definitely. This tells me:
a. the CD player MUST be mounted where the OEM cd player is mounted
b. the OEM LCD screen need not be used
c. steering wheel controls must be used
d. OEM faceplate buttons may be be used if desired.
So how would this go down? Like this:
1. the aftermarket faceplate needs to be exposed. Two locations that would work are the map pocket (ike the caska DVD thing) or in the headliner in front of the moonroof controls. There's a DIN sized space right there that would be perfect.
2. the CD player body needs to be in the OEM space. This requires the use of the OEM CD slot, but nothing else.
3. a metra kit is still required. This is not because of the dash kit, but because of the circuit board that gets used to enable the climate controls. Alternately, the OEM cd player can be remote mounted with a ribbon cable going into the dash. This negates the need for the metra kit PCA but requires a big wiring effort. The intention is ONLY to enable climate controls on the LCD.
4. steering wheel controls go through a PAC SWI
5. OEM faceplate controls *can* be enabled via reqiring the buttons to a resistor ladder then piggybacking on the SWI. optional only.
Note that none of these action items (minus SWI integration) is easy. But none are impossible, too. Is the metra kit sounding better by the minute? =p