Double DIN conversion....I did it!!!
11 October 2002, 08:51 PM
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I was talking about it a few months ago and I'm almost done!! The idea was to change my MY99 Euro Impreza interior to house a double DIN unit. The only thing still missing are the brackets to hold the head unit in place, right now it just "lies" inside the dashboard.
The other problem I have is the small gap left and right (can be seen quite good on the pic, better than in reality actually) but I hope this is just because the head unit is not attached yet and still "pushes" against the dash surround plastic.
Anyway, if somebody has the same idea, let me know I'm glad to let you know what parts you need to do this conversion....next step is the Subaru Carbon interior....
The other problem I have is the small gap left and right (can be seen quite good on the pic, better than in reality actually) but I hope this is just because the head unit is not attached yet and still "pushes" against the dash surround plastic.
Anyway, if somebody has the same idea, let me know I'm glad to let you know what parts you need to do this conversion....next step is the Subaru Carbon interior....
12 October 2002, 12:49 PM
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hi audio g man,
That's ok, as you know I found the brackets and ordered them. Still waiting to get them.....
The head unit is a Panasonic CQ-VX7700D (is that the part number you want to know??). I got it from the Super Autobace in Tokyo at a special "campaign" price of 49800 yen (equals 450 Euro equals approx 290 GBP)
As you surely alrady know, it plays CD (R & RW), and Minidisc and has the coolest display you can find on this world...
Only drawback it cannot do Minidisc longplay
That's ok, as you know I found the brackets and ordered them. Still waiting to get them.....
The head unit is a Panasonic CQ-VX7700D (is that the part number you want to know??). I got it from the Super Autobace in Tokyo at a special "campaign" price of 49800 yen (equals 450 Euro equals approx 290 GBP)
As you surely alrady know, it plays CD (R & RW), and Minidisc and has the coolest display you can find on this world...
Only drawback it cannot do Minidisc longplay
12 October 2002, 07:42 PM
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chiark,
does that mean you still have this in-dash TV from Japan?
I thought you tried to sell it...
audio g man, (and to all other interested people, here's a resume of what I did so far, but feel free to email me if you need more details) :
yes I ordered the brackets, actually you need 4 brackets in total to do this converion, 2 for the Head unit and 2 for the heater controls. (and of course, the dash surround for the double DIN).
Other than that you have to relocate the 3 buttons (headlamp washer & adjuster and the bright button, which, in my opinion, can be simply disposed of with regards to usefulness). So, I moved the 2 headlamp buttons near the exterior mirror controller, they fit perfectly in the blanks there. If you really want to keep the Bright button you can move it to one of the blanks near the foglamp switches (again, perfect fit)
The Euro and UK car's heater controls are attached to some large metal piece (which makes the controls lie more "inwards") whereas all other models just have two small brackets on either side and also bring the controls more to the front, nicely adjusting with the non-euro dash surround. This is because the euro dash surround is much "thicker".
Below a picture, the parts you need to do this are
2 x # 11 (left and right for the heater controls, removing the orignal larger support bracket)
1 x # 14 (the double DIN surround)
2 x # 17 (left and right head unit brackets)
And be sure to have enough spare clips ready (the ones that hold the dash surround in place, you evtl. gonna loose some by removing the surround and of course they gonna fall down somewhere where you can NEVER find them again!!)
here come the pic
does that mean you still have this in-dash TV from Japan?
I thought you tried to sell it...
audio g man, (and to all other interested people, here's a resume of what I did so far, but feel free to email me if you need more details) :
yes I ordered the brackets, actually you need 4 brackets in total to do this converion, 2 for the Head unit and 2 for the heater controls. (and of course, the dash surround for the double DIN).
Other than that you have to relocate the 3 buttons (headlamp washer & adjuster and the bright button, which, in my opinion, can be simply disposed of with regards to usefulness). So, I moved the 2 headlamp buttons near the exterior mirror controller, they fit perfectly in the blanks there. If you really want to keep the Bright button you can move it to one of the blanks near the foglamp switches (again, perfect fit)
The Euro and UK car's heater controls are attached to some large metal piece (which makes the controls lie more "inwards") whereas all other models just have two small brackets on either side and also bring the controls more to the front, nicely adjusting with the non-euro dash surround. This is because the euro dash surround is much "thicker".
Below a picture, the parts you need to do this are
2 x # 11 (left and right for the heater controls, removing the orignal larger support bracket)
1 x # 14 (the double DIN surround)
2 x # 17 (left and right head unit brackets)
And be sure to have enough spare clips ready (the ones that hold the dash surround in place, you evtl. gonna loose some by removing the surround and of course they gonna fall down somewhere where you can NEVER find them again!!)
here come the pic
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13 October 2002, 05:28 PM
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Simon,
the exploded diagram comes from
www.1stsubaruparts.com
this is also the place I got the needed parts from.
Below is another pic of the upper dash area, but your Subaru dealer should be able to give you a much more detailed one than the one attached below (which does not show everything)
Here comes:
the exploded diagram comes from
www.1stsubaruparts.com
this is also the place I got the needed parts from.
Below is another pic of the upper dash area, but your Subaru dealer should be able to give you a much more detailed one than the one attached below (which does not show everything)
Here comes:
22 November 2002, 06:33 PM
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Interested in doing this some time. Not to fit a double-DIN head unit, but to allow the use of the extra DIN space below the head unit so I can fit a display module maybe like the S.E.C.S system here.
What would be involved, i.e. what parts would I need to convert to double-DIN space but retain the single DIN head unit and give me an additional space? Any indication of prices for the parts?
Cheers.
What would be involved, i.e. what parts would I need to convert to double-DIN space but retain the single DIN head unit and give me an additional space? Any indication of prices for the parts?
Cheers.
22 November 2002, 07:16 PM
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Nice job matey 
And here's me fighting for ages to get the double DIN unit OUT of my Legacy 
About the space on either side of the stereo. I fitted an in-dash DVD in mine, which was slightly smaller than DIN size (how stupid's that?!) What I did was make spacers out of MDF and then cover the ends in black insulation tape. Not exactly perfect, nor rocket science, but it looks trick and you honestly wouldn't notice Can recommend it as at _least_ a temporary "fix"
And here's me fighting for ages to get the double DIN unit OUT of my Legacy About the space on either side of the stereo. I fitted an in-dash DVD in mine, which was slightly smaller than DIN size (how stupid's that?!) What I did was make spacers out of MDF and then cover the ends in black insulation tape. Not exactly perfect, nor rocket science, but it looks trick and you honestly wouldn't notice
Can recommend it as at _least_ a temporary "fix"
22 November 2002, 08:12 PM
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Thanks globbits, but I meant the space of the car's plastic dash surround, not the unit (where the space around is normal).
Anyway, this is an old thread and all my problems are solved now, actually I posted another thread after this one which shows the unit installed nice'n'clean, better than the photos above.....
Anyway, this is an old thread and all my problems are solved now, actually I posted another thread after this one which shows the unit installed nice'n'clean, better than the photos above.....
10 December 2002, 12:04 PM
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Yo Al,
Why not try to bolt the headunit in using a home made metal bracket. I reckon it's worth a go.
What's the part no. of your headunit btw?
Cheers geez
I thought you were just fitting a stereo, You seem to have moved your steering wheel to the left side of the car too. lol
[Edited by audio g man - 10/12/2002 12:08:11 PM]
Why not try to bolt the headunit in using a home made metal bracket. I reckon it's worth a go.
What's the part no. of your headunit btw?
Cheers geez
I thought you were just fitting a stereo, You seem to have moved your steering wheel to the left side of the car too. lol
[Edited by audio g man - 10/12/2002 12:08:11 PM]
30 December 2002, 02:31 AM
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Since there are those who want to change to single from double din, does anyone want to swap their double din surround and mountings for a single din off an my98 at all?? Thinking of dvd and flippy tv again...
Cheers
Cheers
05 May 2003, 09:42 PM
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excellent work, do you have a complete list of parts required to do this job, it "looks" like a straight swap but I dont think it will be, i'll be putting a standard sized head unit in and a SECS data monitor
06 May 2003, 07:50 AM
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Oh my...these are still the old pictures when I had this ugly gap around the dash surround....
UHF,
To do this, on the exploded view that shows the lower dash (the one above), you need
2*11
2*17
1*14
and even when installing the SECS I think you have to remove that s-shaped piece of metal inside the dash (to remove this one you have to disassemble your entire dash, I''m afraid). IT all depends of the depth size of the SECS
Si.t,
I do not know of any part to raise the ICE for better viewing, most double DIN units have a ''tilt'' button where you can flip the facia in 5 different positions (for the purpose of better viewing the completely useless screen)
UHF,
To do this, on the exploded view that shows the lower dash (the one above), you need
2*11
2*17
1*14
and even when installing the SECS I think you have to remove that s-shaped piece of metal inside the dash (to remove this one you have to disassemble your entire dash, I''m afraid). IT all depends of the depth size of the SECS
Si.t,
I do not know of any part to raise the ICE for better viewing, most double DIN units have a ''tilt'' button where you can flip the facia in 5 different positions (for the purpose of better viewing the completely useless screen)
20 June 2003, 02:06 AM
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Sorry for dragging this up again!!
If I'm installing this to use with a standard DIN radio in the bottom, using the existing bolt support thing at the back and adding a second DIN unit above the radio (something like a SECS so much less deep than a radio) would I need the #17 brackets? I'm guessing these are only used to support a double-DIN radio and would be useless in the configuration I described above.
Cheers.
If I'm installing this to use with a standard DIN radio in the bottom, using the existing bolt support thing at the back and adding a second DIN unit above the radio (something like a SECS so much less deep than a radio) would I need the #17 brackets? I'm guessing these are only used to support a double-DIN radio and would be useless in the configuration I described above.
Cheers.
20 June 2003, 07:49 AM
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IF i remember correclty, the #17 brackets had lots of holes in it, suitable to fit any equipment no matter how "deep" it goes.
No idea however how the SECS is build if it has many holes in the side to fit it in different location....
No idea however how the SECS is build if it has many holes in the side to fit it in different location....
28 August 2008, 02:17 PM
#27
For you guys interested in doing this recently.
I've been trying to source the heater controls and double DIN surround from a JDM car.
Spoke to a very helpful guy at Grade A Subaru who obviously knew his stuff. He said that the JDM heater controls are electric, in comparison to a UK cable driven set of controls. It may be different if you have a UK with AC, but he probably would have mentioned it.
So the other option would be to keep your standard controls, and use an Import double DIN surround. He said he has heard before that there might be a gap, which is mentioned in Albericks original post.
I'm going to bite the bullet and try it that way.
I've been trying to source the heater controls and double DIN surround from a JDM car.
Spoke to a very helpful guy at Grade A Subaru who obviously knew his stuff. He said that the JDM heater controls are electric, in comparison to a UK cable driven set of controls. It may be different if you have a UK with AC, but he probably would have mentioned it.
So the other option would be to keep your standard controls, and use an Import double DIN surround. He said he has heard before that there might be a gap, which is mentioned in Albericks original post.
I'm going to bite the bullet and try it that way.
