read enough about problems with replacing things on the Saab (radios in particular), so I don''t want to trust it to someone who really doesn''t have experience with a Saab.  Any suggestions?  I''m in Southern California...LA to be exact. 
 
Lastly...do I need to get rid of the notion that I just won''t have some of the features, gas mileage, miles til empty, temperature..etc.?
 
Thanks

You do not want to get rid of the SID, you will loose a bunch more than the temp and mpg readouts...  http://bba-reman.com/ - call them.  Many people had their SID repaired by them and they offer a lifetime warranty.   As far headunits go, we''ll have to see how cp_kirkley''s double din unit will look.  Hopefully he''ll install it soon for everyone to see it:)

Thanks for the info.  Forgive my ignorance...but what exactly is the headunit you are referring to?  The actual stereo unit?  I do get that I need to leave the SID alone...other than repairing it, of course.
 
 

yeah, the stereo is sometimes referred to as a headunit. 

Yeah, the head unit is the actual radio unit. Leave the SID alone, but know you will lose the radio/cd display on the SID, everything will will work.

Update on radio, I''ve connected the radio, powered it on, it works fine, but I''m going to have to remove the middle bar in between the SID and radio, for some of you its the cupholder. There does not seem to be a non-violent way of doing this...I''ll be working on this through the rest of the night, so hopefully I''ll have some good looking night shots at 3:30 am.

Also Ive solved the phone power problem, my phone can plug into usb ports to both sync and charge. So im running the cable to the side panel and dremeling (is that a word?) a small hole for the usb plug from the radio. I will then epoxy the end of the plug to the panel. That way I can plug other usb powered devices (motorola cell phones, blackberries, GPS devices) as I see fit. Still want the cigarette lighter working (its a principal thing, lol) but I think this is a much more interesting and unique way to fix it. Wish me luck!

Take pictures.  And the non-violent way of removing the thing is undoing the whole cage from the SID...no difficult at all.

Update.

Yeah, so I went ahead and got the radio in - and did so in a way that you lucky blokes with cupholders can keep them. I''m going for a joyride to celebrate, after that I will post the pictures. I had to use a saw, a dremel, some sandpaper, some sweat, and a healthy, healthy set of walnuts.

you can buy the cupholder for 29 dollars now:)

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

That was the end result. I think maybe I''''ll start a new topic with the pics that showed what I did to make it fit. Its not the sid bracket that make is not fit.. theres a plastic bar underneath, then the plastic shelf that the sid tray rests on that blocks Double din units from fitting. I Cut them out using a common handsaw, sucked out the debris, dremeled off the sharp remains, than sanded them. I left a small ledge for the SID try to be able to "rest" on, and then installed the radio. after the radio was in, I put in the SID tray, and because the little ledges are still there, I still snaps into place. then just replace your SID and your golden.

***Note that there will be NO room in between the Head Unit and the SID tray. I will drive around for a few days and see what the heat transfer from the radio does to my SID. Only then will I consider it a true victory, lol.***

Not bad at all....question is, will the power antenna work?

ROFL, about that...

I forgot to order the extension for the radio plug when I ordered the radio, so I technically don''t have one ATM...

And my antenna doesn''t work, but I''m not so sure it has anything to do with me replacing the radio, as it didnt work with the stock unit either. I actually was thinking it might be cool to replace it with one of those "shark fins" from the newer models. What do you think?

I think it''s worth the extra 20 minutes to fix the power antenna...that is if the radio supports it.

Would it be a fuse issue, I''m not really sure how to go about fixing it. Also, as much far as head unit support, I wouldve assume that all modern radios support this lol... If not then shame on them

most likely it''s a broken antenna mast.  $20 and it''s fixed...now I wouldn''t know what it is without looking

Sunday sound good? 

eh...PM me on saturday to confirm.  I will be screwing around with my car, so might as well...

Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth, lol, sometimes I actually have to *gasp* work. Hard. The nerve some bosses thinking we are responsible for things... what the world coming to these days?

Anyways, I hadn''t forgotten about those pics, but I''m not at home at the moment. Tomorrow morning, I promise to have my pics up showing the hell I went through for a self-installed 2 DIN radio. That works wonders with the stock speakers BTW... I''m actually thinking about leaving these bad boys in a bit longer since it sounds so clear. I just need a 8 incher now.