Aftermarket SatNav in Dash

[Simon]

Originally Posted by MikeC

Sorry I mean Alex's thread upon which Raistlin commented - wish I knew how to add hyperlinks!

Et voila! One hyperlink: http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...t.php?p=185482

[kevin]

Originally Posted by baxlin

Not quite in the dash I know, but this is what I did

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=13812

post#5

baxlin where did you wire it from.please

[baxlin]

Originally Posted by kevin

baxlin where did you wire it from.please

Hard wire from the passenger footwell fusebox, I forget which fuse, but it's ignition controlled. No other dismantling needed, the wire pushes in between panels, & over/behind the "eyebrow" IIRC. The red tape-wrapped bit is an "in-line" ciggy lighter type socket I picked up years ago, and subsquently stood on, hence the tape..........

HTH

Malcolm

[trebor]

Originally Posted by MikeC

My solution would work for any size sat nav:

One cheap aftermarket adaptor (single din). Use this to mark outer profile exactly on cartridge or lining paper and cut out outer shape using scissors

Use framesaw to cut central hole in adaptor roughly to size and mount unit behind in adaptor in car

Overlay cartridge paper. Use brass-rubbing (like I did) or wallpaper technique (diagonal cut with Stanley knife) to cut central hole ACCURATELY.

Use cartridge paper to accurately mark and cut aluminium sheet (0.5mm) to required shape. Outer profile can be cut using wifes best dressmaking scissors (important safety note: wait until wife has gone for weekly shop first). Inner hole is best cut with a Stanley knife.

Glue Al sheet over fascia and bingo - one accurate fascia with the hole in the right place and right size.

Then glue oversize sheet of walnut veneer over aluminium, trim with scalpel and then finish sheet per usual technique. I think that Al sheet is easier to fix over than using plastic padding to fill the unwanted hole

Results per my pics on Raistlins thread.

Sorry I mean Alex's thread upon which Raistlin commented - wish I knew how to add hyperlinks!

This sounds like it could be a winner for me, i missed the original post so will give this a go, just a few questions:

Where can you get the ali sheet from ?

What glue did you use to fix it to the fascia ?

Did the walnut final cover come from the Walnut Dash Co

[MikeC]

Originally Posted by trebor

This sounds like it could be a winner for me, i missed the original post so will give this a go, just a few questions:

Where can you get the ali sheet from ?

What glue did you use to fix it to the fascia ?

Did the walnut final cover come from the Walnut Dash Co

1) Al sheet from most DIY stores. Ive bought previously from B&Q and Homebase
2) I used araldite because I had it, pretty much anything for impervious materials would probably do, you want to be able to move the Al around after you 'touch down' so dont use superglue. Bending the Al into a curve to roughly match the profile before gluing the fascia helps
3) For the veneer I used a contact adhesive on both surfaces because I didnt want any bubbles or separation and it is difficult to hold the veneer on the curved surface while the glue sets
4) The veneer was real wood from 'Vale Veneers' off internet and I cut an oversized piece so I didnt need to be accurate when I stuck it down. I should of smoothed it with a fine grade (P1000) sandpaper before varnishing but made the mistake of thinking it was smooth so ended up doing it afterwards, which took longer because the paper kept blinding with varnish. This step takes a long time (because of drying) but doesnt take you a long time (if you see what I mean). You can sandpaper between coats and wax the final if you dont make the mistake I made and select a varnish which is wax soluble! As I said, next time - - -
5) I have only bought pre-shaped walnut effect plastic from the walnut dash company, but if they do what you need by all means - - -

Regards
MikeC

[trebor]

thanks Mike, will be attempting this tomorrow and will report back on progress.

[MikeC]

Well I guess that tommorrow never came!

I finally got round to trying it a second time (and connecting the speedo and reverse wires from the Ipak).

Much happier with the finish on the double-din adaptor and now the speedo is connected the Satnav doesnt jump every time the windscreen wiper sweeps past the GPS sensor (a quirk I didnt immediately notice or anticipate)

[trebor]

Originally Posted by MikeC

Well I guess that tommorrow never came!

I finally got round to trying it a second time (and connecting the speedo and reverse wires from the Ipak).

Much happier with the finish on the double-din adaptor and now the speedo is connected the Satnav doesnt jump every time the windscreen wiper sweeps past the GPS sensor (a quirk I didnt immediately notice or anticipate)

Looking good Mike, tomorow did come but in the end it was not good enough for my standards, mine was single din so bought the cheap facia off e bay for a fiver, extended the hole to take my sat nav and fabricated a thin piece of aluminium over the whole thing. I then bought some veneer from Vale Veneers but wasnt expecting the crinkly wafer thin piece of bark that turned up in the post, and a bit beyond my capabilities to make it look good.

I then went down the walnut dash company route and covered the facia with a specially made piece which i cut out and they finished off with the doming process.

It looked ok but i was not 100% happy with the fit of the facia or the colour of the shade of walnut, so in the end i put my car back to how it was. I did contact the walnut dash who promised to work on a different shade for me and i sent a sample of Rover walnut off to them. I still await a reply but to be fair the owner of the business was in hospital and his wife was keeping things going so it may be a while.

I still have the fabricated facia so may reinstall it at some point, but what i really want is a double din affair with one of the latest units that has satnav, bluetooth, dvd, i pod radio etc.