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I started out with the idea to fit a radio with a rear view camera option, then I thought that a few bucks extra would give me the navigation feature. Slowly the price of a unit went up as I saw extra features that I liked, I had started at the bottom of the Kenwood range and went up from there. I then saw refurbished units at considerable savings, I asked Pizzaguy who worked for JVC/Kenwood at the time what the word was on refurbished units, he looked into it and said they were as good as the brand new ones. So that is what I purchased a Kenwood DNX893S. CLICK
All the switches on the existing radio/AC face plate will be relocated to the cup holder face plate. The ash tray/ coin holder, passenger air bag light and the power outlet/cigarette lighter will stay where they are. The ash tray will be operable with some modifications as the rear would interfere with the radio unit. The rear of the ash tray assembly has to be sawed off so that it does not foul the units mounting frame. A cabinet opener will be attached to the rear of the ash tray unit to make it move forward enough for it to be opened by hand.
The existing single din radio opening will be enlarged to accept a double din radio. The removable frame that surrounds the Double Din unit in the face plate will fit snugly in the opening recess and allow access to the two screws that hold the radio/AC face plate in place. The head unit itself will hang from the roof of the single DIN opening in its sleeve and put no load on the face plate itself, getting it all to align will be the secret to a nice looking fit.
The layout shown is not suitable for a roadster as the roof switch area is used when extending the cup holder aperture, although this switch could be relocated.
The ability to work with hand tools is a must.
Parts required for this modification;
(2) Radio face plates.
(1) Cup holder face plate.
(1) Ash tray assembly.
Acetone
J-B Weld Plastic Bonder
Gorilla Super Glue
Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty
Hack saw blade holder.
Various files and drills.
Vernier, scales and layout tools.
Plenty of patience is definitely required.
The parts I have obtained to make my double din face plate and switch relocation modifications with.
The Kenwood DNX893S Radio with navigation. The screen is actually unmarked and black, the photo shows a reflection of the board.
With no power the screen slowly sags out as shown in the photo. The unit is unmarked, the shiny spots are reflections.
The unit is shown reversed in its mounting frame so it does not get locked in.
Removing the recessed switch portion from the first radio face plate. The bottom of the face plate has already been removed by cutting it off at the bottom of the recess.
The separated pieces.
Drawing showing how the trimmed to width switch plate (bezel) fits inside the lengthened cup holder bezel aperture. The cup holder bezel has an undercut in the aperture which is ideal to locate the new switch bezel in as seen in the drawing. The recessed switch bezel is trimmed in width to fit in the undercut and the ends are made square to the sides.
The existing aperture in the Cup Holder bezel will be extended so that the switch bezel fits into it. The extended aperture will entail cutting into the roadster roof button area.
The new switch bezel consists of two parts, the two halves are attached to one another with a cement. Not all of the matching faces are bonded together and my switch plate needed to be bonded in more places as it was in danger of falling apart at the moment. This could pose a problem as I am using a router to trim the switch plate width so that it fits into the cup holder aperture. I used acetone run between the touching faces and J-B Weld Plastic Bonder around the edges.
The switch plate trimmed to length and .02" oversize on the width. The front and back of it having been re-secured to each other.
Marking out the extension to the cut out in the cup holder bezel.
The plate ready for routing the profile.
The new switch plate bezel is shown fitted together, it will now be sanded down for painting, cemented together and the radii in the corners filled and blended. The original face plate from which the switch plate section was cut was from a 2004 Crossfire, this is evidenced by the shiny clear coat surface on the plate itself. The other parts have the later duller finish on them, a point to remember if replacing a silver interior trim part. I used a router to trim the sides and ends of the switch portion and the cup holder pocket parallel and square. I made up a simple jig to do this and a knowledge of routing is a must or you could cut yourself really badly. A file would be safer, but not as fast.
Article continues in post #2
Last edited by onehundred80; 03-29-2021 at 04:44 PM.
Reason: thread abandoned
Part #2
The photo below shows the cut lines in the first faceplate to make the bottom rail of the final faceplate and the button faceplate.
The photo below of the second faceplate shows the cut lines for the Double Din faceplate and the notches to fit the bottom rail in place.
The 2x DIN frame is shown fitted into a spare centre console, the existing shelf for the single DIN stock radio is still in place in the photo. The centre rail shown in the first faceplate has to have about .10" removed from the bottom. It is then fitted into the full-length #2 faceplate. This keeps the lip that butts up against the Navigation units frame. The area where the .10" was removed has to have the rounded edge added. The joints between the bottom rail and the full-length faceplate can be seen in the photo below. The depressions remaining from the ends of the button area will be filled and smoothed out.
The floor of the single DIN aperture has been removed retaining the pads at each end of the shelf, these centre the frame in the aperture. The units sleeve and trim ring are shown in place, the whole unit will be more toward the front when finished. The weight of the unit will be carried by the head unit frame attached to the top of the single-DIN aperture in the console with four screws, screwed into four plates bonded to the top of the shelf at the front. The front two screws spacers may require a spacer between the top of the frame and the bottom of the shelf to match the thickness of two pads moulded in the bottom of the shelf at the rear, mine did not need these spacers. The frame will be pulled up against the moulded spacers and the two spacers around the screws.
See the thumbnail below.
The centre console has to be modified by extending the slot for the cup holder and widening it as well. Photo showing modified cutout
Everything has been taken out of the centre front console, the last item to come out was the ashtray unit. I thought I knew how to remove it - wrong. The screws at the rear of the console holding it down were removed so that both sides of the console could be sprung apart, this was easy as the bridge connecting the two sides at the rear between where the screws go had been sawed off when I added the LM21 paddle shift kit. With the sides sprung the unit could be jiggled straight out. The gear shift lever has to be moved to D. Oddly the plug for the lighter is slid sideways to remove it, a black part remains on top of the white part, confusing. The other plug and the bulb pop straight out. In the photo, the mike for the phone has been installed. The next stage is to saw out the single DIN shelf on the actual car console. Then sixteen wires have to be extended to reach the switches in their new position in the centre console. The wires under the console will be soldered and covered with shrink tubing, the joints under the dash will be crimp fittings, so that is thirty-two joints to make.
The photo shows the mounting points for the unit's frame. The speed nuts are going to be replaced with two plates like the one shown at the front, they will be bonded to the plastic of the actual console frame on the car.
Trial fitting of the unit in the spare console used. The Ashtray unit cut down so that it did not hit the bottom of the head unit. The ashtray and coin holder are still there but the auto-opening spring has had to be removed, works just like the good old days so it will need a pull added somehow. Another avenue to explore is using one of those magnetic cabinet latches that open the door a little when you push on the door releasing the door from the magnet. A stop to prevent the ashtray from coming right out is required as well.
The filled and The filled and undercoated bezels show that a little more filling is required.
Last edited by onehundred80; 03-29-2021 at 05:22 PM.
Subscribed!
When you get it done 180 maybe take a mold from it and reproduce them ?
you could sell them and makes some extra $$
i would def buy one if the price was right :-)
Subscribed!
When you get it done 180 maybe take a mold from it and reproduce them ?
you could sell them and makes some extra $$
i would def buy one if the price was right :-)
Sadly without relocating the roadster roof switch this mod is only for the coupe.
I am only modifying standard parts, a somewhat lengthy process. The plan is to use only one radio/AC bezel and one cup holder bezel. I have a spare of each bezel.
I am not modifying the ones on the car just ones I have purchased, so I can always say to heck with this and go back to stock.
I went an checked out the unit , pretty nice. Plenty of room for add on's. Are you going to do ,front and or rear cameras? Also, how do you update the nav? It's Android compatible, I like that.
I went an checked out the unit , pretty nice. Plenty of room for add on's. Are you going to do ,front and or rear cameras? Also, how do you update the nav? It's Android compatible, I like that.
This is the unit I purchased. CLICK
Possessing a tin ear it will be more than adequate for me. Upgrades for the Garmin navigation is done by downloading the new info to a memory card and inserting it into the units slot.
I am sure it is possesses features I will not use or understand.
I have searched the forum and cannot find a post that states what paint is a good match for the modified parts. I could paint them and the ones not modified but then I would paint over the words printed under the passenger side air bag light. Does anybody know a good paint to use?
What would be the best way to print these letters if I did paint the whole five pieces.
I guess that is pricey, I have looked into silk screening and stamp printing but I would rather get a good colour match so the buttons do not look odd.
I had the modified cup holder bezel incorporating the seven switches inspected by a buddy of mine and he reckons it should come up good when finished. The black areas are the black plastic (ABS/PC) the part is made from and epoxy filler.
Last edited by onehundred80; 08-11-2021 at 11:31 AM.
I have searched the forum and cannot find a post that states what paint is a good match for the modified parts. I could paint them and the ones not modified but then I would paint over the words printed under the passenger side air bag light. Does anybody know a good paint to use?
I found that Testors Chrome (#1290) spray paint for model cars matches the silver stack. I painted the trim ring for my stereo upgrade, and it came out perfect.
I found that Testors Chrome (#1290) spray paint for model cars matches the silver stack. I painted the trim ring for my stereo upgrade, and it came out perfect.
Haha, Testors was mentioned on here when I looked but I thought it was one of those little bottles with the little brush in it and he used it for a touch up.
Perhaps touch up is not a PC phrase to use with all these well known people getting accused of touching someone up.
Anyhow thanks for the suggestion, I will look into it.
I’ve spent a lot of time of time on the interior paint colour.
Here is the information gathered from many locations. The wheel silver is the same as the interior silver. You can only get this code matched at a Bodyshop supply that carries PPG automotive paint. I know because I purchased this paint for my double din.
It was a long time ago, but I had bought Wurth because I had read it is the company that supplies German companies with their wheel paint. I never got to use it and don't have it anymore. It may be Wurth checking out if you are going to use a spray can.
It was a long time ago, but I had bought Wurth because I had read it is the company that supplies German companies with their wheel paint. I never got to use it and don't have it anymore. It may be Wurth checking out if you are going to use a spray can.
Wurth checking out. LOL
Thanks for reminding me of this paint.
I have seen this in a wheel repair job on an Audi CLICK, I think it was in my Index of repairs at one time, it must have got lost. I still have it somewhere. I read that is has changed its name to BMW Wheel Paint or something like that.
Last edited by onehundred80; 11-17-2017 at 04:13 PM.
Fitting a double DIN radio
The filled and The filled and undercoated bezels show that a little more filling is required.
LOL