Pre-made?? Double Din cut out console.

Todd McKelvie

Todd McKelvie

Experienced Member
Joined
24 January 2002
Messages
391
Location
Temecula, CA USA
I stopped by a local auto sound shop today and one of the installers said that he heard of someone in Orange County selling pre-made (cut and painted) center consoles for single and double din head units.

Does anyone know anything about this...or was he on crack?
 
From what I know, there are no company's out there than makes a precut center console for the nsx, due to different fitment requirements depending on model and make, it would be too hard to do and not profitable as a business decision. The nsx market is way to small for such mass market needs. There are company's that makes just the center console plate blanks where you will need to cut out your own fitment and start customizing your down setup. You will lose the ash tray and coin try on those blanks. The environment sensor slots are also not cut on on the blanks, you if you will need to be pretty good with a dremel tool for that too.

good luck..
 
Only Honda can make such an intricate part. After years of installing Metra, Scosche, American International kits you realize that almost all of these kits are crap compared to OEM. I just did a double DIN install on a Mazda 3 with a kit Metra just came out with. What a bunch of cheap plastic that had warps and barely fit. Metra is considered the leader and the best when it comes to aftermarket stereo kits.

As octechgeek alluded to, each stereo will have it's own requirements. You notice how the Pioneer D3 installs have had that notch cut out to let that fold out bar out? That's unique to that stereo. Within the same line, like Kenwood, some of the stereos share the same movements and chassis'. A DDX6019, 7019, 8019, DNX7100 should all fit the same kit. But most likely it would not work with another manufacturer.

The other problem we have is that the NSX stereo is not a true double DIN. Double DIN just barely fits and so we have to do a lot of customizing to make it work.
 
Malibu Rapper said:
Only Honda can make such an intricate part. After years of installing Metra, Scosche, American International kits you realize that almost all of these kits are crap compared to OEM. I just did a double DIN install on a Mazda 3 with a kit Metra just came out with. What a bunch of cheap plastic that had warps and barely fit. Metra is considered the leader and the best when it comes to aftermarket stereo kits.

As octechgeek alluded to, each stereo will have it's own requirements. You notice how the Pioneer D3 installs have had that notch cut out to let that fold out bar out? That's unique to that stereo. Within the same line, like Kenwood, some of the stereos share the same movements and chassis'. A DDX6019, 7019, 8019, DNX7100 should all fit the same kit. But most likely it would not work with another manufacturer.

The other problem we have is that the NSX stereo is not a true double DIN. Double DIN just barely fits and so we have to do a lot of customizing to make it work.
Click to expand...

Yep, I just finished an install on an oldsmobile alero. It required a metra dashkit. Talk about GARBAGE! Quality sucks, instruction sucks. I basically tried to follow the instructions because it has like 20 tabs for multi car use, but you only use 4 or 6. I just ended up hacking off nearly everything and just using the tabs I felt were required. Worked out alot better. Metra dash kits suck.
 
Malibu Rapper said:
I think that's the old link for the console that became the SOS console. No longer available...
Click to expand...

I actually met him "Craig Harde" 4 years ago and he seems nice enough. He offered to do my center console for $250, plus I had to leave my car there for 4 weeks for him to make the mold.:eek: Naturally I said no thank you. Nobody in their right mind would leave their NSX there for even a day to someone he hardly knows, let alone 4 weeks! :rolleyes: He had a small shop in the San Lorenzo, CA area.
 
Malibu Rapper said:
I think that's the old link for the console that became the SOS console. No longer available...
Click to expand...

Actually, No.

I've emailed this guy just recently to inquire about his piece. He told me he makes both the ash tray and NON versions. I'm ordering one to replace the original that the stereo guys hacked all to crap.
 
Mr.Wolf-Spokane said:
Actually, No.

I've emailed this guy just recently to inquire about his piece. He told me he makes both the ash tray and NON versions. I'm ordering one to replace the original that the stereo guys hacked all to crap.
Click to expand...


Who did you email? Who is "this guy"?
 
That JVC unit looks pretty cool... but for around $1000 bucks wouldnt you feel like going with one of the "full screen" nav units? I imagine nav and video on that small ass screen might become frustrating? But if anyone has experience with that unit that would help....
 
You can get it for around $700.

I want to set it back at an angle so there will be little glare.
 
So as some may have read, I went with the AVIC-N3 from Pioneer for two reasons. First the reverse angle on ALL of the double DIN units I looked at did not offer enough control to move the screen back and forth at will to a degree that I could eliminate glare. Secondly, I didn't want a double DIN taking up all that real-estate. Just didn't like the look of it.

So I attended SNOW'S AUTO on Division in Spokane WA for the purchase and install. I won't say who did the install, but I wasn't impressed. (PICS WILL FOLLOW)


The install consisted of hacking away all the material that made up the original head openiing and the cassette opening, having a light sheet metal plate cut to fit the angles on both side going up towards the vents and then chopping a hole in that plate to accept the AVIC. Finished off with a quick coat of Krylon (NOT MATCHING) and some goofy hex screws in each corner of the plate.

Man..... I was speachless. A brand new out of the dealership car with less than 100 miles on it and I'm looking at...........

Well, I've driven 6000 mile with this thing staring back at me and enough is enough. I took the bull by the horns and ordered the center console I linked to above (PICS WILL FOLLOW) and my review of the quality/fit/material etc when it arrives this week.

But I re-attended SNOW'S this week and more or less demanded it be done right. I'm not an installer. I'm an Network Engineer ! :rolleyes: what the heck do I know about hacking dash boards?

The guy who did the initial install for $350.00 over the price of the hardware now tells me he's going to approach this from a whole new level. He's going to take the center console he hacked up. And using (Bondo???I guess) patch this now hacked up piece, to make it "flawless" in his words.

And the kicker is....... They want more dosh to do it.

So do I take my new center piece coming, head to the guys down the road (all of these installer guys know each other and speak apperently all the time) and pay THEM to do it. Or do I give Buddy Hackit another kick at the can and find God again until I see the end results?

If Buddy does do it right, I probably save 200.00 and get to sell the new piece coming.

If the new guys do it, I eat the 350 already put in it, pay them to do it, and end up keeping the blank(without ash tray) model on the way.

I don't know why everytime I have a car, pay someone to do something to it, it always turns to crap. Alarms, Radar system, Nav/Head unit.... It's all been a joke in both the S2000 and the NSX.

I can't catch a break here.

Anyone want to tell me I'm an idiot? :frown:


hack1.jpg



hack2.jpg
 
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That's pretty crappy of them. It can be fixed with body filler, paint and a bit of work.

The picture of the flipout unit completely blocking the climate controls is good justification to go for the NAV pod if you can't do double DIN.
 
Todd McKelvie said:
I stopped by a local auto sound shop today and one of the installers said that he heard of someone in Orange County selling pre-made (cut and painted) center consoles for single and double din head units.

Does anyone know anything about this...or was he on crack?
Click to expand...

Depending on what shop you went to, the installer was talking about me. I have many installers friends all over the oc. I was selling them on a calie only shippment. The deal was that you would send me your dash trim unit and I would preform the work to make it a double din or single din. The only problem was that only a couple of people made it work right and some people broke it trying to do it. They were all made the same. Most took it to a shop to have it installed correctly. The problem lies in that the stock radio mounts on the bottom and top and not on the side like a regular din unit and people did not know how to fab it up. Even with instructions it did not come out right. Its not for a noob to do. So I stopped doing it. I will do it for locals only now. I located in the oc if you would like the service preformed. Here are a couple of pics of a customer/friend car. There is no glare on the double din what so ever. The dash is painted to match the trim. And is a close match. Feel free to ask me any question. I am a audio/security expert so just shoot anything that you like.

ooo yes the ash try works like a champ



DSCN1653.jpg


DSCN1650.jpg


DSCN1651.jpg
 
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i duno, but if you find out let me know :smile:

personally, i'd like to install a D3... i know quite a few people here have done it....
 
The dash is painted to match the trim. And is a close match. Feel free to ask me any question. I am a audio/security expert so just shoot anything that you like.

Could you tell me what kind of paint you used?
 

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