456GT: Harman Kardon Drive&Play iPod-Control

Last weekend I started to work on the radio-system of the 456GT.
During my last visit at home in Germany I found a “Harman-Kardon Drive & Play” which is a iPod control unit, a bit older, but still working well. The system contains a black box, a display, a control-unit and can be used either with the AUX-In or attached to the antenna-port sending a signal on a frequency you can set yourself.
Sounded well for me in theory. The plan is to have the display somewhere on or in the ashtray and the control-unit on the center console. It can be removed without any damage later, no screws needed.


First I wanted to check if the system works and then find a home for it somewhere between the radio in the trunk and the center dash, depending on the length of the cables of each component. The iPod itself should be accessible through the opening for the disc-charger. The disc-charger itself I took out, I will never use it anyway.

After removing the disc-charger I had this picture, obviously one of the 5 previous owners did some modifications. There is a cut speaker cable of US-origin (the black on the right side) and only two pairs of speaker cables to the cabin. OK, that explains why only two speakers in the rear are working.


http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/big/lg0c-1k-b53b.jpg

I installed the Harman-Kardon system and everything worked immediately and good. So far so good.


http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/big/lg0c-1l-9f61.jpg


Now just get the cables in the cabin and find a home for all components. With the great description and pictures of "mibi" found here http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/456-550-575-sponsored-bradan/338422-456-stereo-upgrade.html
I removed the rear seat and the rear side panel.


Now, what the ***** ???

Somebody installed a speaker on/in a piece of plywood and bolted the whole thing to the side body panel. The wood started to rot away, the screws are not moving and worst: It blocks the access to the cable grommets and partially crushes the emergency opening for the trunk.

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/big/lg0c-1n-66f0.jpg

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/big/lg0c-1o-093f.jpg

Now the question what to do? Remove the wooden stuff and speaker and get cables back to the original locations, replace the original speaker with some improved ones? Does somebody have a picture how the side panel looks in original? Remove it once to get the cables in as needed and put the wood back in? Have a professional radio shop taking care of it?

Changing the amplifier or keep the existing one and get all speakers in the car working again?

Thoughts are welcome.

Bjoern

 

I just got a picture (not very good, but ok) of the rear side without the side panel as it was originally for a 456Gt and decided to remove the speaker and the plywood and get it back as close as possible to the original look.