I've been looking at these cheap chinese double din do-it-all headunits on ebay & a friend of mine has just bought one. It is very good, screen is excellent, sound quality is good too.

Has DVD, Sat nav, Bluetooth, SD/USB/ipod, DVB-T... everything I want.

There are some single DIN units around that do all of this but only one I can find that would slot directly into the existing headunit single DIN slot of the fiat.

So...... I am now going to chop up yet another centre console to make a double DIN hole for a cheapo chinese head unit to go in.

My current plan is to chop the bottom out of the centre console, and then to chop up the lower ashtray unit. Then put an aluminium panel (with a double DIN hole) into the large hole that is created.

I'll probably refurb the centre console at the same time... maybe paint, maybe flocked??

What finish would be best with a moon grey dash strip? Perhaps gloss black would work.

Thinking of this cheap Chinese unit:

Headunit

Do it moon grey to match the dash. If your going to bin the bottom half i could do with a new ashtray door as i think i bust mine trying to fit the widget in!

If it ends up going spare then you are welcome to it.
I might already have a spare knocking about the shed, I'll have a dig sometime this weekend.

Not sure whether a moon grey centre console would be a bit too much moon grey and detract from the nice dash strip. I'm leaning towards gloss black or flock. Flock would be very easy as it will be a bit more forgiving.

dont buy this one as it will not open pass gear stick you need one that will open from the top try this site i have had a few from here
http://www.mp3playerstore.com/

I think jonnybravoturbo was selling a flocked one, you could ask him for pics, gloss would look great but you'd be forever polishing the greasy fingerprints off it.

Looks like jonny's your man for flocking flocking

Couldn't buy one from Jonny as I need to cut it first, but suppose I could then get it flocked.

Found loads of places that do flocking, but I'll make sure I ask Jonny for a quote too.

RE: Snagging on gearstick.
Yes, some of them would snag. I'm looking at a few different ones. Some of them don't open in that way, but then you can't adjust the screen angle. I'll have to measure up.

Ideally the wish list is:

• DVB-T
• Sat Nav support (inc GPS antenna)
• DVD
• Bluetooth
• Shipped from UK (can't be bothered with a 4 week wait while someone walks it over to UK customs from china and they sit on it for 2 weeks)
• SD/USB
• Nice looking menus
• Double DIN

Not many around with Nav & DVB-T in the unit. There are some where the screens don't tilt... might be a better idea.
Although, I think it might be a good idea to recess the DIN 5cm anyway as it will be less visible from outside the car and then it shouldn't snag. Most of these 2DIN units with moving screens protrude by about 10cm with the DVD tray open.

Right, plan is definitely double din, can't find a single din with all the features I want.

So I will take my spare console and fabricate an extension to it with fibre glass, reinforce the back of it to support the head unit... I'll have to remove the ashtray and lower surround and fabricate some kind of mounting for the extended console.

Then I think I'll get it flocked in black, and also get the handbrake console flocked in black to match.

To solve the snagging issue I plan on keeping the bottom of the head unit recessed like the normal head unit position, and also put in a short shift kit which will have the added benefit of more clearance from console to gearstick :-)

Got some measuring to do. I suspect I'll also need to chop out some of the metal behind the centre console to fit the double din in that hole, but its not too hard as I did this before for my in car PC.

Spookly please take lots of photos as I will also need to do this on my car

If there is anything i can help with im more than happy too... just drop me a PM

I'm currently trying to figure out how to mount it all. Securing the head unit in place, and also securing the centre console as it will be longer and will no longer use the two existing screws.

I'll let you know if there's anything you can help with... hopefully shouldn't be too taxing.

N.

Still waiting for my coupe to return, so am filling in time selling my massive backlog of Alfa and Fiat parts to save up the beans for some decent equipment.

I plan on fabricating the centre console still. Probably metal reinforcement with fibreglass over the top to make a single centre console from top to bottom with a double DIN hole. Will only fabricate the lower section by adding fibreglass onto the upper console.

Will then get console and handbrake surround console flocked.

Rockford Fosgate Prime 4 channel amp under passenger seat.
Rockford Fosgate Punch components in front, Rockford Fosgate Prime 6x9s in the rear. Will only bother adding more bass if seems lacking after that.

Hi All, sorry to hijack this thread, but I'm also looking at these head units, except the 1 din version with the pop out TFT. I can't find anything on here as to whether this will actually fit. I'm not sure there's enough clearance, but am just curious if anyone has ever managed it

looking at this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/D706-7-1-Din-Car-C...=item563dc0312b

I toyed with the idea of a flip out monitor. There are a few issues. The ribbon cables frequently break, even on Apline units and fixing it isn't cheap even when possible.

Also, on the coupe it is unlikely to fit without spacing the DIN cage forwards (easy), but its then likely to snag on the gear lever especially in 1st, 3rd, 5th.

I've read a few horror stories about the reliability and support of these chinese units, so I have now changed my mind and bought a second hand but mint condition Double DIN Pioneer AVIC D3 off ebay. It has built in Nav/DVD/TMC. I'll have to buy an external bluetooth adaptor if I get round to it.

The plan is to use the AV inputs to the Pioneer, along with a DVB-T (freeview)/Media receiver. This allows watching digital TV and recorded music/movies/photos through the head-unit. The media/freeview units are tiny and car specific ones can be hidden away.

I'll have to make a new centre console for the double din unit, but I also decided to avoid the double din units with sliding fascias for the same reason as above... they'd snag on the gear lever.

Thanks for the advice - I've decided to scale back and buy a JVC head unit with bluetooth, IPOD and standard usb at the front. Thinking logically, I cam to the conclusion that I would never use the DVD/TV function anyway.

I'm about to sell a Sony CD (CD-MPX40) head unit and set of speakers (brand not known as I haven't removed them yet) when I get them out of my coupe.

I've ordered just about everything for my install and I'm just waiting for the speakers to turn up, and my injector issues to be resolved :-)

My final list to be installed:

• Custom centre console
• Pioneer AVIC D3 Double DIN head unit (+AV in leads)
• Kaiboer HD Media Player
• Cigarette lighter socket
• USB socket
• Rockford Fosgate Power 5.5" coaxial speakers
• Rockford fosgate Punch 6x9" 4 way coaxial speakers
• Alpine 3552 4 channel amp
• USB extention into glove box for Media Hard Disk
• Big USB hard disk in glove box
• Rear screens in head rests
• 5v Power supply for media player (possibly cannibalised from a 2A Ciggy lighter to USB unit from Maplins as it is only £7)

I'm going to make the centre console as a single piece from top to bottom. Immediately below the AC/recirc buttons will be a 35mm aperture with a frame behind to hold the Kaiboer media player. Below that will be the Double DIN head unit.
Below that on a sloping face will be the new ciggy lighter socket and USB socket.

Decided to do without DVB-T Freeview. But the media player looks fantastic. Uses the new realtek chip (1055 IIRC) and has a very nice media interface. Plays most audio/video codecs and display all as thumbnails/ID3 for browsing. Supports 2 hard drives and copying between them, so I can put a big USB HD in the glove box and use a USB socket to plug in a USB stick to load more video/audio on.

I looked at getting a Pioneer DVD player, Ipod input lead, Big CD changer or Hard Disk media player... but not only are the prices ridiculous... the only one that would be much use is the media player. And the Kaiboer media player player looks far nicer than the pioneer, the only drawback being needing to use a remote control and not the touch screen for control.

Job List:

• Install Amp under front seat
• Remove rear bench, rear interior panels and front door panel
• Remove handbrake surround console
• Route wires from AMP to headunit, from rear monitors to headunit and from AMP to speakers.
• Install Flashing Tape sound deadening
• Install front and rear speakers
• Put all trim panels and rear seats back
• Fabricate new centre console (fibre glass extension to existing console)... will make a wooden mould to make sure its a tidy job.
• Get centre console and handbrake console flocked
• Fit media player to centre console
• Fit Double DIN unit to centre console
• fit all cables, power supply etc and wire in
• put centre console and handbrake console back
• put rear monitor in and run wires through seats

Sounds like a big job. Will be nice when finished. Be sure to post up some pics.

Will do :-)

I bought a Chinese double din unit for my VXR. I bought it because its gloss black like the dash and works with the steering wheel controls. Mine is a Eonon D5108

http://www.eonon.com/Car-DVD-Players/Specific-Car-DVD/D5108.html

I paid £260 for mine and it has full ipod control, USB, DVD, SDcard slot, Sat Nav, Digital TV, Bluetooth handsfree etc... you can get loads of options like reversing camera's and add additional screens for the headrests and stuff too.

I was worried that it would sound crap but it sounds really good and I also have a sub+amp wired upto it.

Heres a few pics

Fitted my chinese double din today
Quick guide would be remove centre console and chop the horizontal bar at the bottom
Remove the lower ash tray completly, but leave the lower trim piece
Offer the double din into place and find a suitable base angle for the unit to sit
Now the harder part, with the lower ash tray removed there is a void below the head unit which needs filling, i used some stainless steel cut and shapped to fill the gap ( can provide a measurement if neccesary )
Once the gap piece was cut i then using a welder tacked the stereos cage to the gap piece at the desired angle and strengthened with a bracket
Then last part to fabricate was the sides as you could see were the horizontal bar had been cut
Once these were complete i masked up all the gap and side pieced and primed and sprayed the rest gloss black

Sounds alot and maybe not as clear as some other rough guides but thats how i have done it and it looks mint
Stereos at a good angle dont move around and i now have a sat nav, bluetooth, sd and usb headunit

Pics to follow as soon as i figure out how to, using iphone and ipad at the minute, so can email pics if needed


Once these were in place i masked up all the parts

please weres the pics

Cowboy x2.

Cowboy X 3 and would you be able to do similar for Forum Members?

Looking to get a how to and picture guide up as soon as i get chance, then see what peoples reactions are could be done for others in stainless or painted

Come one!

Rask x2