Hey guys,

I have had a few people pm me about how to modify the stock radio surround so that you can install a double din unit or a lcd screen so i decided to post a mini how-to. Still feel free to pm or email with any questions but this may help you start your project.


enjoy...


here is a list of supplies:
-2-part metal epoxy (the kind that comes in the syringe tube from home depot)
-high tack masking tape (neon green 3m stuff from home depot)
-rage gold (prefered), the epoxy mentioned above with 'micro ballons' additive (found in r/c plane hobby shops) or bondo,
-spot filler/glaze
-paint thinner/mineral spirits
-dremel or some cutting tool
-sand paper of assorted grits

first cut the bar out but cut notches into the bezel, dont cut the bar off straight. to make this clearer; the bar should look like it has little spatualas on each end. This will introduce two notches in the sides of the bezel but those will be easily molded/patched.

here is what your surround should look like after that step:



actually if i were to do it again i'd make those notches a bit bigger so i didn't have to blend the corners of the bar as much.

the next step will be to figure out where you want the bar to go. mark it off and then cut notches into the side that are just a little bigger then the 'spatulas' on the divider bar. get some tape and tape the bar into place; from the front side, covering any gaps. next tape the front side over the notches that you had created where the bar used to be .from the back side apply liberal amounts of epoxy making sure that it doesn't run over to the front side. (This is not the place to skimp. if you don't make a solid bond here it will flex and crack the filler used in the next step.) The epoxy should be used to secure the bar into place as well as fill the holes and gaps. If you would feel more confortable you could glue a filler piece to bridge the wide gap from where the bar used to be (i would use some abs plastic or even 1/8" birch ply wood)

--this part only applys to lcd screen installs--
-- you may want to skip this if you are installing a h/u--
if you are installing a lcd monitor and no h/u like me you may want to recess the screen a bit to help with glare. to do this buy some 1/8" birch ply wood and create an extension:

glue up the sides with epoxy then glue the extensioni to the radio surround. not picture here is the frame that i i cut to cover up the lcd screen's case and buttons. if you don't mind voiding the warranty i would suggest taking the lcd screen out of the frame and actually molding the case into your extension. this will merit the cleanest look.
--end--



let the epoxy cure then remove the tape.

you'll notice it's looking pretty good at this stage but there are some ridges and valleys. First knock down any ridges with some coarse sand paper (~100 grit). now mix up your filler (rage gold, bondo, micro-ballons/epoxy mix) and apply it to the front. take some care when applying it so that there will be less sanding but don't be too **** about it. I found that for some of the curves my finger was the best applicator but i'm not sure how safe it is to do that so do this at your own risk.

let the filler cure then sand it smooth. now take the piece and rinse it off with paint thinner/mineral spirits. while it's wet you will be able to see if there are any imperfections in your piece...there will be... you may have to add some more filler and resand untill you get the desired result. Now you may have added filler 3 or 4 times and are pretty happy with the results but you notice little pin-holes or maybe a blemish here or there. take the spot glaze and put a skim coat over the piece

this stuff is meant to only fill small holes, it sands really easily. Now rinse with paint thinner and if you're happy you can now prime and paint (or have it sent out to leather magic to get retextured to match the stock texture like i did).

here is an inprogress picture of the final result (the area below the screen is still being modified)



one side not is the use of the epoxy, though this is solid it is not the ultimate bond. since the radio surround is abs plastic you have the option to 'weld' the plastic. you could do this by melting some abs filings in acetone and then using that past to 'weld' everything together. I have not done this myself but if you need some direction i can point you to others that have done this.

hope this helps

'scott

 

Scott,

Thanks, brother! Very cool of you to post this. Back when I had my Daytona, I took the center dash piece and covered it with tape like a mother... then used it to make a mold of the original piece in the dash. After that, it was fiberglass time... I made a "new" center piece using that mold, with the cutouts for my LCD screen and AC controls. Turned out pretty sweet... until I totaled the car. DOOPT!

So do you happen to have any info about how you moved the AC controls down to the lower position? I have been considering this, but I wasn't sure how to cut the lower piece to make it come out nice. I figure I just need to mount.. cut.... try again... cut... try again... cut... sand... try again... bingo. Any tips ahead of time to save me some time? Thanks in advance.

Mark

 

well, to tell you the truth we should wait for eatrice to chime in on this one. the radio surround that i modified was a used one i purchased from a forum member that already had the ashtray removed and cut.

 

what kind of filler did you use? some autobody fillers i have used will not stick to plastic and will eventually crack off in the heat of the summer and you will have small hairline cracks where they joined together

 

that looks GREAT!!!!

 

the reason why you'll see cracks is if the coats of filler are thick and if the plastic pieces flex. that's why i stressed using a lot of the metal epoxy so that there isn't any flex. My next dash attempt will be with the plastic welding technique so as to eliminate any chance of cracking.

The thing to keep in mind is that bondo should only be used on a solid surface as a leveler/skim coat. the epoxy should be used for structural support and filler.

 

Did you place a black pastic frame around your screen? Or is that the wood piece u bondo'd in?

 

yup that is a plastic frame. i originally had planned on making it a touch sensative backlit panel but i scrapped the idea.

 

Great write-up. I am in process of doing just about the same thing, except I will be molding in gauge pods for Fuel and Nitrous. Need to package everything together, gauges, HVAC unit, switch panel, and 2 din head unit. I will be eliminating the cup holder.

 

very cool, i just saw a picture of someone that had the same thing done. i made custome boost gauge holder for my rx-7 right above the steering column. try to make a couple rings, position them by glueing them to some woden dowels and then stretch fleece over it, throw some resin on there and you will be well on your way