| Odd question this one.. my parents in Hong Kong have a Vspec '92 MX-5 ( the cars there are Europe/Asian hybrids) one thing that it does retain from the asian design is the double din radio, which unfortunatley is knackered!! Since they do not wish to have to pay mazda to replace the system, they asked that I might buy a UK stereo and bring it over to be fitted when I am next there. The trouble is that as you all know the UK ones are single din. Firstly how hard is it to convert and what is required? Also, the radio is not an issue as they only want the CD function so are there likely to be any other compatability issues?? Thanks for any views on Euno conversions to UK systems. (12/99) |
| Surely it would be much cheaper for them to buy a double DIN system (not from Mazda) in Hong Kong than to buy a set over here. (12/99) |
| Longmill sell a double din radio in the UK for a couple of hundred quid. (12/99) |
| If you want to fit a single-din radio in a double-din slot you just need the mazda 1-din coin tray - it's about 15-25 quid from your Mazda dealer. (12/99) |
| Rather than buy a brand new one why don't you buy a second hand Japanese one that someone is replacing with a UK one. I can't believe that all imported Eunos's retain the Jap Radio and simply use band expanders. It should be cheaper than getting a double din in the UK, in fact I think I know someone with a double din rad/cass/cd from a Toyota Celica....... FM Radio uses Japanese frequencies though. (12/99) |
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My Roadster had a 1.5 (-ish?) din stereo when I imported it, plus a (half-din I suppose) small coin tray thing below it to fill up the rest of the double-din gap. I replaced this combination with a 'standard' european single-din Alpine unit, plus a din-sized coin tray/pocket thing below it. I got the latter from my local (not-so-Roadtser-friendly) Mazda owner for about 25-30 quid. However, double-din stereos *are* available over here. In fact, I saw a Sony one in Halfords this very afternoon. (I think the Toyota Avensis has a double-din Sony unit fitted also. At least some spec models do...) I imagine other stereo manufacturers do them as well. Better to go to a local car hi-fi specialist rather than Halfords to see these. Having said all that, surely there's loads of choice of car stereos in Hong Kong, and surely they're cheaper there as well..? Oh, and do the wavebands span the same frequencies as in the UK? (i.e. Over here FM is 87.5-108MHz I think.) (12/99) |
| The best double-DIN stereos come from the US. Take a look at http://www.alpine1.com for Alpine's range in the US. I'd love one - but the radio just won't work properly here. It uses huge gaps between the frequencies, and so misses out half the stations here. I'd buy one if there was a converter around to do the job of shifting things around so you could bodge the radio tuning (I only listen to one station anyway!), but there isn't. And no, the Jap radio expanders won't work. (12/99) |
| Why not just put a decent head unit in along with a din-size equalizer? That would fill the hole (12/99) |
| I know HK Tellys work fine; parents liked there for a while years ago. Probably the radio is "UK-spec" as well. (12/99) |
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A young lady wants to replace the radio in her Roadster. Her car radio man tells her she needs a deeper 'cubby hole' and something to fill in the hole left in the dash when the original radio is replaced with a 1 DIN unit. I know someone somewhere once posted the pukka Mazda part number for the cubby hole (her local dealership is being about as helpful as you can be without actually telling someone to p**s off). Any thoughts / suggestions from someone who's replaced their Panasonic radios ? I still have my original one (It's not terrific, but I figure a 1.5 DIN unit with a matching CD player that makes it look like a built in 2 DIN unit isn't too attractive to spotty radio thieves......touch wood) (12/99) |
| My double DIN radio has annoyed me once 2 often by either not playing CD's/not turning on, so i'm planning too get a new radio for xmas. Sooooo I was wondering how everyone covered the spare 1 din slot left after changing. Can you get little cubby holes or just blanking plates. A really deep one, with possibly some sort of cover would be really cool. (12/99) |
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You do not actually need a cubby hole .. get some black foam board from a sign maker .. plus 4 off 7gx1/2" or similar chipboard screws with the end filed off. Mount the radio in the top slot using the old radio side mounting rails then fit the foam board under the radio to the removable centre console; there are screw holes hidden behind it. This is the way I have added electric windows and two gauges (carpet between seats) .. it does take a bit of time but just a blanking panel is easy. I also fitted the radio so it's face is flush with the dash rather than sticking out .. as UK cars do .. looks silly IMHO compared to the flush original fitment (another UK importers bodge .. did they do anything right?) Connectors Filler panels Standard wiring [P][ ][ ][Q][R] P,Q,S,V - not used Options Speed of Sound Frequency convertors Double DIN radio/cassette/CDs (taking up the whole radio
hole); Mk 2 Speakers Mk 1 Speakers Bottom main speaker; Door trim top tweeter; My comment on the main speakers would be that the standard door trims are very robust but have 40% steel coverage with a small 4" hole in the hardboard. I removed the Mazda grilles and sandwiched the metal grills of my JBL's between my aluminium speaker surround and the door to allow more air movement (more mesh; less like punched steel plate) and increase the hole to the 131mm of the surround to allow more area. The current design seems to restrict air movement so that any more than a 100 mm moving cone is wasted - and in fact will just start trying to move the door trim panels and so contributes to the whole thing rattling and not producing a clear noise JBL GTO603 3 way speakers (55 GBP) - will fit doors with a bit
of a grind to the outer speaker rim to clear the securing screws
(reuse originals to hold adapter ring) Headrest speakers Subs Amplifiers And then there is Hugo Fiennes MP3 player; Car tax disc aerials for car phones. CD holder for Mk2 |
| Black foam board? What's that? (Any pics?) Sounds like it would be easier to work on than ABS (plastic) ...but maybe not as "OEM" looking? (12/99) |
| Foam Board - or modeling board /plastiboard from Model shops around about £2 for a small sheet in moderate thickness. May even get it at art/craft shop. (12/99) |
| I believe the spare slot left after installing (a single DIN
unit) is going to be taller than 1 DIN.There is some helpful information:
http://realbig.com/miata/miata/95-06/1047.html
Personally I am looking at this: http://www.seriousauto.com/bezel.htm but I am also looking for a Single DIN Blanking Panel and a Quarter DIN pocket. (Anyone have p/n's or URL's?) I agree some sort of cover would be cool, and this is exactly what the author of the above message had installed - although it sounds like her cover was fully detachable, and I think a sprung flap would be nicer, kind of like the flap that guards the cassette slot in a player. How possible is it to work on ABS? Is it easy to bend/form? Do you need special kit? Whilst on the subject, which do people think is safer: face-off radios, or fully-removable radios? I can't help thinking that some stupid ****er would still have a pop at a removable-face radio even with its face off. (12/99) |
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Black 'foam' board is used by sign makers for cheap disposable signs .. it is lightweight, will bruise if you lean on a lump and you can mark it with your nails; it is solid not corrigated. However it is easy to machine/cut with wood working tools .. not a brittle as some Perspex etc when working with routers that move at 20,000 rpm.. I got a 12" square bit for 5 GBP from the local sign maker .. I suspect you could get it FOC if you tried hard enough. Problems; Good points; I mounted the stereo using the old double DIN brackets and then made a surround from the board to cover the gaps... this is screwed to the surround plastic with blunted 7g wood screws (all hidden). (12/99) |
| I have finally got to the front of the waiting list for an Empeg MP3 player, I would ideally like to fit it under my existing radio. there is a blanking plate there with a couple of switch blanks on it. Is there room behind that plate to fit a normal single DIN sized car radio? Can I get any sort of mounting kit to allow me to do this? Finally, are the Clearwater amps available from anyone in the UK, or in the US for that matter? I can't seem to find anyone selling them. (8/00) |
| Moss sell the clearwater stuff. There should be room for another single DIN unit under the radio but it depends on what is behind the blanking plate and whether you can move cables etc. out of the way. (8/00) |
| I'm having a stereo put into my Eunos Roadster and the fitter tells me I need a blanking plate because the hole is bigger than the stereo. Can anyone tell me if this is a standard Mazda part and if so what the part no. is? (9/00) |
| Part no is HE215235 00 and its official description is "ornament tuner" cost 31.41 unofficial description is "poxy little plastic tray that costs a ridiculous amount!" (9/00) |
| I used a cubbyhole from an old mazda - a 626? - local scrappy - cost 2 (1/01) |
