Home made single din radio console.

[Ross_Ashley]

My local radio repair man said he couldn't make the original radio in my beat work, the buttons were falling off too, and the Honda parts department said they were not available new.

So after a couple of weeks driving around with no radio available I decided to have a go at making a 'proper' radio fit.

I bought a Sony CD radio with USB input for £88 from Halfords, also a fibre glass kit, some filler and some spray paint and came up with what you can see in the photo.

I had to modify the thin metal frame behind the console to make everything fit. Because I have moved the heater controls down I also had to extend the cable which works the heater.

What I have got certainly doesn't look like Honda made it but I am pretty pleased with it, and its great to have a new UK spec radio that works properly!


http://www.skillbasetraining.co.uk/documents/Beat%20Radio.JPG

[Wh1teLeopard]

That's pretty cool! Good work there :D

[unclejemima]

What I have got certainly doesn't look like Honda made it but I am pretty pleased with it, and its great to have a new UK spec radio that works properly!



Amen to that! It must be nice to have functioning radio again! The OEM beat stereo seems to be a bit of fragile unit, with replacement parts near impossible to find!

Your single DIN looks good...really good! Also, good job on moving the heater controls as well! That must have been a good amount of work!

Take care,

[Beat Red]

That looks really nice! When do you start production? What did you have to do to modify the heater controls.

Steve

[bigB]

I too, fabricated a new console. :)

Only one cable needs to be extended or replaced, I got a longer one from a Civic at the wrecker. It's a simple push/pull, about 35cm long. I could have used a simple bicycle brake cable unit. All the electrical wires/plugs will easily extend to accommodate the new position.

You have to remove some of the flimsy sheet metal behind the console, and add some new to hold the heater unit. The new stereo head unit is held by the console, and a rear hanger. 3-4 hour job, $20-$30 cost.

Being able to play mp3 from a 2gig usb dongle, priceless!

[Ross_Ashley]

hanks Steve,

I found a thick piece of wire in my garage and made a loop on the end of it with my vice and a hammer and then just bolted it to the end of the existing wire, only needed to be extended by about 9cm,and it worked out just fine. I did buy a bicycle brake cable at first but realised that it was just too flexible to work.
To make the panel I took the whole console out and then with the radio still in I taped thin card over the front of the whole thing, then covered it in cling film and put two layers of fibreglass over the top. The surround for the heater controls isn't just the panel from the top moved down as it is too big to fit, I traced the orginal onto the new panel and cut it out.
All the electrical wires for the radio and the heater are long enough to fit without being modified. But I did have to use an aerial extender cable.
I fixed the heater controls straight to the back of the new console, rather than screwed to the metal frame behind it as originally.
I did take far longer than I thought it would though. A whole weekend and a couple of evenings the following week to make it. Its making the fibreglass look reasonable which takes the time!

Thanks,
Ross

[Bumbly1]

BigB, it looks as if you did not need to use fibreglass, is that the case? They both look good to me and my radio is goosed.
Tom

[Ross_Ashley]

Hi,
From the vertical line in the plastic you can see on the side of the console, it is all fibreglass from that point forward.
Ross

[Bumbly1]

I have bought a replacement Gathers radio but whilst looking on Jap Yahoo I see that there are now some proprietory double DIN cases available to fit the Beat.
Tom