Cheaper isn't always better!

1) Our products are American-made and American-supported! All of the components, parts, and materials for our products (to the greatest degree possible) originate right here in America. That means when you buy anything from us, your money is staying right here in the USA, not funneling to China or other foreign countries. Your purchase is helping put food on American tables, supporting American small businesses and suppliers, and benefitting the US economy, not that of some foreign country!

2) LIMITED PRODUCTION - The Holden-based cars we got here in the US only came to us in limited numbers. So unlike mass-produced consumer products you get from big stereo manufacturers or other products, everything we make is in very small quantities. We don't import these kits from China by the boatload and sell in volume. The G8 is rapidly diminishing in numbers these days, so our marketplace gets smaller every time someone totals one out. This is a very limited production product, small quantities, and this affects the price. This is a costly product for us to make, and we can't just give them away.

3) Because we source our components in the US, we don't have to wait weeks or months for new supplies to arrive on a boat from overseas. This gives us much faster access to our suppliers, so we can ensure better quality, and have better control over replacement parts, critical components, and we can give you a far better customer experience.

4) American-supported also means when you have a question or problem, you can always reach G8 Designs or Folcik Enterprises for quick answers and expert technical assistance! Our customers will tell you - when you contact G8 Designs, day or night, or even on weekends, you get an almost instantaneous response. You certainly won't get that kind of response from any big corporation, and you surely won't get that from any foreign support channels! That language barrier can be a huge problem!

Making our components and products here in America does come at a slightly higher cost, but we feel that all the reasons above make that worth the price. Our customers are OUR PEOPLE. And we take great care of OUR PEOPLE!

YOU are the lifeblood of our business.

Our kit comes with our custom laser-cut mounting bracket, molded plastic fascia, the touchscreen AC controller with mounting system, custom wiring harness (plugs directly into your stock speaker system), AM/FM antenna adapter, adapters, connectors, and other hardware you will need.

No, we do not sell stereos, and there is no way we could include one for our selling price. First, double-din stereos generally start at around $200 and go on up to over $1000 depending on brand and model you go with. Plus, there are tons of different models on the market to choose from. So, you'll want to select one that works for your needs and budget. Most of our customers end up spending anywhere from $300-600 on a good head unit.

YES our kit includes our touchscreen AC controller, which is the heart of this installation, and the costliest part to manufacture. You couldn't swap out the head unit without it!

Our Dash Kit will work with all standard double-DIN size head units on the market. Double-DIN is a standardized design size for car stereos used around the world, and measures roughly 7" wide and 4" tall.

Because so many major manufacturers build double-DIN head units, there are lots out there you can choose from in every price range. Obviously, the more you spend, the nicer design and features you'll get. However, you don't have to spend a fortune to get a great head unit.

Generally, good head units start around $200 for a bottom-line model and go on up to over $1000, depending on which brand and model you select. Most of our customers end up spending between $300 and $600 on a head unit.

We recommend sticking with good name brands such as Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, Sony, Alpine, or others. Stay away from no-name, Chinese cheapy stereos or Android-based units. They're more trouble than they're worth, and with those cheap ones, your steering wheel controls will NOT work, even with the Axxess steering wheel controller. You get what you pay for!

BEST PRICES AND DEALS

Your best prices will be obtained by shopping around, usually from online, Ebay, Amazon, or other sellers. Local car audio shops can also be great places to buy head units and get deals, but they usually have to charge more because of overhead costs, so you can expect that.

Best Buy is a large retailer that often has great deals on open-box stereos, and they usually have a car stereo section where you can play around with demo units to see which ones you like. Same goes for many local car audio shops.

It pays to shop around!

The G8 Designs Dash Kit works with all double-DIN size aftermarket car stereos. Double-DIN is an industry standard chassis size, so that means about 98% of the car stereos on the market will fit our kit perfectly! So you have many options available.

We always recommend sticking with name-brand models from makers like Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony, JVC, Alpine, and others. Definitely stay away from no-name Chinese or cheapie Android-based stereos, as they are more trouble than they're worth, and your steering wheel controls won't work with them.

Stereo head units generally start at around $200 and go on up depending on brand, features, and model. Most of our customers spend anywhere between $300 and $800 on a head unit depending on their budget. The higher end models will have more technology and better features.

Best pricing can be found through online sellers such as Ebay, Amazon, and other car audio online sources. You can also often find great deals on open-box or demo models found at local car audio shops and even Best Buy stores. It pays to shop around!

These days, smart driver-oriented technologies are found in most new cars, such as Android Auto (for Android phone users) and Apple CarPlay (for iPhone users). Most medium and higher end double-din stereos provide these same features that connect to your phone and provide advanced voice-directed navigation, phone calling, text messaging, and music streaming, all accessible with just YOUR VOICE. Many new head units have Alexa, Siri, and/or Google built in, so you can navigate, handle calls, handle texts, and stream your favorite tunes just by speaking and never taking your eyes off the road.

Most head units require connecting your phone to the stereo with a USB cable to access these smartphone technologies, but some better models provide that connection wirelessly. This is very convenient, because your phone activates them whenever you start the car without using a cable.

This touchscreen AC controller was initially designed and sold by Folcik Enterprises way back in 2010, 3 years before G8 Designs came about. Naturally we designed our dash kit around it, because it's the only standalone product in the world that works for these cars.

Creating a controller with physical knobs and buttons that are backlit to match the factory setup would involve expensive injection molding and would be cost-prohibitive for small entities like Folcik or G8 Designs, especially for such a limited production vehicle.

The LCD touchscreen makes the product far more affordable and within reach of our small scale production. It also allows flexibility for updates and upgrades down the road.

This controller's programming has been continuously refined over the past decade to work around all the bugs and glitches in the Holden factory HVAC software so that it works reliably, not only with US cars but all the variants around the world!

All other competitive products are mass produced cheaply in China where they don't have any US-spec cars to use for compatibility testing. Those products are engineered specifically for foreign versions of these cars. This is why every other product will never be fully US compatible. The HVAC in our cars has different programming and design from all other variants around the world.

YOU DON'T USE AC CONTROLS AS MUCH AS YOU THINK

Some folks get hung up on having knobs and buttons for AC, but what they fail to realize is that you really don't interact with the AC controls very much while driving. You might interact with your AC controls between 1 to 3% of your driving time, but you're not sitting there fiddling with it as much as you think.

In fact, most folks leave the unit on automatic climate control which handles adjustments for you - bump the temp to a comfortable number and let the controller handle the rest. Maybe hit defrost or recirc occasionally, but you really don't need to interact with it much.

We spend most of our driving time interacting with the stereo head unit which provides all the modern technology, smartphone integration, navigation, Bluetooth for calling and texting, and all the other advanced features drivers need these days. And many of those functions you access through the large TOUCHSCREEN on the head unit!

And, every smartphone out there these days is one large touchscreen! So, using touchscreen controls is a concept that's here to stay. We might as well embrace it!

Our business partner Folcik Enterprises LLC is the designer and manufacturer of our AC controllers. Mike Folcik (pronounced "fol-sik") was the original developer of these AC controllers way back around 2010. Mike runs his electronics design business in Utah, and has partnered with us since G8 Designs was formed back in 2013.

When we set out to develop our dash kit, the Folcik AC controller was the only standalone AC controller product to be found anywhere in the world, so it was a natural fit. In designing this product, and continuously refining it over the years, Mike has become one of the foremost experts on the HVAC systems in these cars.

Mike has also provided his controller designs for Alpine of Australia for years now in their Holden VE line of dash kit products. Mike has been to Australia several times to work with Alpine design engineers developing these products. However, G8 Designs is not affiliated with Alpine - our product is our own proprietary design just as theirs is.

In his business, Mike works on numerous electronics projects that have nothing to do with thee cars, so he's a busy guy! However, he provides excellent technical and repair support on our controllers.

You can visit their website here: www.folcik.enterprises

G8 Designs is an AMERICAN business located in the Florida panhandle. Yet, we serve customers in the US, Canada, Australia, south Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the UK, and beyond! Our dash kits can be found in cars on nearly every major continent in the world!

Our partner company that makes our AC controllers, Folcik Enterprises is located in Utah. We've partnered with Folcik now for almost a decade to bring this product to tens of thousands of Holden and Pontiac owners!

G8 Designs maintains our Facebook page which is a major resource for all the latest information on our products. On our page there is a "Reviews" link you can click to see what our customers have to say about us.

There, you'll find nothing but 5-star reviews and glowing praise! Why? We give our customers excellent products, fast service, and a great experience! We've worked tirelessly for almost a decade to support the G8 and Holden community of car owners around the world who suffer from the poor quality of the outdated and troublesome stock stereo in these cars.

We provide UNSURPASSED customer support, expert technical assistance, installation advice and help, product recommendations, and repair assistance. And, because we are US-based, there are no language barriers, time zone delays, or poor customer service like you'll have with lesser foreign-sourced products. You won't find many small businesses or even large corporations who can beat our customer service!

We respond to inquiries almost immediately (or pretty quickly) most any time of day or night via the LIVE CHAT feature of our Facebook page - simply click "Send Message" on the page to reach us! We'll help you with all questions and placing orders.

YES! There is a particular steering wheel control module we recommend for use with these cars and an aftermarket head unit - The Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Module.

These inexpensive modules are commonly found in car audio shops and thru online sellers for under $50. They work perfectly with these cars. Our full color installation instructions have a special section that shows the easy install of these modules with only 3 wires to connect.

With it, your new modern head unit will work the same as your old stock stereo did with the steering wheel controls.

Just do a Google, Ebay, or Amazon search for "Axxess ASWC-1" and you'll find plenty available.

95% of our customers are guys who are pretty handy with car wiring and installing stereos, so most folks do their own install work. Our full color installation instructions are the key here, because they show you everything step by step with photos and graphics.

The other 5% may not feel comfortable doing the install work themselves, so they usually hire a local car audio shop or installer to do the work for them, usually for a nominal fee. When in doubt, we recommend consulting with a pro installer and get some help, especially if you are confused or have problems.

G8 Designs works very hard to be available each day of the week, so you can LIVE CHAT with us through our Facebook page and get expert technical advice, installation assistance, and questions answered quickly. Simply click "Send Message" on our Facebook page and ask any questions you like.

Most car audio shops do a head unit swap with our kit and instructions in 3 hours or less. If you are having speakers, backup camera, amps, subs, and other peripherals installed, this will obviously extend the length of time to do the installation.

NO. Our installation kit and your new stereo are all you need to mount and install it. Nothing else is needed for mounting or trim work.

NO. First, our kit comes with our custom wiring harness that plugs directly into the stock speaker system, so your stock speakers will continue to play and work (excluding the center channel speaker).

Second, your new aftermarket double-DIN head unit will also come with its own wiring harness. There will be certain wires in their harness that will be connected to certain wires in our harness.

Our full-color installation instructions take you step by step through the installation and wiring with photos and graphics and illustrate every connection to be made.

YES! Our kit's proprietary wiring harness will plug directly into your stock speaker system and play through all your original G8 speakers (with the exception of the center channel speaker in the middle of the dash). Aftermarket systems do not make use of a center channel speaker, but you won't miss it.

And, with a modern aftermarket head unit, you'll have RCA outputs that let you add amps, subwoofers, and take your system as far as you like. Many head units have very nice internal crossovers you can adjust visually on the touchscreen for the best output from all your car's speakers.

Today's stereo head units will provide dramatically better sound quality than your clunky old stock stereo! In fact, we recommend a modern head unit as the central basis for any serious car audio system.

The old stock "Blau-junk" stereo is mediocre at best, and not designed for great sound quality, much less easy connectivity - in fact, the stock stereo is nearly 20 years behind current technology! It was literally on the "drawing boards" way back before 2006 when it was first introduced in Australia. Primitive and outdated!

YES! Our AC controller is designed to work with both the less common BASE model single zone G8 stereo as well as the more common Dual Zone Climate Control version - it's simply a menu selection to select the correct control screen for your setup.

When you remove the single zone unit, your top display and DIC won't show radio stations or other data like the stock unit does, because that data connection isn't there anymore. But, you won't miss it, because your new modern head unit will have all that information displayed on it's gorgeous large LCD screen!

And, your new head unit will have all the modern features, amazing sound quality, and technology that the old stock stereo will NEVER have!

It's a great reason to ditch that old factory setup and modernize your G8 with new technology!

Very simple! At the top of the AC controller screen you'll find a Hazards button! And, it operates exactly like the stock setup in every way (except it doesn't jam and break like the old stock button!).

You can activate the hazards, turn the key off, and leave the car, and hazards will continue to flash until you return, just like normal. Turn the key on and de-activate hazards to turn them back off.

PHYSICAL HAZARDS SWITCH

There is also a provision to add a physical hazards switch too. The AC controller provides a single white wire that can be connected to any physical switch or button you want to add, and when it passes through the switch to chassis ground, the hazards will activate. It works just like the on-screen button does.

In the US, most folks don't use a physical switch though - this is mostly used overseas where their local regulations require having a physical switch for hazards, but the provision for it is there just the same.

Everything we sell is covered by a full ONE YEAR WARRANTY. G8 Designs and Folcik Enterprises LLC warrants our products for defects or failures of components, workmanship, and anything that is within our direct control for a period of ONE YEAR from date of purchase.

Breakage, abuse, mis-wiring, mis-use, negligence, vehicle accidents, vehicle fires or short circuiting damage, or accidental damage of any kind are not covered by our warranty - the customer is responsible for those damages.

In the event of damage after purchase, G8 Designs and Folcik Enterprises LLC will evaluate each case individually and determine the extent of our warranty requirements and provide accordingly. Non-warranted damages can be repaired at customer expense, typically for a reasonable or nominal fee - consult with G8 Designs for guidance in such a case.

G8 Designs and Folcik Enterprises LLC will work in good faith with customers who need warranty service or repairs on a case-by-case basis to restore that which is repairable in a timely and effective manner, and as affordably as possible.

YES we do occasionally have sales to Aussies, Canadians, and other countries. In fact, our dash kits can be found on nearly every major continent in the world!

What limits our sales to foreign customers is usually the currency exchange rate, which varies every day. It's typically quite expensive for Canadians, Aussies, and others to purchase our US-based products because their currency is usually weaker than the US Dollar, and there is additional cost to ship items to outside the US which we have to charge for.

Most of the time, we have to charge up to an additional $35 US for international shipping, which simply offsets the extra postal carrier costs involved.

As for exchange rate, you'll want to look up the current exchange rate in your country in relation to the US Dollar to see what your actual cost will be. Contact us directly for questions.