Quick guide to 7" screen into dash - Saxperience

Classy · 19th January 2012, 01:57

After popping up my cars build thread, a member asked me how I built my screen into my dash. So I thought I’d pop up a quick how to, of how I did it…
It took around 4-5 hours of work to complete.. Obviously this was stretched over a few days due to drying times and being lazy!!

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Materials I used…
1 old T-shirt,
Fibreglass resin & catalyst (hardener)
Paint Brushes
Sandpaper 120 Grit & 800 Grit
Hot Glue Gun
Plastic Filler Primer
Filler (p38 etc)
Paint
7” Cheap Ebay Monitor

How To….
I started by removing the middle panel out of my saxo’s dashboard and began to trim the section out of the plastic between where the switches go, and the single din headunit.

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I kept trimming away the plastic until i was happy with the placing of the screen.. I then took apart the screen by removing the screws on the back of it… (it literally fell apart when the monitor screws were removed).
The screen frame was then positioned back in place onto the dash, and glue gunned in place in the correct viewing position. To glue gun it, I used the bits of broken plastic (From the trimming), and glued these to the sides of the screen to the central dash section as shown here.. Then spread glue wherever the screen came in contact with the dash section.
I had to hold until the hot glue had cured cold and solid…

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I checked I was happy with the position, and then removed this part out of the car, and indoors where it was a lot warmer to work…
I got the glue gun back on, and while that was warming up, cut a huge square of cloth out of an old tea shirt… you can use dust sheets, fleece or cotton… Just something that will absorb the resin and dry…
With the glue gun hot, I put a blob of glue on the rear of the dash panel and stuck the edge of the cloth into it. When that was dry, I pulled the fabric across the front and back around to the rear of the other side… again gluing into position… With any left-over bits of fabric, these will also need to be glued (like the bottom section..i ran a bead of glue right across the panel and stuck the fabric down)
Basically you want your fabric stretched all over the TV frame, and then glued around the back of the panel, keeping the fabric tight ready for the resin…
With this done, the glue gun can be turned off and put away… and then its time for the resin…
I got an old paint can lid, and poured in my resin… I used polyester resin with styrene (due to having loads left over)… however if this is just a one off project, you can use a fibreglass matting repair kit from Halfords for under £10… (It’s in a yellow box if my memory serves me correctly)…
Add in the hardener and then stir with your paintbrush… Once ready, brush all over the fabric and leave to fully dry… Can take between 20 min’s and 2 hours depending how you mix the hardener….
Once it’s fully dry, test how strong it is by applying light pressure to the fabric…. I recoated the fabric on mine a second time with a thick coating… and found that the material was solid enough to skim fill, rather than needing to apply a layer of fibreglass matting…
This is how my panel looked after 2 coats…. Also you can see where I applied the glue on the bottom section of the screen (where the heater controls are)…

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With the panel completely cured, I cut the access material off with a Stanley blade and then gave a quick dust over with some 120 grade sand paper to remove all the small lumps & brush hairs (thanks to using crap brushes)… Here you will find that the hot glue gun should pull off with a little aid from the Stanley blade..

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At this stage its best to check it fits the car still, and that you haven’t warped the panel with the work you have already carried out…
Mine fitted perfectly, so was now ready for skimming with filler

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Now its time to crack open the filler….
I mixed up a small amount of filler & hardener and skimmed over the new part of the panel, trying to spread it as thinly as possible, and blend into the original part of the panel… Once dry this was then shaped with the 800 grit.. It could be done with lower paper and built up through the stages, however if the filler is thinly applied it’s easier to sand and less prone to cracking down the line. The shape should already be near spot on due to the way the fabric was applied… At this point I went through the filler in places, and gave these parts a second coat and sand…. This is the point where you need to remove any blemishes ready for the primer…
At no point do you want to wet sand… due to both the filler and primer being porous, you could cause an issue with the final paint finish.. So only dry sand!!

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With the filler as smooth as you can get, its time to crack out the plastic filler primer… Mine was bought from Halfords in a small can with a yellow lid…
I gave the item a coat, left to dry and then smoothed with the 800 grit (dry)… When done, the panel was cleaned, resprayed with filler and then sanded again, however this time I rubbed two pieces of 800 grit together, and used one of these pieces to key the surface ready for the final paint coat.. This gives you a lighter key (like using 1200ish grit paper)…

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Once I was happy it was all fine and dandy… I cracked open my final paint… This could be any car colour… however I chose to paint mine in Upol PlastX bumper repair paint… This is due to wanting my part to look like an OEM type panel in my car…
I applied one coat… left to cure… wet sanded (with a dab of fairy liquid)… cleaned and left to dry… Then recoated a few more times….
The piece was left 24 hours and then built back up & fitted….

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The screen was bonded in place with a mix of hot glue & grip fill… I didn’t want to just use hot glue, due to the panel being in the car in such hot and cold extremes… I was worried that the glue may become brittle after a year or two.

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With it all done and dusted, it’s time to fit into the car….
My headunit is being located into the glove box, hence why the screens not wired up… However I will update the thread to show you what I’ve done with it, just as soon as the part I need has arrived in the post. Im also relocating the hazard and rear screen switch to the centre part around the gear stick.. Im going to start on that panel in the next few days, and incorping an ipod dock into that panel too... 

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iDale · 19th January 2012, 03:34

Fantasic guide mate and very nice work, I'll certainly be making an effort to copy at some point

I'm assuming it'd work just the same with a 7" screened headunit?

tichy · 19th January 2012, 07:27

Cheers mate great guide I will have ago at this mate, you future plans sound good think ill keep an eye on this thread

tomsmarty · 19th January 2012, 10:53

Great guide buddy.

wassy78 · 19th January 2012, 11:40

great guide looks really good

i see we have a mad mike 2

Ovens282 · 19th January 2012, 12:11

Where did you relocate the buttons to then?

holdawayt · 19th January 2012, 12:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ovens282

Where did you relocate the buttons to then?

Read the thread.

danny-vts · 19th January 2012, 12:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ovens282

Where did you relocate the buttons to then?

did you only look at the pictures?

OP very nice work, and great guide.

wassy78 · 19th January 2012, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ovens282

Where did you relocate the buttons to then?

theres always one .....guy goes to the time to make a thread even said were things are going . arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Classy · 19th January 2012, 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ovens282

Where did you relocate the buttons to then?

Being located in the bottom panel (the plastic bit around the gear stick)... However if your lazy, there is enough length to route them into your glove box... Just drill a 20mm hole in the back of it and pass the wires though... (ive had to drill mine ready for the head unit)...

Will post up some snaps in my build thread when i get around to sorting it, as i havent even started on that panel yet lol...

Classy · 19th January 2012, 15:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by iDale

Fantasic guide mate and very nice work, I'll certainly be making an effort to copy at some point

I'm assuming it'd work just the same with a 7" screened headunit?

Think you will have an issue...

If i was doing a double din headunit, i would try and get hold of another surround from another car which has the ability to have a double din... and then cut it up, and blend the double din surround into your saxo panel..

Not sure if you would have clearance issues at the rear running a double din... you mayhave to lose the heater section

For the surround id try and blend something like this in...http://www.online-caraudio.co.uk/sho...onlinecaraudio

Least it then means you can install your headunit, and get it back out again..

Ovens282 · 22nd January 2012, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by holdawayt

Read the thread.

I didnt quite understand so im asking for further details

Quote:

Originally Posted by danny-vts

did you only look at the pictures?

OP very nice work, and great guide.

Nope i've read the whole thing im just asking for further details as im new to everything within modifying

Quote:

Originally Posted by wassy78

theres always one .....guy goes to the time to make a thread even said were things are going . arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Theres no need to get aggy. I asked a simple question and wanted a simple answer to expand upon what i've already read

Quote:

Originally Posted by Classy

Being located in the bottom panel (the plastic bit around the gear stick)... However if your lazy, there is enough length to route them into your glove box... Just drill a 20mm hole in the back of it and pass the wires though... (ive had to drill mine ready for the head unit)...

Will post up some snaps in my build thread when i get around to sorting it, as i havent even started on that panel yet lol...

Thanks mate much appreciated

beaniehat · 19th February 2012, 22:47

Top effort mate. You going to do little guides for all of these interior mods or just keep the updates in your progress thread?

Sam_W · 20th August 2012, 10:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Classy

Think you will have an issue...

If i was doing a double din headunit, i would try and get hold of another surround from another car which has the ability to have a double din... and then cut it up, and blend the double din surround into your saxo panel..

Not sure if you would have clearance issues at the rear running a double din... you mayhave to lose the heater section

For the surround id try and blend something like this in...http://www.online-caraudio.co.uk/sho...onlinecaraudio

Least it then means you can install your headunit, and get it back out again..

Double DIN is a bit of a headache, What I did was go to halfords and buy a Mk5 Golf Double Din surround, and bond that in, you also need to get rid of the support for the central air duct

check out my thread for w.i.p pics!

KyleBailey7791 · 21st August 2012, 21:16

Good guide, I still don't think I'll be able to pull this off tho, probz end up fucking something up

benhomer · 18th September 2013, 21:31

awesome guide, saved it in my favourites for future reference