No harm in asking.

I've just ordered this from Carjoying:

https://www.carjoying.com/371.html

Hopefully it turns up before Christmas.

I'm looking at getting a Mazda Demio, 2004-2007 model. Haven't picked one out yet, but I know that the vast majority of them have a horrible, built-in radio, that cannot be changed. I used to drive a 2003 Demio, and the radio looked like this:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9Ij38UPqHoQ/maxresdefault.jpg

(note the legs are not mine - that's just a Google Image Search).

I would love to be able to change the radio in it; in the 2003 Demio I used a band expander which was okay but I found some stations just didn't come through properly (as well as the frequency displayed being incorrect).

However - I've come across this video where someone (in Russia, I think) did manage to change the radio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYjDhtOsn6E

Would this be do-able by anyone in New Zealand?

Thanks, but that's for 2007 onwards - I'm looking for the 2004-2007 model. There was an overlap in 2007; some have the older one, some have the newer one (like the one you posted).

I dread to think what a mess doing this would cause in my Landrover.

All the systems are so meshed together using a common fibre optic 'ring main' that you get odd things already: sometimes the GPS (built in) fails to initialise. If it does so, the stereo system will not function - it physically does (you can see CD time counters changing etc) but it remains resolutely silent!

Leave the car locked for a while and come back - hey presto all good again.

So ripping all of that out and replacing it with something else (which as a concept I would not mind) would be the stuff of nightmares when it came to the bill - and you'd need immensely experienced technicians to do it, I suspect.

You're lucky if your vehicle is straightforward. 

michaelmurfy: I thought of that but then there is the other problem with operating system updates (or lack of with many of these systems). I went the route to a head unit with Apple Carplay and Android Auto support and it is great.

Which one did you go for?  I've had my eye on the Sony XAV-AX100 but they have just released a new model

shk292:

 

michaelmurfy: I thought of that but then there is the other problem with operating system updates (or lack of with many of these systems). I went the route to a head unit with Apple Carplay and Android Auto support and it is great.

 

Which one did you go for?  I've had my eye on the Sony XAV-AX100 but they have just released a new model

I went for the Pioneer MVH-Z5050BT along with Focal expert speakers (x4), a Soundstream Exact 12" sub and a Fusion CA-DA51600 1600 watt D-Class amplifier. Expensive, but man does it sound good. The head unit is very good as it isn't too laggy on its own and has a rather nice interface and plenty of configurable options. Nothing gripes me more than getting a head unit that has a crappy interface.

The Sony's looked good but were quite lacking on features and the one I was looking at cost more, and didn't have both Apple Carplay and Android Auto (if I ever went back to Android).

GROM audio https://gromaudio.com was a place I used to get gear to retrofit my old Volvo system with blue tooth etc - you may find some thing helpful or interesting there - you can search usage your car make model and year.

They shipped quickly and without any problem.

michaelmurfy:

 

I went for the Pioneer MVH-Z5050BT along with Focal expert speakers (x4), a Soundstream Exact 12" sub and a Fusion CA-DA51600 1600 watt D-Class amplifier. Expensive, but man does it sound good. The head unit is very good as it isn't too laggy on its own and has a rather nice interface and plenty of configurable options. Nothing gripes me more than getting a head unit that has a crappy interface.

 

The Sony's looked good but were quite lacking on features and the one I was looking at cost more, and didn't have both Apple Carplay and Android Auto (if I ever went back to Android).

 

Looks good.  This is the one I'm considering, I like the idea of a volume knob because my car doesn't have steering wheel controls