Double DIN Defender dashes - anyone done one?

[DiscoMick]

Looking at an ad for a double DIN fascia from TMD in Land Rover Monthly and thinking how cool it would be to fit one to our Defender. Only 295 pounds plus shipping. Obviously there's some work involved in fitting it. I think you have to cut off the unit with the clock and dual air vents and re-fit them. Then everything has to be connected up. I can see several hours of labour there. Plus a sceen unit has to be chosen and fitted.
It would be great not to have several units, such as a GPS, reversing camera and so on, cluttering up the dash.
So, has anyone on AULRO done this? Did it work? What did you learn?


Sent from my GT-P5210 using AULRO mobile app

[Scouse]

There was a thread a couple of months ago:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/90-110-130-defender-county/222139-double-din-sat-nav-defender.html


If that doesn't cover what you need, try the other threads too:
defender double din - Google Search (http://cse.google.com.au/cse?cx=partner-pub-3748326773257940:4571698332&ie=UTF-8&q=defender+double+din&sa=Search&ref=www.aulro.com/afvb/search.php%3Fsearchid%3D5688806#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=defender%20double%20din&gsc.page=1)


That should keep you busy :) - I just wish us Range Rover owners had the same options.....:(.

[enchappo]

I did it last month on my MY15... had been tossing it up for a while and finally bit the bullet. It was a complete PITA to do (for what is actually a very simple job), but I'm very glad I did it - I love the result.

Didn't take any pictures, but happy to give any tips you need beyond the threads linked above.

[AndyG]

Did you look at Nugget 's 130 thread, a slightly different solution

[DiscoMick]

Thanks for the replies, I'l have a look at your suggestions. I didn't realise there had been threads on this, as I don't remember ever seeing one. Maybe I need to pay more attention.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using AULRO mobile app

[barkingmad]

I had a test drive in a 90 that had a double din fitted and was really impressed how OEM looking it was. It was one of the first things I intended to do to mine when it arrives in December.

However I have since found an 8 inch screen which is slightly larger than a standard double din that I would like to use :(

@enchappo (or anyone else that has done a double din upgrade) - would you be willing to part with your old single din panel?

[DiscoMick]

I did it last month on my MY15... had been tossing it up for a while and finally bit the bullet. It was a complete PITA to do (for what is actually a very simple job), but I'm very glad I did it - I love the result.

Didn't take any pictures, but happy to give any tips you need beyond the threads linked above.

Would you mind explaining why it was a PITA? Also what double DIN unit you used. The ads I've seen suggest a price to Australia of over $600 - is that right?
I read an English explanation using a German (Nakanga?) unit and the guy said you had to cut off the top part with the air vents and clock and then add a unit to the dash panel for them, but he didn't show how that fitted the dash. Do you loose the air vents from the top part - they don't seem to be in the additional part shown in pictures, or have I got that wrong? Do the air vents and clock remain on the top part of the dash?
Will the resulting space take any Double DIN or are there limits on what will fit? For example, would a Hema unit fit?
The Navigator is quite keen on this idea after seeing the one the son fitted to his Hilux, which already had a double DIN space, so I might strike while the iron is hot and at least buy the dash unit for future fitting.

[DiscoMick]

There was a thread a couple of months ago:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/90-110-130-defender-county/222139-double-din-sat-nav-defender.html


If that doesn't cover what you need, try the other threads too:
defender double din - Google Search (http://cse.google.com.au/cse?cx=partner-pub-3748326773257940:4571698332&ie=UTF-8&q=defender+double+din&sa=Search&ref=www.aulro.com/afvb/search.php%3Fsearchid%3D5688806#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=defender%20double%20din&gsc.page=1)


That should keep you busy :) - I just wish us Range Rover owners had the same options.....:(.


Mods feel free to merge these threads if you think that is a good idea to avoid cluttering up the forum. I don't want to cause confusion.

[MLD]

brendanm completed the installation recently. PM him if you hit a cross road. Brendan might be able to offer guidance on a suitable alternative double din unit. He was looking at options beyond Alpine and Pioneer etc.

It's still on my to do list but i'm after a headunit that will accept dual camera feeds and i'm scared off by the prices that Alpine, Pioneer etc want to charge.

MLD

[DiscoMick]

brendanm completed the installation recently. PM him if you hit a cross road. Brendan might be able to offer guidance on a suitable alternative double din unit. He was looking at options beyond Alpine and Pioneer etc.

It's still on my to do list but i'm after a headunit that will accept dual camera feeds and i'm scared off by the prices that Alpine, Pioneer etc want to charge.

MLD

Yes, some of the prices are pretty high. The son got one off ebay for about $500 and fitted it himself, but his Hilux already had a double DIN space, so it was pretty straight forward compared with the Defender.

[enchappo]

Would you mind explaining why it was a PITA? Also what double DIN unit you used. The ads I've seen suggest a price to Australia of over $600 - is that right?
I read an English explanation using a German (Nakanga?) unit and the guy said you had to cut off the top part with the air vents and clock and then add a unit to the dash panel for them, but he didn't show how that fitted the dash. Do you loose the air vents from the top part - they don't seem to be in the additional part shown in pictures, or have I got that wrong? Do the air vents and clock remain on the top part of the dash?
Will the resulting space take any Double DIN or are there limits on what will fit? For example, would a Hema unit fit?
The Navigator is quite keen on this idea after seeing the one the son fitted to his Hilux, which already had a double DIN space, so I might strike while the iron is hot and at least buy the dash unit for future fitting.


Hi Mick,

There are a bunch of different people who re-sell the double DIN defender fascia units, but I believe almost all are manufactured in Germany (not sure if Nakatanenga is actually the manufacturer or just the primary distributor). I bought mine (online) from Land Rover Tuning here in NSW. As far as I could tell when I was looking, the landed cost is pretty much around the $600 mark regardless of where you buy it from. Which is bloody steep for a bit of plastic! If someone can easily replicate them for less there's a market there I would have thought...

You have to cut off (and keep, so cut it neatly :eek:) the part at the top with the air vents and clock. That gets reinstalled above the new double DIN fascia. You also have to trim back the base of the clock housing, which would hit your new stereo/navi unit otherwise.

I think it takes any 7" unit, but I don't know so double check this. I installed the Alpine INE-W957A, which is great (but not cheap). Lots of options on ebay though.

Really the only reason it was a PITA is because I kept trying to take shortcuts... I thought I could get away without separating the wiring loom to the switches (and then with only separating it less than ended up being necessary), and without removing the metal bracket which sits directly behind where the new stereo unit would go. Lesson: you do need to do these things. Otherwise you've got to disconnect all your switch wiring and pull the bloody thing out again. Multiple times. I did manage to do it without extending the loom though, so that was a big plus.

Another thing to watch out for is to make sure you've got compatible plugs to connect the new unit to the old loom - should ideally be mostly plug and play, but there are lots of different connectors out there (even in the same brand stereo) so just check. May need to wire into the handbrake warning lamp circuit (or just earth this wire) depending on what sort of system you install.

Other than that, cutting dash panel beside the steering wheel to fit the new relocated switch panel took me some time to get right... I erred on the side of cutting it too small to start off with, and it took a lot of fiddling to enlarge to exactly the right size. That's probably just operator error though!

Anything else just ask.

Nick

[DiscoMick]

Hi Mick,

There are a bunch of different people who re-sell the double DIN defender fascia units, but I believe almost all are manufactured in Germany (not sure if Nakatanenga is actually the manufacturer or just the primary distributor). I bought mine (online) from Land Rover Tuning here in NSW. As far as I could tell when I was looking, the landed cost is pretty much around the $600 mark regardless of where you buy it from. Which is bloody steep for a bit of plastic! If someone can easily replicate them for less there's a market there I would have thought...

You have to cut off (and keep, so cut it neatly :eek:) the part at the top with the air vents and clock. That gets reinstalled above the new double DIN fascia. You also have to trim back the base of the clock housing, which would hit your new stereo/navi unit otherwise.

I think it takes any 7" unit, but I don't know so double check this. I installed the Alpine INE-W957A, which is great (but not cheap). Lots of options on ebay though.

Really the only reason it was a PITA is because I kept trying to take shortcuts... I thought I could get away without separating the wiring loom to the switches (and then with only separating it less than ended up being necessary), and without removing the metal bracket which sits directly behind where the new stereo unit would go. Lesson: you do need to do these things. Otherwise you've got to disconnect all your switch wiring and pull the bloody thing out again. Multiple times. I did manage to do it without extending the loom though, so that was a big plus.

Another thing to watch out for is to make sure you've got compatible plugs to connect the new unit to the old loom - should ideally be mostly plug and play, but there are lots of different connectors out there (even in the same brand stereo) so just check. May need to wire into the handbrake warning lamp circuit (or just earth this wire) depending on what sort of system you install.

Other than that, cutting dash panel beside the steering wheel to fit the new relocated switch panel took me some time to get right... I erred on the side of cutting it too small to start off with, and it took a lot of fiddling to enlarge to exactly the right size. That's probably just operator error though!

Anything else just ask.

Nick

Thanks for that detailed answer - very helpful. I'm just trying to figure out if I will do it. I like the idea but I can see the costs mounting, particularly if I got an installer to do it.

[enchappo]

Thanks for that detailed answer - very helpful. I'm just trying to figure out if I will do it. I like the idea but I can see the costs mounting, particularly if I got an installer to do it.

Yep - essentially it's pretty much an expensive way of decluttering the dash. For the money I spent, I could have bought other kit that would actually help make the Defender better at doing what it does best... a winch, etc. But most of my cost was the Alpine unit I put in, and you could do it a heap cheaper. Still, I think you've got to weigh up how much it really matters to you. (Personally I'd definitely still do it if I had my time again... hopefully I'd just do it quicker second time around...)

Unless you can find an installer who has actually done this install on a Defender previously -and there wouldn't be too many around - I reckon you're better off to do it yourself (unless they guarantee a fixed price beforehand that you're happy with). The tricky/time consuming bits are the quirky things that you'd already know more about from reading these and other threads (lots on Defender2 btw) than they would. And there's nothing challenging electricallly or mechanically.

[MarkM]

I bought the kit straight from Germany 'cause at the time it seemed cheaper than Oz stockist. Was probably just a currency fluctuations thing.

I got Northfield car sound at Nundah to fit it, along with purchasing an Alpine unit and reversing cam from them, which they did for a very reasonable price, IMO not worth the time spoken of on here. They did a good job. I think the profit on sale of the unit probably cross subsidises the install.

Northfield can also source the kit, but at similar price.

I'm very happy with the result

[karlz]

Ive just spent a sheet load at Freeway audio in Dandenong.
Funny how a query on Reverse sensors/camera turns into a conversation about 2-din install. I put a grand down to lesson the burden come payment time, which hopefully is next week when they do the install.
I'll post pics when its done.

I ordered:-

Alpine INE-W987D
Stinger 2 Din Fascia
Reverse camera integrated into the Alpine Head unit (turns on when reverse selected)
Reverse Sensors (drilled into rear bumper)
Fitting included etc..

[D90 orkney]

Just put in a flip out sat Nav deck. That's what I did. Alpine make a great one

[Baytown]

I was going to so the same but was concerned with the effect of corrigations, vibration etc on the flip out mechanism.
Do you think its an issue?
Ken


Just put in a flip out sat Nav deck. That's what I did. Alpine make a great one

[D90 orkney]

I was going to so the same but was concerned with the effect of corrigations, vibration etc on the flip out mechanism.
Do you think its an issue?
Ken

Yeah I worry about it when off road. I just flip it back in when it's rough road. I don't need the sat Nav when I'm off road. I like to use maps and iPad

[digger]

I am interested in doing this

I thimk I'll get my wireless from this mob...
( direct from factory in most cases)

Shop 7" double din dvd cd gps reverse camera bluetooth online Gallery - Buy 7" double din dvd cd gps reverse camera bluetooth for unbeatable low prices on AliExpress.com (http://www.aliexpress.com/af/7%2522-double-din--dvd-cd-gps-reverse-camera-bluetooth.html?ltype=wholesale&d=y&origin=n&isViewCP=y&spm=2114.30010308.0.328.ZQtVjJ&site=glo&g=y&SortType=price_desc&SearchText=7%22+double+din++dvd+cd+gps+reverse+cam era+bluetooth&isAffiliate=y&initiative_id=SB_20160309154831&shipCountry=AU&needQuery=n)

worth a look

[DiscoMick]

I've gone off this because of the cost. I can't justify spending some two grand on it. I have other priorities.

[karlz]

Ive just spent a sheet load at Freeway audio in Dandenong.
Funny how a query on Reverse sensors/camera turns into a conversation about 2-din install. I put a grand down to lesson the burden come payment time, which hopefully is next week when they do the install.
I'll post pics when its done.

I ordered:-

Alpine INE-W987D
Stinger 2 Din Fascia
Reverse camera integrated into the Alpine Head unit (turns on when reverse selected)
Reverse Sensors (drilled into rear bumper)
Fitting included etc..


Here are a couple of Pics - Im very happy with results.

(I will probably fill the round empty space with a dual battery monitor)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/09/711.jpg (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/karlrz/media/2%20Din%20Alpine%20INE-W987D/2%20Din%20Alpine%20W987D-1%201_zpstofgpvci.jpg.html)
The Unit tilts out if desired and it remembers your last setting.
Its handy when the suns out.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/09/710.jpg (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/karlrz/media/2%20Din%20Alpine%20INE-W987D/2%20Din%20Alpine%20W987D-1%202_zpshe4z1p20.jpg.html)

[DiscoMick]

That does look good.