Just installed a cd player in my car in the most unusual position.... the glovebox. For the moment i dont have any storage container in there as i removed it, but id take lack of room for my sunnies over a broken window and a ####ed up dash anyday!

If anyone is considering the same, all you need is a cd player (preferably with a remote so u dont have to reach over, theyre piss cheap nowadays anyway), a solid L bracket, and two pieces of angle shaped metal (aluminium easier to cut). Cut the two pieces of angle shaped metal about 4 inches + long, depending on where the screw holes are in the sides of your cd deck. These should extend past the front of the deck (so the plastic frame wont be able to be placed around the front of the deck, take it off), cut these from the top of the deck down to the bottow of the angle piece so you have a surface in which to bolt to the hinge plate of the glovebox cover (find some metal to drill through so you get strong point connections here). Bolt up the frame to your deck, screw the brackets with deck to the hinge surface of the glovebox cover. Then you get the strong L bracket (prob 4 by 4 inches). Most decks have a centre screw hole on the back of the deck, use this to bolt to one end of the L bracket, and the other end can be bent in shape to bolt up to the dash connecting screw directly behind the glovebox, on the top of the dash. There is a sold mount there which to connect the L bracket to.

It might not look pretty boys but until my cars a showcar, it will do me sweet. Its real easy to do as well, only took me 1 1/2 hrs. And NO pulling the dash out. And standard radio in place so it looks original! Until you open the glovebox of course!

i had mine in the glove box of my sunny. there is a few bad things, its bloody dangerous when u try to reach over to adjust so after paying 75 bucks for strathfield to install it, i then ripped it out and mounted in center consol, its a tight fit butmuch safer

Mikali, What are you doing about speakers in your wagon?

I'm in the process of remaking the side panels in the boot area out of 3mm MDF.. I've cut out a template but I'm not 100% happy with it because the original panels have a slight bend in them, the MDF seems too stiff to bend into the original shape.

Anyone got an idea on what material to use for these panels? (something with a bit more flex than MDF, but around 3mm thickness)

I'm thinking of mounting some 6x9's in the new boot panels, but I think they might be too heavy for 3mm MDF. An alternative is a set of 6inch speakers, (which is what i have there now)

Has anyone done a fairly decent stereo install in a 1200 wagon?

James.

Try to use steam to slightly bend the MDF to shape. Its an old woodworks trick. This might work

Blair

I had me head unit installed into my centre console( in between the seats) in my pootrol. I know that you dont have much of a console but if you did, its a handy place. Easy to reach and out sight. i had my cbs where the radio went.

how much steam does it take, i mean holding it over a boiling kettles not gonna do the trick is it?

Yes holding it over a boiling kettle/jug is all you need. Because you have to do it slowly and in stages so the MDF doesnt get to much steam on it.

I made up new trims for my wagon many years ago(before MDF was made) I used thicker Masonite and it did the job fine the mod I did was to chamfer the edges to fit in the metal

Yeh sure the radio is difficult to reach but i dont need to reach it in traffic. Its an MP3 capable cd deck so i can store over 150 songs on one cd, its like a cd stacker Also i have a remote control that works just fine for me. I will soon be designing a hinge lock for my standard 1200 deck using its outside covering, and masking my cd player behind it in the original position. Ive done this before but it takes alot of fiddling. If they cant see the deck they wont steal it boys (mostly true).

The speakers in the wagon are quite hopelessly located. The best thing to do would be to buy some good quality splits (with tweeters of course), and just mount them in the same positions as the ones there now. As a long time car stereo buff (albeit a deaf one), my experience has shown that competition grade sound systems only consist of one good set of splits and an amplifier/sub to complement it. More expensive splits are indescribabely better than cheap sets. My suggestion James is buy a quality set of splits and an amplifier (2 channel). Fiddle around with the position of the tweeters until you get your desired sound from driving position. Alternatively you could make up some MDF mounts for the front door and back door, with 6 inch 3 ways at the front doors and perhaps 4 inch 2 ways in the back doors. Make sure you make flexible rubbers to hold the speaker cable in their new holes in the door and door frames. Hook them up to a quality deck and you should have a mega sound system with good surround sound. Dont bother placing speakers in the boot area unless you dont want to destroy the door trims. The sound wont flow all that well from speakers in the boot walls anyway (just my advice not from experience in this car but derived from the presence of metal in the rear seat, not good for sound travel).

I still like the split idea, if your mates have a pair try it, surprised the hell out of me many times.

James, 6 by 9s arent really necessary. Theyre heavier for one than 6 inch speakers, and alot bulkier. A quality set of 6 inch 3 ways will do you just fine.