Proper DIN stereo indash installation

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Here's some pics of FRANKENTRUCKs' Kenwood in the dash bezel. Cutting the metal is next, but that's NOTHING compared to the measuring and planning that went into this today! Already set the bezel in place and marked out the cuts for the dash. Tonight or tomorrow.
First, I centered my DIN sleeve so that the cuts would leave no gaps top or bottom, marked with a mechanical pencil, and then smoothed the rear of the bezel with a grinding wheel on my 1/4" die grinder to remove the upper and lower ridges in the plastic.
Then I used a free hacksaw blade to cut the horizontals. A heated blade (#10 scalpel in this case) easily cuts the verticals, and I used the DIN sleeve constantly to make my hole just a tiny bit smaller than the final opening that I filed to fit:




Had to "waller" out the lower right corner to accomodate the corner of the DIN sleeve:



I ground an angle in the upper left edge of the stereos' detachable trim ring and similar to it's lower right side to fit inside the "waller". Test fitting all the time made this go fairly quickly.
I set the DIN sleeve as close as I could to the drivers' side, here's a pic with the stereos' trim ring removed and in place:





And the installed stereo:



Three hours without rushing.
Todd.

[flamingbig10]

nice work Todd

[hessian18]

Nice fit and finish.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Thank you gentlemen!
Somehow I'd like to create a "sticky" with this, considering how many posts I've seen with folks dissatisfied with their stereo installations or unsure of how to do it. Guess it will always show up on a search for "DIN stereo" or "stereo".
Just now finished the cuts in the metal of the dash,...just need to finish them out to size with my file,...
More later. Thanks, again!
Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Y'all!
The hole for the DIN sleeve is finished, dash bezel re-installed, and sleeve in place in the dash. Just need to bend the tabs to lock it into the bezel, and slide the Kenwood into place.
I think I'll use the accelerator pedal mounting bracket for my ground connection and to secure the brace for the rear of the Kenwood, and I've got a pigtail off of the positive battery clamp that I've been saving for the stereos' power lead. That way I have a dedicated lead to power, and a short ground connection.
Speaker wires are ready to be routed under the floor covering on each side and plugged into the Kenwood. Then I'll test out the 22W RMSx4 and see how my 6.5" 3 way Kenwood speakers (92db sensitivity!) in their fabbed panels perform!
FRANKENTRUCK is about to be CD/AM/FM/iPod with big sound!
Sure hope this thread helps a few other folks!!
Todd.

[staggerd86c-10]

nice i wish i only hope when i go back to get rid of that gap i currently have it will come out as good as yours did.

[Driveway Dreams]

Todd, instal looks great! Good work.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! staggerd86c-10!
The Metra 1/4" trim ring could be just what you need to cover the gap, unless you have the option of starting with a dash bezel that hasn't been cut. With the left edge cut down to 1/8", it would sit in just the right position and then the right lower corner would need to be removed to clear the angle of the dash bezel. Careful work with a bench grinder would do both.
If you use my pics as a guide for approximate measurements, this result could easily be produced, even with the Metra ring. And that's MY goal,...to enable others to get the same results. I just used the DIN sleeve, and the stereos' trim ring to carefully plan out my cuts. THEN (and ONLY then!!) did I start to make the horizontal cuts.
With this limited space, a DIN stereo has GOT to be placed in the position shown to eliminate the gaps and not have to chop up the stereos' trim ring or the bezel.
Best of luck! I can sure provide more pics if needed, I saved a number of them for future reference.
Thanks, again!
Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Thanks, Gerald!
Another note for those interested (I hope somebody is!!), I cut the horizontals in the steel with a free hacksaw blade, then drilled three small holes in a vertical line on my pencil mark very close to one another and angled my drill in an up and down direction to create a slot of the holes. My hacksaw blade would then fit into the vertical slot so's I could cut the verticals. Always cut the holes (steel or plastic) small and open up with a file, or similar. Piece of cake!
Todd.

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Attached the rear stereo support bracket to the accelerator pedal mounting plate as well as the system ground, and power origonates from a pigtail on the positive battery cable that I had planned on using for the stereo. Wish you all could see and hear this!
I'm quite impressed with the Excelon! FRANKENTRUCK ROCKS!
Todd.

[dammitmitchell]

hey dude you did run a fuze on the line right?
even though they have fuzes in the back of the reciever itself.. i still run one ont eh positive...
just in case ... =-)
p.s. good work...
i still do it better..

[asphaltburner]

Yo! dammitmitchell!
Thanks, man.
You always do it ALOT better than me! I didn't even run an extra fuse in that line! Geeze! Still gotta solder my connections so I'll have to get to that too.
And no matter how much I pay women, they still won't let me look up their skirt!
Todd.

[dammitmitchell]

hahahah that's not me paying a woman... to sneak a peek up her skirt..
it's me giving my wife the debit card.. because i keep getting in trouble bro!

and whatever! i don totally dont do stuff better then you.. but animosity breeds competitiveness and competition breeds better product!

[asphaltburner]

Yo! Just jiving ya dude, 'cause I like ya!
You can tell where MY head is at, since that was my first thought when I saw your avitar! I'm just an old pervert, pay no attention!
Todd.