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Hi everyone, this below is copied over from my old thread on the UK owners club forum. Bits are cut out so sorry if it does not really flow. Just thought I would open it up to a wider audience and that it may help / inspire someone.
I marked some measurements on the panel made some cuts and scored a lip to form a hinged down flap. I wanted to have the cutaway positioned so that it would allow the monitor to be sat into it in such a way that allowed a good viewing angle but also kept the speaker grille in place and did not go too low down to prevent it from fitting backk into the car.
I then dismantled a all in one DVD monitor that was contained within a car headrest.
Once I had built up enough layers to make it secure and start to give it some form I used P38 body filler to layer on top and further start to make a nice shaped surround.
After A LOT of sanding back it was time for a coat or two of high build and 2k primer folowed by a rough coat of random glossy paint just to show up imperfections better.
I did try some 'wrinkle finish' dashboard paint which would have been great if it was on a large flat surface but once it was on and dry due to the multiple angles on the surround it seemed to reflect light very differently on the vertical and horizontal surfaces and made it LOOK very patchy.Although if you where to look from a different angle you could see it was actually perfect all over. The photos don't really do it justice it was in fact a very intricate and even swirly pattern.
Any way I was not happy with the finish so had to spend blimin ages getting it all off again which was no easy task. Due to it being rubbery I had to literally scrape it all off with a knife. Sanding was no good as it simply got warm with the friction and made it go all gloppy and stick even harder! :evil:
When this was eventually removed it was back to the smoothing and prepping stage as the surface was left badly scarred and uneven.
It was at this stage I did consider the idea of trying to cover it in black leather.
However this was quickly dismissed as getting it to strech around the contours all in one piece was going to be near impossible.
When all was seen to be well I sprayed a top coat in a colour I was fairly happy with and then it was time to install the monitor, wire everything up and try it all out. 8)
Finished thing installed in a car.
You can wire it up to a free to air digital TV reciever, games console, reversing camera, CAMP 2 gauges etc and maybe GPS.
I've got loads if they are going to be of use to people. Don't know why I have not made the effort sooner, only really read this forum before and not registered until now. Still getting the hang of things here, its a lot bigger than what I'm used to and things seem to get a bit lost within the mass of info and I don't know where to put things.
Realised now this thread would have been better in Series I section.
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2004 TiGrey AT, AEM CAI, Greddy SP2 exhaust, S-Techs, Metra Kit Eclipse head unit, blacked out emblems and taillights, LED interior lighting, footwell lights, led fogs, bride seat, rotorpros drilled slotted rotors, ebc redstuff pads, greddy rear strut bar, evo-r front lip, mazda speed side skirts, mazda speed front strut bar, TCSportline CF hood, AP dr midpipe,
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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We are a family like a pack of coyotes is a family; we roll together but we are totally willing to eat our young. -Kane
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The reason i asked to listen experience show me your experiences ? Know is different thing, you know but you are not experienced ! -thunderberk
Would be really cool if you could have a digital display of gauges on that screen like they do in the skyline.
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2005 White Water Pearl 6 spd Touring with...
Cobb AP, MazdaSpeed Front Clip, Agency Power 3" cat-less full exhaust, Mazsport Ignition, Drilled and Slotted Rotors with Steel braided brake lines, Tokico D-Spec Adjustable Shocks & Springs, AP Underdrive crank pulley, K&N Drop-in filter, custom round wheels and square tires...
I had the sound going through the built in FM modulator so just had to have the radio on a certain frequency and it would transmit to that and play through the cars speakers or you could just use the small speaker inside or headphones. It is now fitted to a friends car and he has it wired directly into the HU via the optional Tape / Mini disc connection so this will give a crisper sound quality.
You can have Nissan style gauges on it in the form of the Camp II unit going through AV.
Linear Mode
