tomzarbo

Hey guys,

We recently purchased a 2011 GS Vert and I think we need to get some kind of backup camera installed in this thing. Thing is, I would really LOVE a front mount camera as well so I don't smoosh the nose of this thing against a parking bumper. (I touched the nose to a sidewalk/parking bumper a few weeks ago -- no real damage thank goodness) I've looked into the curb-saver device that beeps the closer you get to a parking bumper in front, but I think I'd prefer an actual visual so it could be turned on in various situations.

So this is what I was thinking... Two ideas for the moment.

1) install a rear camera and an LCD screen which would be activated by the reverse backup light coming on, so it would be basically totally automatic for backing up. Then, I would have a 'momentary-on' pushbutton switch somewhere near the shifter that I could push to turn on the front mounted camera and have that feed the LCD screen.
2) Just install a 'triple throw' switch near the shifter with the center position being 'off' and the forward position being 'front camera' and the rear position being 'rear camera' This seems probably like the most simple way to do it. I would likely mount the switch in the cigarette lighter area since I plan to install a MP3 player in there to get tunes to the stereo through the 3.5mm plug.

Also: at this point, I really don't want to replace the stereo since it works fine (it's the single CD Bose version)… and we've basically decided to go with the cell phone as our GPS at this point, so no GPS with add-on camera setup... don't even know if they support dual cameras?

What have you guys done to protect the 'schnoz' of your vette, and/or improve your backing up view? I'd be happy to hear what you've done that you liked, and even what you tried that didn't seem to work as well as you thought for whatever reason.

Thanks for any input fellas'.

TomZ

Dragon Tamer

I installed a Curb Alert for the front and it serves my purposes well. As far as the rear, I just use the side mirrors and or rear view mirror. I have rear view cameras in my other vehicles and don't use them. I guess it's just preference or how one was taught to drive. Good luck with your choices.

artfuentes

I know you said you didn't want to replace your head unit but that's exactly what I did. I had a stereo shop install a Pioneer AVIC model unit and it supported both a rear and front facing camera. The shop installed a toggle switch right next to my ride selector switch and it looks factory and works awesome. Good luck on your search.

4SUMERZ

I have OEM Nav that I did not want to replace, and I installed a front facing camera for the exact reason that you want to.
I did not however want any stand alone monitor to be sticking out in the cabin like a sore thumb, so I insatlled the monitor in place of the Driver Side sunvisor vanity mirror which I never did use. The wires are all hidden, and even the monitor is hidden from view unless required.
I powered the camera/monitor by splicing into the driver side fog light. When I wanted to turn the camera/ monitor on, I just turned the Fog lights on, flipped the sunvisor down and I had a vision of the upcoming curb.

Here is what the sunvisor monitor looks like, inbedded in place of the vanity mirror.




I know this won't work for many, but it did for me.
I have a spare driver sunvisor to replace the monitor sunvisor if ever needed for selling etc.

tomzarbo

Wow, if money wasn't an issue, I'd love to do that. What a good idea. So you just toggle the front or rear on the switch and it displays that view on the stereo screen? Were your screens wireless or wired?
Oh, and did you have the Bose system in your car? I think the Bose uses additional amps in each location if I'm not mistaken, that's part of the reason I don't want to mess with the stereo... it just seems kind of complicated to me; plus I have a hard time finding a stereo shop that I trust. That's a slick solution though.

Awesome solution man! That looks stock-ish, real nice! Did you purchase another visor to modify for this?
How was it running the wires? I can't see from the pic where you ran them, but it looks real clean if you ask me. I wouldn't mind having a little bit of split-loom or something going from the visor to the A-pillar cover panel inside to house the wires in. That's a really cool way of dealing with getting video in a Vette. I have a convertible, and I'm concerned with having anything that looks too tech-y sitting out there for all to see... don't want someone slashing my top to get to a $80 video screen sitting on my dash. I have to have a little faith, but still, hidden is better.

Hey guys, thanks a lot for the suggestions, great ideas so far. I'll get my wife's input on this, she's got good taste, me not so much.
Gracias!
TomZ

Dragon Tamer

That's a very practical solution - well done! Do you have a link you could post for sourcing that monitor?

4SUMERZ

I used my original sunvisor for the monitor install. It had a broken vanity cover, so I had purchased another snvisor to replace it.
I wanted a camera, but didn't want the monitor to be in the cockpit, so the ideas flowed somehow in this thick head of mine, and I came up with this solution.
I used the broken hinge cover from the vanity assembly to carefully cut the square hole to fit the monitor that I had purchased on Amazon. It took alot of filing to get the tight fit I was after. Once the monitor was in place in the cover, I used hot glue on the inside of the cover to hold the monitor in place. The monitor I purchased had a base mount held in place by a bump on the back of the monitor. I removed the base, then cut out that bump and affixed tape over the hole. PS: I removed the monitor back cover before cutting off the base mount bump.
I purchased a wired camera, so I ran the wires from the camera through the firewall via a small 3/4" hole that I drilled directly above the deadpedal. Once the wires were ran through, I plugged the hole using waterproof electrical duct seal putty (available at any home hardware store)
The wires then ran along and behind the driver side panel (where the hood release is) and up the A pillar. I had to notch a few ribs of the pillar to assure the pillar panel would fit tight with the wires running up it. The wires then come out between the pillar trim piece and the windshield trim piece, taped on the sunvisor swivel arm, and into the sunvisor. A small slit was cut in the material (which then tucks back in) to run the wires to inside thesunvisor for the monitor. The wires for the vanity lights switch were removed and soldered together and taped so the power would still be available for the garage door opener on the sunvisor.

The monitor and camera I purchased were not very expensive. If you do lot's of road trips as I do, the camera lens cover will get sandblasted up. I replaced the camera once since the original, just because the plastic lens cover was all pitted.

I used the center bolt of the center air dam to mount the camera.

I have attached a PDF of the monitor installation in the sunvisor for anyone to have a look at.

Good Luck

Dragon Tamer

Thanks for posting that info and the PDF. Nice DIY writeup! Thanks for including links to the products in it too

tomzarbo

Hey, thanks a lot 4SumerZ for doing all that work. That will for sure help a lot of people.
I have to say you did a bang up job making that look like it came that way from the factory. Nicely done.

TomZ

artfuentes

I did have the Bose unit and the replacement was not an issue. I can toggle the front facing camera and the rear camera turns on automatically when the car is in reverse. They both are hard wired, but since the stereo shop did the work I can't answer how...my apologies. The unit I have is the Pioneer AVIC5201nex, but I believe any nex system would work. Unfortunately with install it can get a little pricey. I paid close to $900 with the unit, both cameras, the install kits, and install. If you can do the work probably save yourself around $300 (at least here in California). I tried uploading pictures but darn file was not acceptable.....

artfuentes

Here you go....

tomzarbo

Thanks Art for following up with pics and pricing.

You know, I was thinking closer to $1,100 to $1,200 all-in... or at least that's what I was afraid of. That's not a crazy-bad price for all you get... Nav, upgraded sound, and the ability to not crash into things while you're trying to park. And the switch doesn't look like you'd accidentally hit it since the ride control is close enough to it and is higher.

If I may bug you for a few more questions... how does the sound quality compare to the original stereo? I actually think the stock stereo is fine sound-wise for me, I just don't like the constant hiss that seems to be there all the time. When the top is down, it seems to get loud enough and sound good enough for my tastes... but I wonder if an aftermarket unit offers an improvement?

How do you like the nav function? We've kind of resigned ourselves to using Google Maps on our phone for navigation, even got one of those phone holders to hold it right where I can see it, but having it all in-dash would be much nicer I think, plus you could hear the instructions better too.

Crutchfield has that same radio for $450, I think they sell a kit for installation and retaining factory steering wheel buttons. Does the car's chimes still sound off with the new radio for you?

Alright, I've bugged you enough, but seriously thanks for the additional information. I have some time off coming this summer to work on this a bit, maybe I could do the install myself with the help of YouTube.

TomZ

Tim Harleson

Can you post pic of camera locations on front and rear please?

birdiemon

I just had installed a Kenwood DNX996XR and a backup camera. Has wireless CarPlay, Garmin Nav, Sat radio and BU camera is activated when in reverse. So far, works really well.

artfuentes

Hey ask away no problem. That's what I love about this forum.....The sound quality is definitely better than the original Bose head unit. I have a targa top and when the top is off I do have to turn up the volume but no hissing and it's plenty loud. I have Apple car play with the Pioneer and it basically mirrors your iPhone so the nav part is great. All of my steering wheel functions work fine, but I did lose my HUD for Nav and radio display, but since I have a decent size screen I really don't miss it on the HUD. The switch is in a great location, to me it actually looks like a stock install. I have never accidentally hit it. It's hard wired so no drain on the battery. Not sure what you mean by the car's chimes, but everything still works as before with the exception of the HUD nav and radio. Hope this helps....

artfuentes

NP....sorry the car needs a bath!

LS WON

A stereo shop wanted $2,500+ to install a complete new stereo system with new speakers and screen in my 2005 so I can have a better sounding stereo than the bare bone stock AM/FM stereo single CD player I have which don't even have the words "BOSE" on door speakers and so that I can have a camera for back up cam. Cost too much so I didn't do that.

When it comes to wiring up stuff I am by no means a mechanic. So what I did was go to Costco and bought the wire less back up cam that was on sale for $79.00 and plug that into cigarette lighter and installed license plate holder that has a camera in it. It was a very easy install. Costco still has that back up cam now at the regular price of $99.00. I saw it there yesterday. Very inexpensive set up.

I am in same position as you are in that I do need something for the front because of those cement curbs. I have lost 2 remote "Show n Go" front license plates to curbs but I have a Speed Lingerie front end cover to protect my front end and condenser. So I have not found a product that would work in conjunction with the SLB front end cover.
Perhaps that "Curb Alert" is the closest thing I have heard of that would work for you but I don't know if it can be installed in my case because I have the SLB on front end nose of Corvette.

Any ideas out there?

mcandrew67

I installed a new Stereo with 2 cameras. Cost was very reasonable and now I also have bluetooth for streaming music and phone use.
Pioneer AVH-601EX $269 Amazon
Install kit with everything needed. PAC RP5-GM11 keeps chime, has antenna plug in, vehicle specific wiring harness etc. Makes install easier $89 (crutchfield)
2 cameras $30 for both (walmart)
labor $0 (me)
So for $388 I got it all.
Here is a link to where I posted when I did it
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...installed.html

TripleB5832

For what its worth, I wanted better sound and front and rear cameras. Not that I had to have the cameras, but I grew tired of asking my bride to get out and make sure I didn't hit a curb when parking. Plus, it makes it super easy to line it up when parking it on my 4 post lift (which is all the time, for the most part). I wanted it to look as close to stock as possible, so put a new head unit/screen in the car. I have the Bose set up, but with CD, not OEM GPS. I wanted apple car play, streaming, etc. So a new head unit was pretty much a given. I put in a Kenwood that had both, front and rear camera inputs. I also installed a steering wheel controls adapter too, so I could retain all my steering wheel controls. This adapter, also took care of the wiring for the cameras....they are always hot, so I can pull them up while in motion whenever I wish and toggle between the two by touching the screen - and they automatically come on when in reverse and forward respectively. I did all the installation myself....I'm very picky so had to make sure they were installed just right. The cameras are Natika.....about $50 bucks each on Amazon. I got the Kenwood and steering wheel adaptor kit from Crutchfield and paid them $25 bucks to make the adapter connections too...well worth it in my opinion.

Oh....after this, still wanted better sound, but did not want to replace the factory amp, so installed new 3.5" speakers in the doors, and new 5.25" speakers in the rear, and ended up adding in Second Skin sound deadening material plus VetteNuts premium insulation. That part was a TON of work, but 100% worth it.

Good luck with whatever you decide!



Front camera, mounted dead center.

Rear camera, mounted sightly off center passenger side (could not mount dead center).

Kenwood head unit. No switches mounted anywhere, can toggle between the two cameras by touching the middle top portion of the screen when either camera image is active.

tomzarbo

Well, surprise surprise, my wife just informed me that she thinks it would probably be best if I just went ahead with a head unit replacement with GPS, and front/rear cameras instead of what I had been planning. I have a GREAT wife!

Now I just need to find the right head unit and someone to install it.

Anyone in southern NJ have a stereo installed by someone you trust? I've used Best Buy once and so far so good... a local stereo shop who was supposed to be good just totally goofed my 2013 Accord's speaker and amp install all up. Don't trust them at all anymore.

I still can't believe it. I was going to go with a screen mounted in the sun visor and use my cell phone in a cradle for the GPS... then I purchased a small MP3 player to run up to the 3.5mm input on the front of the stereo. I guess she didn't think that would work too well, or look too good.

Thanks again guys for all the good ideas. Looks like I get to take the easy way out.

TomZ