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well nearly a month since my last post here...
xmas 2012 I bought Sarah a cheap and cheerful double din dvd sat/nav for her cube, turns out it made the one in the NSX look like dinosaur! Ok the NSX unit did what it was supposed to do, but it was plagued with being a budget unit. I went this way as the pioneer/alpine units at the time, apart from being ridiculously priced, were tied into particular maps/updates/etc, and I didn’t want to be tied into such things!
So fast forward 4 ½ years since i put the double din in (!) and I’ve finally found the unit the same as the one I got for Sarah! The place I got hers didn’t list them anymore, and I really liked the layout, it fitted my requirements and it was far better all round! (3 ½ years of progress will do that!) so after a year of trying to find the same unit I finally managed to order a one for my car! Obviously another year of tweaking the software (or companies changing/selling designs) has progressed the software a little more, so not all bad!
This is how it started….
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4327/...1960590c_o.jpgnsxstereo2 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
‘how it started’… sounds ominous huh?
Well, of course, as it was wasn’t quite how I wanted it for in my car, the knobs are a bit too bling, and the lighting is blue… who wants blue lighting when the NSX is gloriously orange??? So first things first, a couple of knob covers were turned up on the lathe, shaped to compliment the CCU knobs, and once painted, were fitted…
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4301/...fe5cd97c_o.jpg2014-01-16-4368 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4328/...8ceb4869_o.jpg2014-01-16-4369 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
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The blue was more of an issue, so the unit was stripped to identify the LEDs required, teeny-tiny 0603 LEDs… when I say teeny-tiny, I mean teeny-tiny!!! (second from left!)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4308/...2cdb7b1a_o.jpgay58rb by jon sutherland, on Flickr
So the blue leds were removed, and orange put in their place… certainly eye-strain putting them on!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4320/...ff389884_o.jpg2014-01-15-4365 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
Once all 10 had been swapped the unit was put back together ready for the next stage!!!!… think the warranty might be void now???
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Of course, the new head unit was not the same size as the old… now the backs are standardised double din, all well and good, and means I can use the bracket I made for the first unit, but the front wasn’t the same size… 6mm wider and about 3 deeper! Knowing how weak the centre console will be at the bottom corners of the head unit, and knowing mine was already repaired, I cut 2 25mm (1 inch) strips of carbon fibre sheet and glued down each side before I started, dremmel grinding 2 slots in the previous work to them to slot it into….
Slot on the left side…
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4330/...23938e07_o.jpg2014-01-19-4376 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
Carbon keyed a little and q-bond glued in
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4312/...bcc55191_o.jpg2014-01-19-4378 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4315/...904506bc_o.jpg2014-01-19-4379 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
Now I had a stable base to resize the double din hole..
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4318/...8d8b8db9_o.jpg2014-01-20-4383 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
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Which was then paint-stripped and primered…
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4326/...d430757d_o.jpg2014-01-24-4388 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4316/...d90c78fe_o.jpg2014-01-23-4387 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
…..T’was then painted and lacquered, and I forgot to take a pic!
With the stereo now bolted in, the centre console was checked for fit, just to make sure
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4294/...6c14005c_o.jpg2014-01-27-4391 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
It still fits! Hurrah!
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Previously the painted edges on the centre console have gripped the vinyl of the dash, so this time I ordered up some anti-vibration felt tape to replicate the oem stuff!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4328/...f168ce31_o.jpg2014-01-27-4396 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4308/...81d3c1e0_o.jpg2014-01-27-4395 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
The eagle eyed will notice the lack of carbon fibre overhang down the side of the centre console. Turns out the centre console rests on a narrow lip on the dashboard, so it had to be trimmed back, not a big problem as it served its purpose with all the handling needed for paint prep, and it still has a carbon support, just reduced to 7mm-ish, still enough to support it when needed!
I also bought some open-cell adhesive backed 5mm foam. The only way to get this was from a camera bits supplier! It has to be open cell to be able to crush easily, most foam is closed cell, and, as such, is quite firm! Anyway I bought a A5 piece and rimmed it into strips and stuck it on in the OEM positions….
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4309/...afd83c0d_o.jpg2014-01-27-4394 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
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Now it’s just a case of putting it all back in and calling it done!!!
A poor night shot (well it was dark when it went back in! i'd hazzard a guess around 8.03!)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4313/...f2e758c5_o.jpg2014-01-27-4397 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
And a nice orange stereo!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4302/...01a12332_o.jpg2014-01-27-4399 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
Hurrah! And the RCA outputs drive at Bose amp levels, which the old one stereo never did :D
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Hi Jonathan,
Yet more great work and this case its the 'teeny tiny' details that make the difference .... and interested to hear the lathe is up and working ;o)
A very personal observation is that for me the size of the unit makes it look more after market (despite the new knobs) .... I'd like to do something but simply havent yet found a unit or display that gives enough OEM look ... If do then I know how to install for a unique install ...
regards, Paul
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Hi,
i'm amazed with your work....simply amazed.
Nuno
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not happy with the new stereo knobs....
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4328/...8ceb4869_o.jpg2014-01-16-4369 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
so a bit of whittling on the lathe and mill and i end up with this.....
the new knobs with one of the old.... (the old covers needed a bit of destruction to remove from the plastic knobs...)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4298/...16867000_o.jpg2014-02-14-4426 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
and on the stereo......
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4304/...55b3db0d_o.jpg2014-02-14-4432 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4321/...acc68152_o.jpg2014-02-14-4429 by jon sutherland, on Flickr
alot better and far more appropriate to the overall effect!
hmmm. needs a dust!
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car passed MOT today Hurrah!
engine running beautifully clean too! 0.1% CO (limit 3.5%) and 18ppm HC, limit 1200ppm! the joys of early car limits, not that it's anywhere close!! looks like that throttle body clean up was worth while :)
just gotta sort out an oil leak from the top... the usual cam covers/vtec type thing
