Greetings, fair F-body.com message board. I've just taken a look at some posts here and it's good to see some old hands still on deck, including super moderator guru KenC.
I first came here in late 1997. At the time I was living in suburban Detroit and fixing to special order a '98 Trans Am with the WS6 package. Due to looming strikes at GM, it was looking like a challenge. It also was my first brand new car and I needed advice. Long story short, I waited six months for that car to get built, but it finally arrived in June. This board kept me alive during the interim. I owe you guys my sanity.
I still have the car today and it still gets looks. (I'm particularly fond of the time a dude in a...um..."competing pony car" totally lost his girlfriend's attention when I drove up...)
With that said, I've decided to drop back in and see what's goin' on. This visit was predicated by a question I have about my factory Monsoon head unit. Here's the deal: In my '98 T/A I have the Monsoon cassette HU with the factory Delco 12-disc CD changer. I'm looking to add an outboard XM SkyFi2 satellite radio tuner this Christmas, and am curious about auxiliary inputs on the HU.
As I understand it, in 1998, if you wanted a HU that could control a CD changer, you had to get the cassette deck. The cassette deck has a 9-pin port on the back for said changer. Also, the 1998 HUs cannot control more than one auxiliary source through its input. I hear, however, that 2001 and 2002 Monsoon single CD HUs not only can control a changer as well, but can also toggle between two different inputs by pressing CD/PLAY twice.
My question: Could I get an '01 or '02 single-CD Monsoon HU from eBay or something and install it in my '98 T/A? Would it be plug-n-play? Or would I have trouble because the '01/'02 HUs may use a 12-pin connection for the CD changer whereas I currently only have a 9-pin?
As it stands, I'm planning to use the cassette adapter for my XM radio since I do have a functioning cassette deck, but that just seems...ghetto.
Would like to use a PIE adapter or some such thing, but I don't want to get rid of my CD changer!
If anyone's got any experience with the different model Monsoon HUs from '98 to '02, please chime in. I've found several '01 and '02 HUs on eBay for decent money but don't want to spend the bux if it's not gonna work. I'm also not looking to go to an aftermarket HU at this time either.
Thanks in advance. Oh -- and it's good to see you all again.
I first came here in late 1997. At the time I was living in suburban Detroit and fixing to special order a '98 Trans Am with the WS6 package. Due to looming strikes at GM, it was looking like a challenge. It also was my first brand new car and I needed advice. Long story short, I waited six months for that car to get built, but it finally arrived in June. This board kept me alive during the interim. I owe you guys my sanity.

With that said, I've decided to drop back in and see what's goin' on. This visit was predicated by a question I have about my factory Monsoon head unit. Here's the deal: In my '98 T/A I have the Monsoon cassette HU with the factory Delco 12-disc CD changer. I'm looking to add an outboard XM SkyFi2 satellite radio tuner this Christmas, and am curious about auxiliary inputs on the HU.
As I understand it, in 1998, if you wanted a HU that could control a CD changer, you had to get the cassette deck. The cassette deck has a 9-pin port on the back for said changer. Also, the 1998 HUs cannot control more than one auxiliary source through its input. I hear, however, that 2001 and 2002 Monsoon single CD HUs not only can control a changer as well, but can also toggle between two different inputs by pressing CD/PLAY twice.
My question: Could I get an '01 or '02 single-CD Monsoon HU from eBay or something and install it in my '98 T/A? Would it be plug-n-play? Or would I have trouble because the '01/'02 HUs may use a 12-pin connection for the CD changer whereas I currently only have a 9-pin?
As it stands, I'm planning to use the cassette adapter for my XM radio since I do have a functioning cassette deck, but that just seems...ghetto.

If anyone's got any experience with the different model Monsoon HUs from '98 to '02, please chime in. I've found several '01 and '02 HUs on eBay for decent money but don't want to spend the bux if it's not gonna work. I'm also not looking to go to an aftermarket HU at this time either.
Thanks in advance. Oh -- and it's good to see you all again.

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