V35 Audio Questions> I Need Your Help!

[Rocka-Rolla]

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading this post.

I apologize if the thread is misplaced or if this topic has been covered before, but I couldn't find the answers to my questions.

I am desperately looking for some help to solve some audio issues I've been having.
Long story short, I live in Japan and I drive a V35 ('01). I love the car but the audio panel is dying. I first went to a Nissan dealership where the guy told me it would cost 550$+ to fix it without any guarantee (if it breaks again 2 days later, it's on me). I asked the audio guy at my usual auto repair shop, and he told me the best way would be to convert it to a single or double din after market system.
But, he said it would cost me 2000$+ to do the job right, which is way too expensive IMO (I know for a fact that it's a cultural thing for Japanese to talk big numbers hoping to scare customers away when they come with requests they are not comfortable with).
So I'm left with no other choice but to do it myself, and I hope someone here will take the time to answer my questions.

Here are my specs, and a picture of my dash:
_2001 V35 sedan
_Base (not Bose) system with navigation
_No remote control on the steering wheel

1)_ Would a used Stagea(M35)/Skyline(V35) panels fit in my car? (cf. picture below)
They sell many of these on Yahoo auctions and they all look the same to me. Would the a/c panel be compatible?

V


2)_ What's the difference between the "beat-sonic" type expensive harness and the cheap and simple "Crutchfield" audio harness?
Can I use the cheap one or do I need to spend 200$ on a special harness?

OR

I am sorry for the stupid questions, I don't have much knowledge when it comes to car audio. I did however take the dash apart once (out of curiosity), so I believe I can do this mod.

Spending 2 hours a day on the road without a working audio system is getting really annoying, I need to find a solution asap.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[scotty nm35]

Yes the dash you have is a common failure.

Yes you can change to the dual din and go aftermarket, which is probably the better option. M35 Stagea, V35 and the US G35 are all interchangeable.

My suggestion is to look in the V35 specific section above and search for the faults and remedies, as there have been many threads on the subject already.

[Chris Rogers]

M35 panel , yes use that. Beatsonic item , use that use the radio of your choice and you are done. The beatsonic part is the CORRECT part fore job. The metra lead will give noise and volume issues AND you will lose the nav audio.

Questions , ask. This is what I work on daily. The panel problem is a design fault with the unit. They all do it .