1.5 DIN + pics

I recently aquired a double-DIN in-dash LDC headunit. Originally, I was going to install it in my 2000 F150 but found that it would require some modifications. Instead, I decided to put it in my toy... a 93 Bonneville SSEi. I used a lot of information aquired from this forum and some ingenuity to enlarge the factory DIN-and-a-half opening to receive the new radio. I still need to texture and paint it but here are the results:

After the Bondo phase:


Polycarbonate "spacers" so factory mounting brackets can be used:


Nesteled in the modified dash opening:


Primer colored trim panel installed:


Upon reinstalling the trim panel, I realized that it did not have the opening for the HUD controls to the left of the steering column. The trim came from a parts car I had. I nearly broke the switches. So this is just another thing to add to my list.

Nice work..looks clean. Id like to see it when you get the texture and color coats on.

-------------
With a torch and a big enough hammer...it WILL friggin fit!!

Looks great. What did you use? Bondo or Duramix for the fabrication?

DXAV

Bondo-Glass was used for the structure then regular Bondo to clean up the surfaces. I was looking for Kitty Hair but, from what I now understand, the fibers are larger and might have been more difficult to work with.

My local supplier was out of the texture but I picked up the paint today. I still need to work the trim more (I forgot about the HUD switch). Hopefully Wed or Thurs it will be complete.

Thanks for the compliments, guys. I'm not a professional, just a DIY'er that enjoys a challange.

dude. that is freakin sweet. nice job. i was going to get one of the new eclipse 2din screens but they dont have the voltage that i want in the pre-outs.

The HUD switch opening turned out to be more difficult than the radio opening. I tried to measure the original trim piece and transfer to the new one but I ended up off the mark. What I needed was a great reference point. I decided to make a reverse mold of the original trim taking advantage of the vertical seam to the right of the opening. It was prepped with masking tape and Carnuba wax.


It took two tries to get the mold right. The first one was nearly a disaster as the glass was everywhere. Fortunately, I used enough wax to remove the hardened glass.


Once the mold hardened, it was released from the original trim. I sprayed it with shellac to seal the surface and applied more wax. Here's the mold without ant prep:


The new trim panel was cut oversized of the mold to ensure enough surface for the glass to bond. Once the opening was large enough, the mold was clamped into place.


More glopping


Fresh out of the mold


After some sanding

Dude that is awesome extremely good idea w/ the reverse mold. Way to stay on top of those toes!

is that and eclipse model?

Just to let you know, Duramix is a much better product for use with plastics. Since Bondo types of materials do not really bond to plastics, several months down the line, they will shrink on the edges and begin to peal from the plastics.
Duramix is designed for plastics, where Bondo (and kitty hair) are not.

I learned this the hard way. You may want to check into 3M's automotive division for the Duramix materials. The 40/40 is an adhesive, and you can use the 40/58 for the filler paste.

It does look great.
DXAV

I'm also looking for any tips on the texture. I was able to find a store that had it in stock and would like to spray it tonight. I intend on practicing on a chunk of plexiglass before moving onto the trim piece. I've never used the stuff before.

Along with the texture, I bought a can of plastic adhesion promoter. I'm not sure if or when it should be used.

Thanks

Adhesive promoter will work great. I usually scuff the plastic before applying.

I use SEM's texture coating. Most of the earlier stuff I did was garbage, but after a few times, it became much easier. I would wait 10-15 minutes before adding the next coat.

I would practice on wood, too.

Good luck, your stuff is coming out very nice.
DXAV

It's done! Well... almost. the trim came out so good that I decided to paint the vents too. They are drying now. I felt comfortable with the texture only after one practice run. It was pretty easy to apply and the directions were good. Especially when it says that the texture can be controled by the distance away from the piece. It's rather uniform and very difficult to tell from the OEM piece.









Thanks for all of the help and support. Hopefully I will be able to share some more projects soon.

Great job, that really looks nice.

DXAV

all i have to say is wow. that is amazing. looks even better completed. awesome job man

Thats a hell of a nice job, I especially like your idea on the reverse mold! 

-------------
Im a fiberglass whore!!

what did you use to spray the texture? is it an areosol or what?

-------------
blah blah blah blah

SEM products. The product number for the texture is 3985(3) where the (3) indicates an aerosol can. There is another number (4) which indicates a quart presumably for a spray gun and compressor application. Here's a link to the manufacturer's web page.

Awesome job!!!

Mja1962 wrote:

---

Looks excellent! Do you have any "before" pics?

---

I do take a lot of pics but strangely enough, none immediately before the transition. Here's one when I first got the car which shows the factory radio and dash:


Man, that seems life forever ago but actually it was only June. Since this pic was taken, I replaced the carpet, sewed some new sunvisor covers, and replaced many interior parts from ones aquired from a parts car. The revised trim panel was from the parts car so it did not have the gain control under the factory radio.

Mja1962 wrote:

---

BTW, was the car running when you took the pics? Just wondering 'cause if it wasn't, your tach may need calibration!

---

Negative. The car was not running at the time of the pic. These gauges are kinda cool and strange at the same time. When the ignition is turned on, they sweep across the entire gauge scale. Cool. But when it as at rest, they seem to climb to a comfortable position and stop. Strange

I really appreciate all of the positive comments. I feel very welcome for a newbie. I recently finished some upper door panel trim made from aluminum to replace a broken piece. It came out so well that I'm going to have make three others to match. Since they're not fibergalss, I'm not sure that the pics should be posted here. Let me know what you think.

randman1 wrote:

---

[quote="Mja1962"] 
I recently finished some upper door panel trim made from aluminum to replace a broken piece. It came out so well that I'm going to have make three others to match. Since they're not fibergalss, I'm not sure that the pics should be posted here. Let me know what you think.

---

Yeah man post them bad boys, this is fiberglass and "interiors", nobodys gonna get onto you for that. We love pics here and love to see the talent of others.  I'd love to see them also I've done some aluminum work myself and I understand its not easy trying to make them things come out perfect. The metal is so soft one little mistake and you got a big dent in it. anyways put them up im sure people would like to see them.

OK. These might not seem like a big deal but since I can not extrude my own profiles, I thought they turned out pretty good.

If you've ever removed door panels on a Bonneville, you know how much of a nightmare it is to unclip the upper trim. You might have even broken the trim as i did. Between my car and the parts car, I was able to get four door panels that I was happy with but only three upper trim pieces. I've been driving around without one on the passenger's front door for some time. We can't have that now... can we. Here is my resolution to the upper trim replacement.

I went to the hardware store and bought a 6' piece 1/2" aliminum channel and a 8' piece (they didn't have a 6 footer) of 1" x 1/16" angle aluminum. The longer lengths were cut to a managable 36" or so. I also had to cut the angle legs to 5/16" X 13/16". I did this on my table saw with an aluminum cutting blade. Here's the original and the cut pieces:


In order to bond the two pieces of aluminum, I used contact cement. I taped the areas that I did not want any cement on and applied after cleaning the surfaces with 0000 steel wool.


Once the contact cement was ready, I joined the two pieces. This was a little difficult because I wanted to simulate the shape of the OEM piece by recessing the part that faces the window. I did this by clamping the remains of the 5/16" cut to the bottom of the angle material. This produces a 1/16" recess.


Here's a side-by-side comparo of the two profiles:




Unlike the OEM piece, the new and improved one does not lock the panel at the top of the door. My observations when I had no trim at all showed that it was really not necessary. The bolt at the top of the handle provided enough support to hold the top of the panel.

I just have to decide on a finish for the new trim piece. I've narrowed it to three choices:
Body color (green)
Polished aliminum
Textured and painted just like my new dash trim panel.

I'll also throw in my visor cover write-up. I'm a member at www.bonnevilleclub.com and did this so others could benifit from the instructions. Plus, the embroidery is cool...




The link to the tutorial

WOW!  dude...thats pretty sweet.  i like what u did and the how to on the visers is awesome.  good job.

great job.

Impressive work