Is it possible to move an aftermarket radio to where the cig lighter/ash tray is loca
05-11-2004, 11:47 AM
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Is it possible to move an aftermarket radio to where the cig lighter/ash tray is loca
title says it all.
I want to mount my 7" lcd in the double din opening but I need the head unit still. I was thinking about moving it down to the cig lighter/ash tray area. Anyone looked into this or know anyone who has done it?
I have my screen mounted in front of that area now but it screams "steal me". Ill have to get pics up soon.
I want to mount my 7" lcd in the double din opening but I need the head unit still. I was thinking about moving it down to the cig lighter/ash tray area. Anyone looked into this or know anyone who has done it?
I have my screen mounted in front of that area now but it screams "steal me". Ill have to get pics up soon.
05-11-2004, 11:59 AM
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i think youd hate the way the shifter blocked the HU. plus itd be set back pretty far... and youd have to do some careful cutting to make sure it all fit...
sounds like a big job! let me know how that goes.
sounds like a big job! let me know how that goes.
05-11-2004, 12:11 PM
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I'm actually thinking about doing the same thing. I don't think it will be that hard to do if you have a little experience with fiberglass. The face on my Alpine unit can actually swivel up almost 45 degrees which would be perfect if it is installed that low. Yes the shifter will block the unit some while in park, but that's when the remote will come in handy. Some pics would be nice, and I would be really interested to see the end product if you decide to do it. I have to wait to finish my door panels before I can start on this project, but it's next on the list. Good luck to you.
05-11-2004, 12:37 PM
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sabre,
fiberglass, lots of epoxy, rigid filler, and metal brackets.
obviously, some things will have to be cut out but its entirely doable. man, if you had a 98, i have a spare that i could experiment with and possibly build one, but you have a 01. way to go, man! 
good thing you have no plans to relocate the AC stuff. now that would be pretty tough.
again, i think its entirely doable but you gotta have some experience w/ the fiberglass. i personally bought an extra radio fascia panel many months ago. i was going to figure out a way to mount my gps into it but i sold it, so the radio panel is just sitting in my garage. i still plan to customize it somehow but i havent decided yet.
any plans locating a 01 radio panel? maybe i could help you then if you can find one.
bob
fiberglass, lots of epoxy, rigid filler, and metal brackets.
obviously, some things will have to be cut out but its entirely doable. man, if you had a 98, i have a spare that i could experiment with and possibly build one, but you have a 01. way to go, man! good thing you have no plans to relocate the AC stuff. now that would be pretty tough.
again, i think its entirely doable but you gotta have some experience w/ the fiberglass. i personally bought an extra radio fascia panel many months ago. i was going to figure out a way to mount my gps into it but i sold it, so the radio panel is just sitting in my garage. i still plan to customize it somehow but i havent decided yet.
any plans locating a 01 radio panel? maybe i could help you then if you can find one.
bob
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05-11-2004, 01:02 PM
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I'm a poor med student .. I can't afford fiberglas, epoxy, etc. All I used was wood, vinyl, glue, and a lighter. No joke thats pretty much all I needed to build my dash. Is it fancy .. a little. Is it cool ... I thinks so. The best part is, its really not as modified as it looks, I can easy switch the things back around. All except the ash tray and the cig lighter (still have its relocated on the passenger side wall)
05-12-2004, 04:15 AM
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I will definetely have to get another panel from a junkyard or something. I cant cut up the only one I have and hope it comes out ok.
SD-that looks great. I would only need to put the head unit where yours is. My controls can stay where they are.
Bob- I have no experience fiberglassing but I guess I need to learn sometime. I will need to fibergalss the radio bezel also to make the screen look professionally installed and give access to the lcd's buttons.
My head unit comes out and turns upwards when I turn it on so it should be fine set back an inch or so, plus it has a remote if necessary. I may scrap the whole head unit if I can find a work around to adding fm AND AM to my pc. I listen to talk radio a lot and need the AM functionality.
Ill get some pics up of how it looks now later this week.
SD-that looks great. I would only need to put the head unit where yours is. My controls can stay where they are.
Bob- I have no experience fiberglassing but I guess I need to learn sometime. I will need to fibergalss the radio bezel also to make the screen look professionally installed and give access to the lcd's buttons.
My head unit comes out and turns upwards when I turn it on so it should be fine set back an inch or so, plus it has a remote if necessary. I may scrap the whole head unit if I can find a work around to adding fm AND AM to my pc. I listen to talk radio a lot and need the AM functionality.
Ill get some pics up of how it looks now later this week.
05-12-2004, 04:25 AM
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The only thing I can suggest is to test the angle of the screen. Make sure your able to view it from the drivers seat comfortably without having to tilt your head.
Also test it in direct sunlight, it might have to be angled slightly for it to be viewable.
I had to sort of recess the screen inside the wood panel, so that it provided some shade so the screen could be seen with the sunroof open.
Like the center console on the RX300, there is a hood over the top of the sceen. We can't do that with our application, but you have to do something.
Also test it in direct sunlight, it might have to be angled slightly for it to be viewable.
I had to sort of recess the screen inside the wood panel, so that it provided some shade so the screen could be seen with the sunroof open.
Like the center console on the RX300, there is a hood over the top of the sceen. We can't do that with our application, but you have to do something.
05-12-2004, 04:58 AM
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wow. that looks great sdastg... you should do a writeup on how you did that! if its easy enough to put back, you should take pics of it semi-apart. nice work.
i too love that my HU tilts... i keep it at a tilt right now in its upper din location so it looks up at me. not full tilt, just the first tilt setting.
thanks for the pic, sdastg...
i too love that my HU tilts... i keep it at a tilt right now in its upper din location so it looks up at me. not full tilt, just the first tilt setting.
thanks for the pic, sdastg...
05-12-2004, 05:02 AM
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Originally Posted by lee
wow. that looks great sdastg... you should do a writeup on how you did that! if its easy enough to put back, you should take pics of it semi-apart. nice work.
i too love that my HU tilts... i keep it at a tilt right now in its upper din location so it looks up at me. not full tilt, just the first tilt setting.
thanks for the pic, sdastg...
i too love that my HU tilts... i keep it at a tilt right now in its upper din location so it looks up at me. not full tilt, just the first tilt setting.
thanks for the pic, sdastg...
I agree with some sort of pictorial/writeup. A lot of good work there that needs to be recognized in the annals of the tech section.
05-12-2004, 05:54 AM
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At some point this winter .. I'm going to redo my interior .. paint the paneling black and rebuild the dash.. I want two screens in there. One for the Nav and one for a DVD .. either that or a screen in the visors. So when I take it apart then, then I'll take some pics
thanks for the compliments
thanks for the compliments
05-12-2004, 07:09 AM
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stout: i have not built or modified my extra yet. i have some ideas on what i would want to build, but i need something or some idea of what i want to build in the first place! as i mentioned, the first idea was to intergrate my gps into it but after selling it, that plan went out the window.
what do you plan to do to yours? add an lcd screen? move the radio downwards like sabre wants to do too?
guy, check out this page: http://www.hzemall.com/
click on some of the examples that he's done. it'll give you an idea of how its done. its not rocket science, but you do need the right materials and experience. i've done 3 small fiberglass w/ some minor bondo'g projects now and its actually kinda fun. the key that i've learned w/ fab'g stuff up is to try to keep as much of the original part in tact and only sparingly use fiberglass and/or bondo. i've yet to use expoxy and rigid filler but i will if i do some project like this. rigid filler seems to be the material that would be very helpful for something like what sabre wants to do.
bob
what do you plan to do to yours? add an lcd screen? move the radio downwards like sabre wants to do too?
guy, check out this page: http://www.hzemall.com/
click on some of the examples that he's done. it'll give you an idea of how its done. its not rocket science, but you do need the right materials and experience. i've done 3 small fiberglass w/ some minor bondo'g projects now and its actually kinda fun.
the key that i've learned w/ fab'g stuff up is to try to keep as much of the original part in tact and only sparingly use fiberglass and/or bondo. i've yet to use expoxy and rigid filler but i will if i do some project like this. rigid filler seems to be the material that would be very helpful for something like what sabre wants to do.bob
05-12-2004, 11:12 AM
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i'm about to persue the same thing... but im going to move the head unit to either the glove compartment, or the center console armrest. and remotely mount the removeable faceplate. (up by the rear view)
05-12-2004, 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by saletel
i'm about to persue the same thing... but im going to move the head unit to either the glove compartment, or the center console armrest. and remotely mount the removeable faceplate. (up by the rear view)
I would love to see it when you remount the faceplate elsewhere. That would be cool.
05-12-2004, 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Bob_98SR5
stout: i have not built or modified my extra yet. i have some ideas on what i would want to build, but i need something or some idea of what i want to build in the first place! as i mentioned, the first idea was to intergrate my gps into it but after selling it, that plan went out the window.
what do you plan to do to yours? add an lcd screen? move the radio downwards like sabre wants to do too?
what do you plan to do to yours? add an lcd screen? move the radio downwards like sabre wants to do too?
05-12-2004, 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by stoutshady
Yes I want to put an lcd screen where the HU is at now and move the HU down by the ashtray.
05-12-2004, 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by saletel
i'm about to persue the same thing... but im going to move the head unit to either the glove compartment, or the center console armrest. and remotely mount the removeable faceplate. (up by the rear view)
