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TV in Center of Dash

 
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RobJanis RobJanis
User | Posts: 223 | Joined: 06/05
Posted: 08/16/05
10:06 AM

Center of Dash
Placing a monitor in the center portion of the dash is a lot more complicated than mounting to a visor or even to the back of a seat’s headrest. It may call for you to remove a factory pocket, ashtray, and cup holder to make room.
Wayne Watkins, an installer on special projects for Car Toys in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has devised a way to modify the center dash/center console area to permit the placement of a monitor. Here he describes how to construct a mount for a 7-inch Pioneer monitor in a 1996 Acura Integra.
He used the following tools and materials:

Drill with Screw Bit
3M Long Strand Fiberglass Reinforced Filler
1/4-inch Medium Density Fiberboard
Jigsaw
Pencil or Marker
Ruler or Tape Measure
Lightweight Grille Metal
Masking Tape
Bondo
Sand Paper
High Build Primer or Feather Fill Spray
Sealer Primer
Basecoat
Sandable Polyurethane Clearcoat
Novus #2 Plastic Polish

Watkins began the work by first removing the pocket, ash tray, cup holder, and shifter boot.
Next, Watkins constructed a trim panel to act as the radio trim ring. He used the 1/4-inch medium density fiberboard and cut a hole in the center through which the radio would be mounted.
Next, the assembly was extended down to include the area in which the shifter boot is located. Watkins traced a pattern on to a sheet of 1/4-inch medium density fiberboard using the factory plastic panel that the shifter boot mounts to as the template. He cut out the pattern and then laid out the cut out of the trim for the radio and the cut out of the shifter boot in place in the car. To form the curve between the trim for the radio and trim for the shifter he used some lightweight grille metal in the center portion and bent it into the desired curve.
Next, Watkins masked around the outside of the center console/center dash and then pushed the parts (the ring trim for the radio, the lightweight grille metal and the trim ring for the shifter) into place. As he was doing this he was making certain that everything lined up properly.
He joined the parts together using the long strand fiberglass reinforced filler,  then filled in the edges with bondo to get an exact fit.
Next, he cut out an opening for the video screen. He placed the frame on the assembly and adjusted it somewhat to assure the best angle for good glare-free viewing. He masked off the screen, put the assembly in place, and used more long strand fiberglass reinforced filler around the edges to attach the mount to the assembly. The facade was sanded and filling was added where necessary to smooth out the panel.
Next, Watkins tested to assure that the monitor fit properly in its mount. In this case, the screen mounts from the back.
He then applied a high build primer or feather fill spray to the frame to fill in pin holes and cover any sanding marks. He followed that with the application of a good sealer/primer, then a basecoat, then a sandable polyurethane clearcoat. He waited at least 24 hours for the clearcoat to totally harden and then wet sanded the assembly with 2,000 grit sandpaper and then applied Novus #2 plastic polish.
Next, Watkins attached the shifter boot and mount screws to the panel and connected the panel into the car being sure to place the monitor from the back. The A/V cable was connected to the A/V input of the monitor and routed to the video source and plugged into the A/V output of the video source.

 

 
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