tmak26b

Hey guys, I am looking to get a double din size radio, just wondering if i need an adapter for it. I currently have a single din adapter for my cd player

Icemark

You will want to get the Mazda factory brackets, and ISO mount the radio.

tmak26b

Now just where is that factory bracket? I had the stock equalizer. I dont remember seeing any bracket, everything was a bolt on

grinchy

I concur with Icemark. ISO mounting is the way to go. I have a vert with the stock double din install. I would guess the factory brackets referred to are the two sheet metal plates (one each side), which the actual electronic components are attached to. The plates are then attached to the console, 2 screws per side.

ISO mounting uses screws instead of sleeves, and in our rx-7's results in a flush fit, rather than having the radio jut out 1/2 to 1 inch.

Samps

A double din radio sleeve shold fit perfectly in the hole. I don't see how you can flush mount an aftermarket radio without cutting the radio surround. I just slid the sleeve in the surround then made a lil piece to cover up the hole left underneath. I thought a double din would fill the entire hole. The sleeve is strong enough to hold the radio in with just its' lil metal fasteners. I did have to make a support for the back of the radio so it did not sag.

grinchy

tmak, are you saying that the double din radio was smaller than the hole in the black rubber console trim (the piece that outlines the entire center console)? or smaller than the yellow plastic hole where the actual electronics sit?

when doing an iso install, the aftermarket radio trim piece would not be used. you are right, to use that would require cutting the mazda trim piece.

how tall (1/2 inch, 1/4 inch, 1 inch?) was the gap left over after the double din radio was in?

grinchy

oops, my post was directed to samps, not tmak. sorry

Samps

here is a picture of my custom install of a SINGLE DIN radio. I assumed that a DOUBLE DIN radio would just fill the entire hole. I may be wrong. But there is no way you can fit a normal width radio inside the rubber surround, to make a flush mount. Unless you make a custom ring for around the front face of the radio; because the normal front piece is wider than the surround.

presetlimits

heres mine that i custom installed myself

Samps

Is that a double din or a din and a half?

presetlimits

double din

Thrasher

thats a double din

Samps

Did you cut out some of the surround or does your surround just have a bigger hole? Mine is a 91. Maybe the older models had bigger holes? I was not aware of this. If your surround is stock then it is deffinintely possible to flush mount with that. My surround has another 1/2 inch of rubber on the sides.

Thrasher

opps he beat me, maybe I should refresh after I read the whole thread huh? hehe

presetlimits

i didnt cut anything out ..the hole is just naturally that big. and i cut some pieces of plexiglass to surround the radio to make a 'bracket' to hold it in place

tmak26b

i will take a picture of what i have now when i get home. I might not get the double din after all. instead i will put gauges there

Icemark

The method you used was a single DIN load with aftermarket kit.

As you see it is a poor subsitute to an ISO load which puts the radio in just as the factory radio would be.

No matter what the opening is slightly smaller than a Double DIN and a half. You will need to make a small trim panel, if you have a 89-91 to fill in just under the radio, or a slightly larger trim panel if you have the 86-88 dash like this:

THis was done exactly correct and is a very secure mount rather than Samps mount that the radio would fall out of if the factory trim bezel was not there or cracked.

presetlimits

thank you

Samps

Mine does not have a kit. Just the radio sleeve a piece of lawanda and some leather. It does not budge at all.

tmak26b

I bought a kit that was for the 86-88. THe problem with this kit is that the screws locations are different between the 2. So if i push on mine real hard, it would come off. But I've had it on my car for 2 years. No problem at all

Btw I just ordered the Saab gauge panel. Now the question is how to mount it

Icemark

As i recall the saab gauge panel is also a din size (7"x2"). If it is then again you would want to use the factory radio bracket and ISO mount it.

And Samps, I didn't mean to talk down your install, its just if you remove the radio/dash bezel your radio wouldn't have anything to attach to correct?

If that is the case, then when the plastic gets a little old the dash will crack, and then your radio will become loose or unstable.

That is why I don't recommend the Metra or other dash kits for these cars, as it mounts and also supports the entire weight of the front of the radio on the dash bezel.

I think everyone here knows that the plastic that Mazda uses is not in the same quality as Toyota or Honda and gets very fragile after a few years.

Anyway using the factory brackets as Mazda themselve use, none of the weight of the radio is supported by the dash/radio bezel.

Samps

Correct! I see your point, but I still don't see how you can flush mount without cutting, in a surround like mine. I'm not sure which cars have the surround with the extra rubber on the sides; probably the 89-91 model years. Believe me I would like to mount mine flush. I installed radios for two years at a local stereo shop, and had a 150+db stereo in my 89' 626. I may try and mount mine better but it will require some custom work. Is there a kit for the series 5?

tmak26b

Anyone got those mounts for sale :P

grinchy

I have a 90. The trim piece is the same as samps. Both of the 1 din HU's I tried mounted flush width wise (and the face was flush or near to flush with the trim ring) using the stock radio brackets. I assumed the space left over below would be exactly 1 din, too. It appears from samps picture that is not the case. The aftermarket radio trim ring would not have fit, nor would it have been necessary in an iso installation. The Jensen manual even said 'do not install trim ring in an iso installation.’ I didn't find a good way to fill in the void below, so I went back to the stock HU. I don't have years experience installing radios, and all the pics I've seen in this thread have looked nice, especially those with the 86-88 trim piece that is wider and taller than double din, what a headache to get that to look good.

Icemark

Yes, as mentioned above you would not use the aftermarket radio's trim ring or the aftermarket can/slide. You are correct in that if you load from the front as you did you must damage/modify the dash/radio bezel.

ISO loading you would not, although again you would need to make a small filler out of cheap ABS plastic to fill the 3/4 inch gap only at the bottom (for double din units- on single din units I often use a Toyota Din pocket to make a double din out of the single din area and add a pocket).

So again if you are going to remount your radio, ISO load it with a factory bracket. If you have lost the bracket, often time people on Ebay trying to sell their cheap busted factory radios have the brackets/factory mounts still on the radio. So you buy the stock radio for $20 and throw it away while keeping the mounting bracket.

I am surprised Samps, you haven't done a ISO loads before if you have installed. It is the most common way to install a stereo into a Toyota built after '82 and many newer Nissans.