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head unit install with stock-like styling

Joined
30 October 2001
Messages
107
Location
San Jose, CA
Craig at 510 Auto Sound of Hayward, CA, has worked a little magic for me. I wanted a head unit install that copied the look of the stock console components, i.e. a rounded console opening with a concave frame, but DIN sized. The picture below says it all.

Craig fabricates console-replacements for SoS. I personally think this style of console should be offered as standard. ;)

Why I upgraded the head unit in the first place: aside from its p1mpin' looks and features, it has a huge anti-shock buffer, as does the cd/mp3 changer I got with it. The stock changer (and later the s634) skipped waay to much for me (yes I set them to vertical mounting), especially after getting a zanardi suspension. The roads in the south bay area, CA really suck.

Thanks again Craig!
 

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man that's exactly what i'd want an aftermarket headunit to look in the X. is he willing to make and sell more of these??
 
Solid, you ratcheted up my expectations for an aftermarket install a little higher. Thank you for showing your pics.
 
Double-J said:
man that's exactly what i'd want an aftermarket headunit to look in the X. is he willing to make and sell more of these??

He doesn't have a standard mold for this type of design. Who knows, with enough demand he might make one. But there are variances to worry about, like needing clearance for flipping deck faces, etc.

Thanks all for the compliments! I knew my goals were met when the girlfriend, accustomed to seeing the stock console, looked at the finished product and said, "what did you have done?" :)
 
Nice choice in heads - had that same one (Sony MEX-5DI) myself till very recently! Great features - I only changed it to go DVD. Can you tell us about your other equipment to complement it?

I had earlier fed back comments to Chris at SOS that the SOS console as delivered is very thin in the area where the head cut-out would go: It doesn't allow any profile to be cut on the edge. I thought they were going to review this with Craig.
It would be nice if the SOS console came with a thicker substrate as delivered.
If you have rudimentary Fibreglass skills however it is not a major task to just add some body-filler material to the backside to build-up to the thickness of choice (~ 1/4" should be about right) before cutting the slot. If you have a router this is the preferred method to ensure a perfect cut (use the head's fascia plastic trim surround to create a pattern to cut the exact slot clearance required) then change bits to a roundover to profile the edge.
Or do it the artisan way with sandpaper, but much more skill is required to get uniform profile.
 
D'Ecosse said:
Nice choice in heads - had that same one (Sony MEX-5DI) myself till very recently! Great features - I only changed it to go DVD. Can you tell us about your other equipment to complement it?


Aside from the deck, I replaced the changer with a Sony CDX-757MX, 10 disc mp3 with a 12 second buffer. I'm still running the stock amps and speakers.



I had earlier fed back comments to Chris at SOS that the SOS console as delivered is very thin in the area where the head cut-out would go: It doesn't allow any profile to be cut on the edge. I thought they were going to review this with Craig.
It would be nice if the SOS console came with a thicker substrate as delivered.
If you have rudimentary Fibreglass skills however it is not a major task to just add some body-filler material to the backside to build-up to the thickness of choice (~ 1/4" should be about right) before cutting the slot. If you have a router this is the preferred method to ensure a perfect cut (use the head's fascia plastic trim surround to create a pattern to cut the exact slot clearance required) then change bits to a roundover to profile the edge.
Or do it the artisan way with sandpaper, but much more skill is required to get uniform profile.

That pretty much sounds like what Craig did, but as far as using the head's plastic trim as a guide, I think he added size for the folding face to swing. I'm not sure how he rounded the edges, but they are practically perfect.
 
SolidCitizen said:
... but as far as using the head's plastic trim as a guide, I think he added size for the folding face to swing. ...
I used this method with no additional clearance - stands to reason if it clears the OEM trim, it must clear the console if the opening is the same size!
I'm currently re-working my original stock console to accommodate the Alpine & will be using this method - pics to come later!
 
That looks very nice. I'm not a big fan of aftermarket head units in the NSX because it seems to mess up the ergonomics and flow of the dash but that looks really nice.
"what did you have done?"
That is when you know you got a good job done.
 
I really like the looks of this install, do you mind telling how much the console cost you?

SolidCitizen said:
Craig at 510 Auto Sound of Hayward, CA, has worked a little magic for me. I wanted a head unit install that copied the look of the stock console components, i.e. a rounded console opening with a concave frame, but DIN sized. The picture below says it all.

Craig fabricates console-replacements for SoS. I personally think this style of console should be offered as standard. ;)
 
Re: Re: head unit install with stock-like styling

cxr344 said:
I really like the looks of this install, do you mind telling how much the console cost you?

It wasn't cheap. I paid the SoS price for the basic console piece, but didn't actually get a new part. He worked from my stock console cover, because I didn't like how the new cover would have deleted the "coin holder" (I use it to hold my phone). On top of the $200 to SoS, I paid another four hundred plus for the console work, head unit wiring/install, and cd changer wiring/install. I'm not sure what the total would have been for just the console.
 
Install looks great...:D
 
Re: Re: Re: head unit install with stock-like styling

SolidCitizen said:
It wasn't cheap. I paid the SoS price for the basic console piece, but didn't actually get a new part. He worked from my stock console cover, because I didn't like how the new cover would have deleted the "coin holder" (I use it to hold my phone). On top of the $200 to SoS, I paid another four hundred plus for the console work, head unit wiring/install, and cd changer wiring/install. I'm not sure what the total would have been for just the console.

Actually, the cost sounds about right. And you got an incredible job done.
 
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