I've just bought a Kenwood KDC-W3037 single DIN head unit from Halfrauds with my usual "how hard can it be" attitude towards fitting it and cannot for the life of me work out how you are supposed to secure it into the dash. I have come to the conclusion that I must be missing a part and thought I'd post on here to find out if anyone knows what I am missing and where I can get it :) - I've even resorted to reading the instructions and they are no help as they just say bend the tabs of the mounting cage and screw it in (with screws that aren't included!!! :shock:). The only screw holes behind the radio surround are the 2 at the top but it looks like there used to be 2 more probably about a head unit's size below them but the plastic has been broken (probably by the b@stard that stole the radio before I bought the car) so there is no screw hole on either side anymore but even if they were there there's no way this Kenwood mounting cage would be able to screw into them! Am I missing some sort of Nissan mounting cage?

 

My plan is to fit the head unit into the bottom unit and make a piece of chrome plate with "Nissan 300ZX" cut out of it and backlight it red to match the head unit illumination instead of a standard blanking plate :)

 

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for a brushed aluminium dash kit and photos they can upload? I've looked on eBay but there's no pictures of the kit fitted so I'm not to keen on buying one without looking at it first. What actually is it that you get when you buy a dash kit? Just pre cut out sticky backed stuff?

 

And finally, are the Door/Dash/Consol leather trim kit and the seat trim kit from Zcentre any good?

 

Thanks,

James

Re: Your radio.

 

If you are taking the front panel out to mount the radio how Nissan intended then you will not need a cage, the radio should have holes down both sides of it and you simply screw the two brackets onto the radio and then screw the brackets back into the car and put the front back on the middle dash section.

 

If however you are fitting it like most cars are, from the front then you simply need to push the cage in (without taking centre dash section off), bend a couple of the prongs so the cage can't slip out and then just puch the radio into it and it will clip into the cage and be secure.

 

I apologise for th unclear intructions, but it is very hard to explain.

 

HTH :)

 

p.s. If you are fitting it using the cage and without taking the centre dash section out, you would be better fitting it to the top din hole and the bottom one is slightly smaller i believe. :)

 

 

 

 

If anyone else can explain better than me, please do so :rofl:

You need the mounting brackets as you don't require the cage. The mounting brackets secure to lugs that sit behind the central fascia. Similar to the brackets on this....this is my old twin DIN headunits...I have to modify this to fit my 2din touchscreen headunit and 2din fascia.

 

I believe one of these brackets is up on ebay if you have a hunt about along with a bose centre speaker. Just don't fit that, but use the bracket to mount to the stereo....infact, what happened to the mount from your old headunit?

 

Cheers for the pic FunkySi! That mounting bracket is the bit I'm missing! I don't know where the mounting bracket has gone! I can only assume that the person that stole the previous head unit took that as well! The lugs have broken off the dash for the lower screws :( but I think it will be alright with just the top ones. Will look for the bracket on eBay.

 

Cheers,

James

Cheers for the pic FunkySi! That mounting bracket is the bit I'm missing! I don't know where the mounting bracket has gone! I can only assume that the person that stole the previous head unit took that as well! The lugs have broken off the dash for the lower screws :( but I think it will be alright with just the top ones. Will look for the bracket on eBay.

 

Cheers,

James

 

If all else fails you can fit it from the front using a cage :) I've done it, it fits great and i've had no probs :)

Cheers the reply again zx-eyes - so without the mounting bracket is it basically just a case of chucking it in the hole and bending some of the tabs of the Kenwood mounting cage so it can't be pulled out of the front? How would I be able to put it into the top DIN slot like this? Wouldn't it just fall down? :confused: It does seem very hard to explain!

 

Cheers,

James

And finally, are the Door/Dash/Consol leather trim kit and the seat trim kit from Zcentre any good?

 

 

Yes :D I have yet to fit mine :wack:

Cheers for the reply Paul. Now to decide what colours to have....:D

 

Regards,

James

Cheers the reply again zx-eyes - so without the mounting bracket is it basically just a case of chucking it in the hole and bending some of the tabs of the Kenwood mounting cage so it can't be pulled out of the front? How would I be able to put it into the top DIN slot like this? Wouldn't it just fall down? :confused: It does seem very hard to explain!

 

Cheers,

James

 

 

The cage has a lip alround the front of it to stop it from falling in the hole, that is what the cage is for bud. On most cars this is how the head unit is fitted.

 

You literally push the cage into the top din hole and you will see straight away that it will not fall in. When you have pushed it in bend a couple of the prongs to stop the cage from sliding forward. Then you simply plug the head unit in and push it into the cage and the cage is specially designed to lock the head unit into place.

 

So trying to put it even simpler than that -

 

1) Push cage in

2) bend a couple of prongs on cage, to stop movement

3) plug headunit in (don't forget aerial)

4) push headunit into cage.

JOB DONE :)

 

HTH :)

Cheers for the reply zx-eyes. What I mean is - what supports the back of it? Does the back not just fall into the cavity behind the radio surround? I haven't had chance to try fitting the head unit again using the method you've described but I may have a chance to get hold of a proper mounting bracket anyway - still waiting for someone to get back to me on that. Like I said I've already sorted out the wiring but when I switched it on I noticed a rattling noise coming from the 6x9s in the back. At first I thought they may have glass in them from when the window was smashed and the radio stolen - but found out one of the 6x9s is actually blown. Anyone got any recommendations for CHEAP replacements? I emphasise cheap cause I'm not really into the whole I.C.E part of cars so I just want something that doesn't make a rattling noise that is ok sound quality wise :)

 

Regards,

James

What about these: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_264419_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_82387_crumb_31265-31371-38226_parentcategoryrn_82387? They're a little more expensive than I was looking for but I was always thought infinity was supposed to be good and those seem like real value for money from the reviews I've read. Any ICE enthusiasts got any comments about these?

 

Cheers,

James

i've got those, think theyre great :)

 

 

 

What about these: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_264419_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_82387_crumb_31265-31371-38226_parentcategoryrn_82387? They're a little more expensive than I was looking for but I was always thought infinity was supposed to be good and those seem like real value for money from the reviews I've read. Any ICE enthusiasts got any comments about these?

 

Cheers,

James

What about these: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_264419_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_82387_crumb_31265-31371-38226_parentcategoryrn_82387? They're a little more expensive than I was looking for but I was always thought infinity was supposed to be good and those seem like real value for money from the reviews I've read. Any ICE enthusiasts got any comments about these?

 

Cheers,

James

 

I have Vibe speakers and the quality and bass on them is amazing, the guy made a mistake on the speakers and i only ended up paying £40 for them ;)

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_236743_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_82387_crumb_31265-31371-38226_parentcategoryrn_82387

 

REMEMBER!!!: For me the radio would not work if the cage was not screwed in correctly!!! I screwed it in then the connection was earthed and the radio worked correctly

Cheers for the reply zx-eyes. What I mean is - what supports the back of it? Does the back not just fall into the cavity behind the radio surround? I haven't had chance to try fitting the head unit again using the method you've described but I may have a chance to get hold of a proper mounting bracket anyway - still waiting for someone to get back to me on that. Like I said I've already sorted out the wiring but when I switched it on I noticed a rattling noise coming from the 6x9s in the back. At first I thought they may have glass in them from when the window was smashed and the radio stolen - but found out one of the 6x9s is actually blown. Anyone got any recommendations for CHEAP replacements? I emphasise cheap cause I'm not really into the whole I.C.E part of cars so I just want something that doesn't make a rattling noise that is ok sound quality wise :)

 

Regards,

James

 

Just a quick one bud, nothing supports in at the back, it does'nt need anything, it supports itself :) Thats how mine is and i'v fitted hundreds of radios in the exact same way. :)

I have Vibe speakers and the quality and bass on them is amazing, the guy made a mistake on the speakers and i only ended up paying £40 for them

lucky b******!! Doubt that would happen for me!

 

Just a quick one bud, nothing supports in at the back, it does'nt need anything, it supports itself Thats how mine is and i'v fitted hundreds of radios in the exact same way.

OK mate cheers. I'll see if I'm gonna be able to get a mounting cage but if not will just do what you say :)

 

Regards,

James

REMEMBER!!!: For me the radio would not work if the cage was not screwed in correctly!!! I screwed it in then the connection was earthed and the radio worked correctly

 

thats because there is meant to be a ground wire bolted to the back of the headunit and pluged into a spade crimp on the chasis behind the head unit, as i think at least some of them came with no ground wire in the wiring loom

vern i have the brackets off my old twindin set up in my garage , yours if you need them

just cover my postage , send me a pm

 

steve

ianl - Yep absolutely right mate. Mine didn't have a ground wire in the loom so I attached one to the ground point behind the radio and soldered it into the Nissan to ISO conversion plug.

 

Steve - Cheers - will see what happens with this one I might be able to get but I'll post on here if I need yours cause I haven't subscribed yet so can't use the pm facility!

 

Quick question on subscription - I know it's nothing to do with the topic but I don't wanna post pointless threads on the board - what are the private members forums that you will apparently get access to if you subscribe?

 

Regards,

James

lucky b******!! Doubt that would happen for me!

 

 

OK mate cheers. I'll see if I'm gonna be able to get a mounting cage but if not will just do what you say :)

 

Regards,

James

 

LOL yea i kinda ran out of halfords when it happened ;)

thats because there is meant to be a ground wire bolted to the back of the headunit and pluged into a spade crimp on the chasis behind the head unit, as i think at least some of them came with no ground wire in the wiring loom

 

Correct, i still have the old headunit which has a 2 pin i think it is to a earth connection

ianl - Yep absolutely right mate. Mine didn't have a ground wire in the loom so I attached one to the ground point behind the radio and soldered it into the Nissan to ISO conversion plug.

 

Steve - Cheers - will see what happens with this one I might be able to get but I'll post on here if I need yours cause I haven't subscribed yet so can't use the pm facility!

 

Quick question on subscription - I know it's nothing to do with the topic but I don't wanna post pointless threads on the board - what are the private members forums that you will apparently get access to if you subscribe?

 

Regards,

James

 

 

Quick question on subscription - I know it's nothing to do with the topic but I don't wanna post pointless threads on the board - what are the private members forums that you will apparently get access to if you subscribe

.

.

subscribe and come in..:)

LOL yea i kinda ran out of halfords when it happened ;)

 

Lol I can imagine - knowing my luck if that had happened something would go wrong with them and they would have to be taken back!!

 

subscribe and come in..:)

 

Will do when I next get paid - was just wondering what extra forums there is :)

 

Cheers,

James

i brough fli speaker for mine a nice sound and reasnoble money to these came from halfords

Cheers for the reply nellys300zx - can't see any FLI speakers on there at the moment though. Isn't FLI a branch of Vibe though?

 

Looks like it's gonna be a choice between the Infinity Reference 9623i or the Kenwood KFC-6970ie from Halfords cause they're both the same price. I'm favouring the Infinitys at the moment - are they the best choice out of these two? I want something new and the idea with buying them from Halfords is that I can easily take them back if something goes wrong as opposed to if I bought it from eBay or similar :)

 

Cheers,

James

Or even the Vibe Slick 69.2? I'm not sure what to do lol. I've read good and bad reviews about all of them! All the choices I've got are on this page of the Halfords website:

Like I said I'm favouring the Infinitys at the moment because they're 3 way (as opposed to the 2 way Vibes), powerful and I've heard that Infinity is supposed to be good.

 

Cheers,

James

Vern, found the answer for you. Zcentre do the brackets you're after. Click on link.

 

These allow you to fit twin headunits as seen in some of the Japanese cars that come over.

 

http://www.zcentre.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=21_43_53&products_id=330