Ok, guys...here goes nothing. I have alwyas been amped up about adding a DVD player to my car, and imagine my dismay after finding about we only have a double-din openeing in a 5th gen! So, I decided to make a single-peice out of fiberglass that will make a fluid center + shifter console that will hold my climate control, Alpine 9833, and LCD monitor. Now, the pics you will see here show my 2nd attempt at the mold...the first one had some issue with warping. The second one you will see is OK, but still not good enough. I will be showing the worklog of both succesful AND failed attmepts. Oh, btw...this is my first time glassing!

Here we see the CC + OEM HU wrapped in foil to be glassed.


Now, wrapped in fiberglass...


And for the fit test...not too bad, eh?

 

The next thing I did was cut out the center and wrapped in pique knit so that I could get rid of the umpteen divets created by the OEM controls. Don't mind the uneven cut at the top, I can smooth this out later.



Now, wrapped and fit-tested...


Next, I needed to do the shifter console. Here is how it looks after being glassed. All of those white marks you see are from the clothespins used to hold it in place.

 

The next thing I did was stretch some polar fleece over the hazard/lighter/ashtray console to smooth that whole mess out. This part is pretty darn near perfect, less some sanding.


And finally, here is how it looks together, VERY rough fit.

 

Eh, looks ok. I am going to go back and make ANOTHER frame this weekend using quarter-round moulding and wrap that...we'll see how that works. As always, I will have pics, and we'll see which one will be the model that is best to proceed with.

 

You guys might remember my last trunk project, it turned out pretty good, but not good enough. Here are some teaser pics to come, I ran out of tape...

 

Hmmm, still trying to figure out what your trying to do with that center console.

 

looks good dan. can't wait for updated pics!

 

wow your very creative, good work so far it should look hot when done

 

Shoulda told me, I woulda gave ya a hand with it. Ive been there, done that....LoL

Between doing this and the need of a table saw,router table,etc from your other post it looks like I coulda helped ya quite a bit.

 

looks awesome man..
cant wait to see the final product.

 

Actually, I outsourced the boxes I need made...my gf's brother is in HS so I hired one of his friends to build them! I found out the hard way that I do need all of those tools.

If I can't get this project to work then you can bet I will be visting the shop.

 

subscribed

 

Nice, me and my friend just did a 7" micovision in his dash, we fiberglassed the peice around the shifter and put the headunit were the ash tray was.


Nice box to!

 

interesting

 

Ok, so now that I have some time to work on ye olde center console here, I have managed to get work completed on the new frame. I am using 5/8 particleboard since it is a bit easier to cut than 3/4" MDF.

Here we see the first two cutouts and fit testing of the headunit and the monitor. Like a glove.


I had to chop up the climate control faceplate which was easliy done with my trusty dremel. Now, we are testing the climate control fit. I made the opening a bit too tall, but that's ok.


Now, finally...the moment of truth...will I have enough depth/width to make it fit????? (***drumroll please***)



IT FITS!!!!!!!

I have some smoothing out of some rough edges to do, as well as some narrowing of the end taper, but hell yeah, I have enough depth and width to cram it all in there!!!!!!!

 

hey guy, i'm seeing what you're doing but are you going to make that blend in somehow or what? and how if so? intresting idea and creative but looks odd all rough.

 

It will unti I wrap it.

 

damn yo nice work keep us updated

 

i was thinking of doin something similar to that, how far do the climate control wires reach? o and 1 more thing, what type/ brand of primer and paint do u use?

 

In a 5th gen, there is a very generous length of wire for the CC. As far as the paint is concerned for project #3, I used Spray adhesive promoter, sollowed, by paint, and a clear coat...I'll tell you which brans they are tommorow (going to bed soon...lol)

 

damn i gotta see this finished... nice work so far

 

Still in progress...this project is going to be stalled until Wednesday of next week.

 

wow man, you are doing more than you need to do.


me and a friend installed a microvisionin his 2k2, for the tv we just got:

-a install kit from sounddomain and cut the middle of and mounthed the tv there.

-the climate stuff stayed in the same place

- and we cut a rectangle in the shifter trim and fiberglassed the headunit in were the ash tray was.

good luck tho man.

 

The standard width of a single-din HU is 7 & 1/8"...the shifter console is only 6 & 7/8 of an inch.

With all due respects, unless you showed me pictures, I don't believe you at all.

 

its possible to get a head unit in the shifter trim.

i should know

 

This is true

 

How far will it be sticking out?

 

actually not that far - half inch
but its at the very top of the shifter trim, like half inch from the top
and the bottom two corners are VERY close to the tapering edge - which was my problem

 

I'm trying to visualize how you guys are re-locating the HU. Particularly in the case of putting it where the ashtray is. Did you simply fiberglass the DIN sleeve down there and mount it that way? I guess I don't understand how it's being mounted.

 

I am running into the same problem with the climate control, but it SHOULD all fit...we'll see on Wednesday.

 

meta - in not so many words, yes, thats how it was attempted. u gotta trim out a bunch of brackets behind the ashtray, and keep the HU high, but it could work in theory. also, dont forget, your I35's dash is shaped slightly different than the a33 max.

any other questions, hit me on aim: DJ FreStyl

 

Thanks for help. That's what I needed to know. I was really puzzled as to how it was being mounted. I assume it's backstrapped as well to help support the weight? I'm at work right now, but if I have any more questions I'll be sure to hit you up on AIM. I'll have to take my trim piece out tonight and see what I'm dealing with. Oh, and I *should* have an easier time with mounting it down there (if it comes to pass) than you Max guys, as I believe my center dash/console is a tad bit wider (or at least it is in the HU area).

 

You will need about 7 and 1/8" for the width and 2 and 1/8" for the height...the depth is up to you, but a flush mount will make it a helluva lot easier.

 

ure right about the I35's being wider

good luck with it

 

John, might as well detail yours too

 

LOL. I waxed it over the weekend, does that count?

 

Smartazz...

 

I want to have this done to my car as well. I got a 03 max wit in dash tv and head unit with air condition controls above in sungless flip down area. I need the center console to be molded with fiberglass tho b/c it looks to chopped up in a way. How can i post my pics? i got a bunch...

 

ill get um for you this weekend