2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf

[dovey]

I decided to put a Kenwood DNX-5240 into my MK3 Golf.  The Kenwood is a 2 DIN unit, and the car only had room for a 1 DIN so some modifications were needed. Thought I'd put photos on here because I don't post here very often and thought I should 

Clicky pics to make bigger:

Before:


Old Radio Out:


Originally thought the air vents and the space for the 1 DIN radio were separate but it turned out they were one mold, so out it came to be modified:


Started cutting - lots more cutting and filing needed:


Back into the car. The air ducting behind needed cutting back flush and covering over with some duct-tape (forgot to photo that bit!):


Trying the fit:


At last, time to put it in the car:


And here it is:



Just needs a thin slice of air vent to go in the far left where it'll push onto the locating pin to keep it in place.

What do people think?

I know it's not perfect but it's my first attempt at anything like this 

[GOLF_MK]

That looks good but doesn't look quite straight to me?? (which would do me head in!) but that may be an optical illusion against the curve of the dash!

[dovey]

I've been looking at the photos thinking it's not straight either - but it's mostly the curve of the dash and taking the pics from the back left seat I think.

In all fairness it's maybe 1mm higher on the left than the right if you look at the bottom of the unit - I think it's maybe a little tight on the left (towards the top) which has shifted it slightly. If I take it out to do anything in the future I'll fix that but I don't think I can be bothered taking it out just yet 

[dovey]

This pic is maybe a little better:

[dTEA]

really not sure of that...its certainly a nice install in the technical sense...

Can I ask if you reducted the centre heater or is it heating the back of the headunit? 

[B-chi]

What I was thinking dtea.

Where's the air going now?

Does look pretty cool. Did you think about putting it down in the center console, behing the gear knob!

[Adam]

You sir have balls

[dovey]

Oh yeah the air ducting - I had to cut it off because the back of the unit met with it long before it wash pushed back flush. Basically behind where the centre air vents were is the ducting that runs left to right for the face air vents on the far left and right of the dash. Coming out of that is more moulded ducting coming forwards which I cut off so it was flush with the part running left to right (hope that all makes sense). I was going to wedge some foam in the hole and cover with duct-tape but in the end just taped over it because I don't usually have air coming out of the face air vents, it's normally on the windscreen.

Clearly if I come to sell the car and want to put a normal 1 DIN radio back in I will have to construct something to run the air to the centre air vents again - the centre air vents being replaced with these @ £12.49 http://shop.vws.me.uk/vw-volkswagen-golf-mk3-center-dash-vent-1h6-819-728-c-191-p.asp

B-chi - I thought about getting a MK4 Golf which has the 2 DIN hole already which is down much lower on the centre console like you suggest. Where I'm using this as a Sat Nav I thought that having it down low would be annoying when having to look at it while driving - taking eyes off road for longer, not to mention probably getting a bit of neck ache 

[dTEA]

B-chi - I thought about getting a MK4 Golf which has the 2 DIN hole already which is down much lower on the centre console like you suggest. Where I'm using this as a Sat Nav I thought that having it down low would be annoying when having to look at it while driving - taking eyes off road for longer, not to mention probably getting a bit of neck ache 

Exactly the reason i use my Samsung Omnia with TomTom installed up on the windscreen.  How you can legally use a Sat Nav there but not watch a DVD is beyond me 

Glad to see no overheating issues with the heater mouldings, but gotta ask, what do you do in the bloody winter if you never have the heater blowing on you?

[dovey]

Normally just have hot air at the windscreen - heats the car up ok 

Or down on my feet - get cold feet in MK3 Golfs!