Console Reconfiguration - Keith Widom style
05-24-2010, 09:07 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Console Reconfiguration - Keith Widom style
Finally finished my center console reconfiguration following Keith's Rennlist posts.
Thought I would share a few pics. This is just one upgrade to my car. More pics to follow later after I get finished.
Just to be clear, this was totally all Keith's design and planning. There were a few things to figure out, but he did all the leg work. Just want to make sure he gets the credit.
The AVIC-D2 head unit that Keith used is a few years old now. I ended up buying the newer version of his the AVIC-X910BT. I got a great deal on it. This unit was retailing for @ $1300, but just got replaced with the 920BT, so they went on a fire sale. I got it for $550 with a $100 rebate, so $450 in total. Too good of a deal to pass up. For specs, you can go to Pioneer's website. Another difference is that these new units no longer come with any mounting bezels/cages or anything. I ended up buying a universal kit for the older AVIC Z series that worked fine since there were not any kits available for the 928. The kit I bought was the ADT-VA133.
Here are the pics. The first set show the 2DIN mounting and all of the spacers mounted in the console to move all the components flush.
Thought I would share a few pics. This is just one upgrade to my car. More pics to follow later after I get finished.
Just to be clear, this was totally all Keith's design and planning. There were a few things to figure out, but he did all the leg work. Just want to make sure he gets the credit.
The AVIC-D2 head unit that Keith used is a few years old now. I ended up buying the newer version of his the AVIC-X910BT. I got a great deal on it. This unit was retailing for @ $1300, but just got replaced with the 920BT, so they went on a fire sale. I got it for $550 with a $100 rebate, so $450 in total. Too good of a deal to pass up. For specs, you can go to Pioneer's website. Another difference is that these new units no longer come with any mounting bezels/cages or anything. I ended up buying a universal kit for the older AVIC Z series that worked fine since there were not any kits available for the 928. The kit I bought was the ADT-VA133.
Here are the pics. The first set show the 2DIN mounting and all of the spacers mounted in the console to move all the components flush.
05-24-2010, 09:09 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Here is a pic of the 2DIN unit CLEARING the vacuum actuator. I repeat, I DID NOT have to modify this actuator or location like Keith did. Not sure if his was a GTS thing versus S4 or maybe my ADT-VA133 universal kit moved the head unit down just enough to clear. The dimensions between the 910BT and D2 are a little different, including length.
This is the biggest worry I had about doing this and it ended up not being an issue at all.
This is the biggest worry I had about doing this and it ended up not being an issue at all.
05-24-2010, 09:46 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Not too much to figure out. Keith did not show pics of the console being upgraded except showing component fitment. I PMed him about what material he used for spacers and he used some door trim material from Home Depot. He did not use wood and neither did I. I used epoxy and small screws to permanently mount the spacers in the console. The trim bezel for the 2DIN unit was something else new for me since this one did not come with anything. The universal kit I bought does not list this unit as being compatible, but it worked fine. I was just thankful I did not have to figure out how to relocate and make the vacuum actuator work. I was happy to see my measurements worked out and the unit clears without problems. There is a lot of Dremel cutting, fitting, etc for this, but all of those are free. My spare time was the only thing it cost me.
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05-24-2010, 11:51 PM
#9
Nordschleife Master
I am reworking a center console to accommodate two more gauges and once considered doing this mod after reading "Keith's original thread: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...upid-long.html". However, once I saw the part about relocating the actuator, the job scared me away. Your success without having to relocate said gizmo has me thinking I can do it. Awesome job.
05-25-2010, 02:32 AM
#10
Under the Lift
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05-25-2010, 02:37 AM
#11
Nordschleife Master
Is it a depth issue that forces the mounting of the radio high and moving the A/C controls down low??? Just curious if you could leave the A/C stuff up at the top and just double din the stereo down low? I really like the look of this. First time I saw a pic of Keith's car (when I was doing the 928 DVD last year) I was blown away by that update!
05-25-2010, 07:53 AM
#12
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Nicole, I did not lengthen the center vent adjustment arm. I just set it to "open". I have never had it in any other position since I have owned the car. I am sure it could be done, just did not worry about it at the time.
Bill, the trim I used was door trim made from a PVC material. It was pretty easy to cut with a hack saw and I have screwed into it several times in the same location without stripping it out. I think it will be OK as long as you dont get carried away with the torque. I am not sure if this is what Keith used or not, the only thing he said was door trim and not wood.
James, I do not think the depth of the head unit forces it high. If you look at Paul Champagne's setup, he was it in the stock location. Keith wanted to get the unit as high as possible so he did not have to look down for the GPS. I like the new layout, so I followed his plan.
Bill, the trim I used was door trim made from a PVC material. It was pretty easy to cut with a hack saw and I have screwed into it several times in the same location without stripping it out. I think it will be OK as long as you dont get carried away with the torque. I am not sure if this is what Keith used or not, the only thing he said was door trim and not wood.
James, I do not think the depth of the head unit forces it high. If you look at Paul Champagne's setup, he was it in the stock location. Keith wanted to get the unit as high as possible so he did not have to look down for the GPS. I like the new layout, so I followed his plan.
05-27-2010, 07:46 PM
#14
Addict
Rennlist Member
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SCHYAAAA!!!! Great Job Mike! I think it looks fantabulous! As you know now, until you have done something like this, it's really hard to appreciate what it takes to come up with what looks like a simple execution in the end. Thanks for the cred's. As I told you, I had spent a lot of time in the trial and error zone just coming up with the final concept. If it made it any easier for you in the least, then I am happy for that.
Very cool that you had to do no mod's on the HVAC. I HAD to. Trust me, I agonized over it and spent a bit of time thinking how I could fit the D2. If I wanted to achieve the vision I had, the actuator had to be altered. All I can guess is your unit was not as deep as the D2. Don't know, but glad it worked out for you.
AFA the spacers, I just used pieces of the plastic molding you can by at HD. This stuff was for doors and windows. It was easy to cut, sand and manipulate, plus, I wanted something I could screw the tiny little screws into without the holes stripping out after a few installs and de-installs. Epoxied it in and it worked great. Unfortunately, I have no pics.
Glad you finished the tough stuff. Did you do any LED changeovers? Is it all working well? How did you deal with the antenna's?
Oh, and BTW, go to AVIC411.com for all the hacks and tricks you can do for the Pio unit. I hacked mine so I can program and search on the fly, plus changed background and can watch movies while driving.
...and it's all in surround sound!
Very cool that you had to do no mod's on the HVAC. I HAD to. Trust me, I agonized over it and spent a bit of time thinking how I could fit the D2. If I wanted to achieve the vision I had, the actuator had to be altered. All I can guess is your unit was not as deep as the D2. Don't know, but glad it worked out for you.
AFA the spacers, I just used pieces of the plastic molding you can by at HD. This stuff was for doors and windows. It was easy to cut, sand and manipulate, plus, I wanted something I could screw the tiny little screws into without the holes stripping out after a few installs and de-installs. Epoxied it in and it worked great. Unfortunately, I have no pics.
Glad you finished the tough stuff. Did you do any LED changeovers? Is it all working well? How did you deal with the antenna's?
Oh, and BTW, go to AVIC411.com for all the hacks and tricks you can do for the Pio unit. I hacked mine so I can program and search on the fly, plus changed background and can watch movies while driving.
...and it's all in surround sound!
05-27-2010, 07:59 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
Looks great, but what I want to know is where I can get one of those keychains! 