Just tried a $9 Scosche-brand installation kit from sounddomain.com, doesn't quite fit. If you mount the headunit and supplied storage slot in the Nissan mounting bracket, the faceplate doesn't quite line up--you can't put the center vent on, and there's a nasty gap between it and the automatic climate control unit.

What brand/source for installation kit would you all recommend? This was $9, Crutchfield has one (not sure if it's the same brand) for $30... I assume there's a reason it costs so much?

Right now I got it rigged so the headunit is held by only 2 screws so it'll pivot and allow the faceplate to line up properly, without any storage tray installed. This is only temporary; I'm going to give sounddomain.com a piece of my mind tomorrow...

 

Well let me add more important details--this is a 2000 5th gen car, stock setup used the Bose system, and it has automatic climate control.

 

Bought Crutchfield's kit, FedEx standard overnight. We'll see how this goes.

 

I bought my kit from Autotoys.com. It just came today. The kit is made by Metra. The site claims to say they have one of the best kits to fit the Maxima. I'm going to tackle it tomorrow and see how it fits. I also have a 2000 SE with Bose. Well, I'll keep you posted to see how this kit fits!

 

Cool, I should be getting mine from Crutchfield today (although I won't be able to get it tomorrow; it's shipped to work and I'm not in the office today :-D)
In the meantime, here's a pic of the current headunit install; http://atlantis.phantasus.net/~spirilis/dsc00412.jpg

 

I just checked both autotoys and crutchfield's install kits out, they look identical from the pictures. So I assume I'm getting the Metra-brand kit, but from Crutchfield for about $6 more. Sweet

 

I could be wrong, but shouldn't the headunit be mounted in the top part with the pocket below? That is the only way I have seen it.

 

That's how I tried my first setup (the Scosche kit), but it was ****ed. I just put it like that for temporary measure. I'll be remounting it when I get the Metra kit (which, as a coworker mentioned, is already here; I just won't be in the office to get it today )

 

Well, scratch that--it's not made by Metra, it's made by American International.
It does look better than the Scosche kit fitment-wise, but I haven't got around to actually mounting it yet...
One thing I don't like is the total black color of the faceplate; while it should be OK, I liked the greyish color of the Scosche plate...
Alas, only a minor difference.

 

Well, I installed my stereo yesterday with the dash kit from autotoys. Of course, I had to cut the pocket out of it to fit my two full size din units in the dash. (I have a Kenwood receiver head unit and a full din-size CD add on unit.) They look great together. The only problem I had was loosening the screws on the Bose unit from the factory bracket. Man, were these screws tight!! Everytime I tried to loosen them, I tend to strip the head. I then just drilled all of them out!

 

I mounted the American International kit from Crutchfield.

It would fit like a glove, except the instructions call for mounting the headunit by its DIN sleeve alone--my Alpine doesn't like that too much, and I prefer to screw the headunit into the brackets somehow. So I did it Crutchfield's way (sliding the DIN sleeve into the installation kit, bending the locking tabs, sliding the headunit in there), but then I marked where the center screw holes in the headunit lie on the mounting brackets--and drilled new screw holes (the existing holes in the bracket don't line up with the headunit's center screw holes while the headunit's sitting in the DIN sleeve/installation kit).

Now my headunit's mounted solid by the center screws, and is sitting inside the DIN sleeve protruding through the install kit's slot.

Alas, the setup looks great now. I have several pics I took of the whole install and I'll post them soon

 

I have the Scosche kit and similar HU as you and i'm surprised yours came out different with the kit. Must be the Auto climate control...

 

Heh, that's really freakin' odd. I wonder if I could have made it fit anyway using the same method as the crutchfield kit (drilling new mounting holes; weird 'cause I have that same head unit)... Alas, I kinda like the crutchfield kit better--the plastic feels thicker/stronger. Though I really liked the Scosche's color. BTW, did you use the stock bracket's holes when mounting the Alpine??

Oh yeah, and about the Bose screws--I got all of 'em out except one, which I started rounding off the threads. MAN did that **** me off!
I ended up drilling the ****ing screw out... grrr. The rest required some serious effort to break loose

 

Wow! That kit looks totally different than mine. Mine's black in color and had a much narrower pocket to fit at least two CD's with jewel cases. I like yours much better because of the color match up, especially if your keeping it stock without an aftermarket dash kit. That's what my plan is, to get a dash kit and cover all my dash pieces. Nice set up!!