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General => Car audio => Topic started by: dovey on 24 July 2009, 09:45

Title: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dovey on 24 July 2009, 09:45
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  :smiley:

Clicky pics to make bigger:

Before:
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000311.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000311.jpg)

Old Radio Out:
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000312.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000312.jpg)

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:
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000314.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000314.jpg)

Started cutting - lots more cutting and filing needed:
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000315.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000315.jpg)

Back into the car. The air ducting behind needed cutting back flush and covering over with some duct-tape (forgot to photo that bit!):
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000317.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000317.jpg)

Trying the fit:
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000318.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000318.jpg)

At last, time to put it in the car:
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000319.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000319.jpg)

And here it is:

(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000322.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000322.jpg) (http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/th_P1000321.jpg) (http://s567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/?action=view&current=P1000321.jpg)

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  :smiley:
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: GOLF_MK on 24 July 2009, 10:24
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!
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dovey on 24 July 2009, 10:59
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  :tongue:
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dovey on 24 July 2009, 11:49
This pic is maybe a little better:

(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/dovey107/P1000320.jpg)
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dTEA on 29 July 2009, 17:18
really not sure of that...its certainly a nice install in the technical sense... :cool:

Can I ask if you reducted the centre heater or is it heating the back of the headunit? 
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: B-chi on 29 July 2009, 22:38
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!
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: Adam on 30 July 2009, 00:48
You sir have balls
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dovey on 30 July 2009, 09:27
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 (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  :tongue:
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dTEA on 31 July 2009, 20:07
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  :tongue:
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  :wink:

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?

Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dovey on 01 August 2009, 10:16
Normally just have hot air at the windscreen - heats the car up ok  :smiley:

Or down on my feet - get cold feet in MK3 Golfs!
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: pauld_88 on 02 August 2009, 11:43
couldnt you have got one with a fold out screeen!!
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: Madmax on 02 August 2009, 21:28
I think it looks great. Nice job, although the half a vent looks a bit dodgy. :laugh:

Couldn't you cover the back of the stereo/wires in heat resistant material & then keep the heater on?
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dovey on 08 August 2009, 09:33
couldnt you have got one with a fold out screeen!!

It would have been much easier just putting in a single din with fold out screen, but sometimes I get an urge to take on a project and I couldn't find much on the internet with people having done this before so thought I'd give it a try  :smiley:


I think it looks great. Nice job, although the half a vent looks a bit dodgy. :laugh:

Couldn't you cover the back of the stereo/wires in heat resistant material & then keep the heater on?

The half vent was a bit of an after-thought - originally I wanted to make some sort of compartment which would be about the right size to put a mobile phone in or something like that - to do that I think I'd need to get a sheet of plastic and warm it up so I can fold it and bend it to shape - that'll be for a day when I get bored I think  :laugh:
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: Xiled50 on 10 August 2009, 00:59
I think you have done a good job mate. Top idea!  :smiley:
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: omex_uk on 01 September 2009, 14:16
you sir are a legend and an arsehole  :grin:

your a legend because i get to see waht a double din looks like in a mk3 in exsacally the same place i was thinking about putting it, but your an arse for doing it because mine will no longer be the first one ive seen  :wink:

looks really good though mate
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: dovey on 07 January 2010, 23:28
Haha - did you put one in yours? How did it go if you did?
Title: Re: 2 DIN into a 1 DIN hole - MK3 Golf
Post by: tom-gardiner on 30 January 2010, 01:36
nice job there mate :)