nipper Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 After staring and staring at Blus dashboard realizing everythig is in the wrong place. The heater controls (simple design) are mounted high. The stero is in the top of the double din, and the JDM gauges is in the bottom din. The stero will stay where it is. As nice as it would be to move it to the heater controls, there is not enough depth there. ONe option is to angle up the JDM gauges. They are well lit, almost to well lit, so hard to read at night being so low (2" dia). I will fiddle with that and see what that does. Next choice was to mount the stereo at the lowest din, but it is already hard enough to read as it is sometimes. And now with the blutooth going through the stero, i want to see the caller ID. Plan C. Move the heater panle to the bottom DIN, and the gauges to where the heater contol panel is. I would like to have another DIN trim panel to experiment with (anyone) before I cut up my hard-to-find woodgrained panel. I know the harness has to be extended ( alittle wire and solder does wonders). The temp control cable shoul be a non issue. Mounting the panel may be a little difficult. I need a panel made from plastic for the JDM gauges, or some other metod to mount the gauge panel. Luckily it looks really easy to do it. Am i missing anything? Does anyone have the DIN radio trim panel they can spare? thanks nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrturbo Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 That should be interesting. After reading this I went down stairs to my stock room and started looking at din pockets,mounting brackets, and HVAC controls. It should look sweet! The angle on the HVAC controls should work pretty nice to be mounted low. Looks like you will need to trim the tabs off of the side of the control panel or create new mounting in the dash for them. I know the RS guys do this sort of thing all of the time. Take pics!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 That should be interesting. After reading this I went down stairs to my stock room and started looking at din pockets,mounting brackets, and HVAC controls. It should look sweet! The angle on the HVAC controls should work pretty nice to be mounted low. Looks like you will need to trim the tabs off of the side of the control panel or create new mounting in the dash for them. I know the RS guys do this sort of thing all of the time. Take pics!!!! Well one nice thing about the sooby controls, they are simple, and i have them basically memorized. I just wish i had a radio din trim peice to work with first. I will try jusyt angling up the guages first, but i dont think i will get a teep enough angle. The gauges are metric, so there isnt a huge amount of sweep on the oil pressure. I think i also figured out how to wire the bulbs so that they dimm properly nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 I am not sure i can do what i want to do. To put the control panel on the bottom would require trimming away a lot of the plastic, to where there is 1/8 of an inch of material between the din and the ash tray. I know its just cosmetic. I wish i had another one to practice with first to see if it would work. I also have to make the din wider. Mounting it is easily dealt with. I may just swap the radio and gauges first and see how that works out. That will buy me time to find another trim panel to experiment with. I have been watching for another wood trim panel but havent seen any. I am begninig to thik mine is rare. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 Yes i am talking to myself. Ok the stereo is at the bottom DIN. i had to move the steering wheel controls for better reception but it looks good there. So it will stay. The gauges are much better higher, b ut the cup holder hides them. So that makes life a little easier. I will study moving the HVAC controls to the top dins, and the gauges to the din location. Part of the gauge issue is 46yo eyes and 2" gauges. I MAY be convinced to give the JDM gauges for quality slightly bigger gauges. hehehe nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrturbo Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Takin any pics as you go along? Just curious to see what it looks like. I need some ideas myself. I am starting to get annoyed driving the 95-99 body style legos.....they are so blah interior wise. Especially driving customers 00-07 subes during the day, jumping into my 96 OB hurts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAWalker Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Takin any pics as you go along? Just curious to see what it looks like. I need some ideas myself. I am starting to get annoyed driving the 95-99 body style legos.....they are so blah interior wise. Especially driving customers 00-07 subes during the day, jumping into my 96 OB hurts The late model interiors don't do it for me. Looks to much like a bunch of painted plastic. I like my '98 interior. Lets see some pic's nipper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 I can take a picture of what it looks like now, but it seems i can get the trim peices from a board member. If I can, then I am going to swap things around. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 For you picture whores :-p This si what it looks like now Open the cup holder, and you cant see the gauges Open the cup holder with the CB Here is all the rim off the center of the dash and the guts of the JDM gauges nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAWalker Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Switching the gauges and the HVAC controls would make for a better layout for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotshot Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 I am somewhat curious about how you have the wood grain din trim. I also have a '97 Outback Wagon Limited, and it has the other bits of wood grain trim on the shifter and the window control switches. I must admit that I never seen an Outback of that particular shade of blue on the road either. I have to agree with you that none of the controls came where they should have been. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends up. And if you decide to swap out the gauges, I would be happy to take those off your hands! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 I am somewhat curious about how you have the wood grain din trim. I also have a '97 Outback Wagon Limited, and it has the other bits of wood grain trim on the shifter and the window control switches. I must admit that I never seen an Outback of that particular shade of blue on the road either. I have to agree with you that none of the controls came where they should have been. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends up. And if you decide to swap out the gauges, I would be happy to take those off your hands! The car interior is all original accept what I added. I havent swapped any trim, and I bought it from the original owner. I know I paid premium for the Blu, I would have accepted Red or Green too. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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