I know there has been quite a bit of discussion on dash kits, so I thought I would post a review on the kit I used on my double-din install. I installed a Pioneer FH-P5000MP; a standard ISO double din receiver. I used the BKNDK742 Nissan Double ISO kit from www.autosoundgear.com. The kit is designed for two single din units stacked atop eachother, but is supposed to work fine for a double din receiver by clipping the middle piece on the kit. My comments:

1. Kit fits dash opening well around the edges and snaps into place.
2. Kit is NOT color matched to dash. It is close, but not as good as it needs to be for them to make the claim on the package.
3. Kit texture does NOT match OEM dash textured finish. This is another claim by the manufacturer on the packaging that is bogus, but unlike the color it isn't even close to being the OEM dash texture.
4. The middle piece comes out of the kit to install a double din receiver pretty easily. I used a fine tooth sawzall blade and sawed through the plastic by hand. A couple swipes with a 100 grit sandpaper and the kit was good to go.


5. Here is the most appalling thing: the kit's opening is too large for an ISO double din receiver, leaving a retarded gap beneath the receiver. I ended up using a piece of the rubber mat in the navigation console to fill the space. The mat matches the texture and color of the rest of the dash, so the finished product isn't too bad, but this oversight is pretty dumb.



After it was all done, I think it looks good enough, but I give the dash kit a thumbs down for performance.

 

thanks for the review! man, that is retarded about the gap. i really like the look besides that. pioneer's site's all f'd up right now, or i'd go have a look at it. what's the rest of your system look like?

 

I've got a Cadence 6.5" component set in the OEM door location and kick panels, and Rockford Fosgate mid bass drivers in the rear. I've got a 10" Sony sub in a custom box that fits in the cubby behind the driver's seat. It's all driven by a 1000W 4.1 channel amp with 65 RMS to each of the four speakers and an additional 240 W RMS to the sub. I am really pleased with the system, save for the alternator whine that I need to chase down. 15 degrees in NJ tonight, so the whine will live on for a week or so.

 

HA! I have the exact same problem. Did u ground your headunit to the wire on the adaptor harness? I heard that wire's dead, which would lead me to think you're using your antenna ground to ground your headunit. I plan to start there this spring when I take my car apart again. That and some sound deadening, 'cause my car rattles like a M-F'r!!! Sounds like a great system tho. You should post some pix and a review of that custom box. I'd be curious as to what the sound is like.

 

I used the Metra install kit 99-7402 I used the stock bracket that came with the car, and the only part of the Metra kit I used was the double din trim plate, I didn't use any other parts from the kit.

I grounded the HU to one of the dash bolts behind the center stack. Make sure you sand it off good first.

 

The receiver is grounded to the chassis. There is a common ground location behind the mid-dash instrument panel that I am wired into. In retrospect, a poor choice. I have a question out there regarding people'e opinions of running a ground straight to the negative terminal on the battery. Haven't heard back from anyone yet.

The system sounds freakin' awesome. I have a few tweaks left. As for system pictures, there really isn't much to show that hasn't already been shown. Amp in the glove box wire wires running through the false floor. My custom box isn't pretty; I built it to fit the space and disappear in the cubby hole. It is so homely I am almost embarassed to show it to anyone.

 

yeah, i wouldn't run a wire to your (-) terminal. That would give you even more alternator whine than before. ground wires should be no more than 18" long and grounded to a solid piece of metal connected to the chassis. that spot you're using should be fine. i might look at the ground for your amps next. that's part two of my wiring re-do. my current common amp ground is like 3 feet long and grounds to a spot in the compartment behind the drivers seat. i'm gonna try to move it somewhere else and shorten the wire, see if that helps any. i'm sure that'll cure my ill's. as far as the box, i'll tell you i haven't posted any pix of my enclosure yet either. mostly because it's not finished on the outside yet. i'm debating whether to dump it and start over. we'll see what kinda mood i'm in this spring. i'm surprised you're even braving the snow and cold weather in your z. mine sleeps 'till spring!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by motown
[B]yeah, i wouldn't run a wire to your (-) terminal. That would give you even more alternator whine than before. ground wires should be no more than 18" long and grounded to a solid piece of metal connected to the chassis. that spot you're using should be fine. i might look at the ground for your amps next. that's part two of my wiring re-do. my current common amp ground is like 3 feet long and grounds to a spot in the compartment behind the drivers seat. i'm gonna try to move it somewhere else and shorten the wire, see if that helps any. i'm sure that'll cure my ill's. as fa

 

No real snow in Jersey yet this year. Just cold, dry, dense, Z pleasing air. I don't have a garage, so I might as well drive it when the roads aren't slippery. A nice day like today, with dry roads and 16 degree ambient air....the Z just ROARS! I just had an oil change and went to Mobil 1 synthetic. I have a JWT pop charger, so the engine's a little more throaty than OEM. As I was sitting in the waiting room I heard them fire it up after the oil change. They didn't rev it or anything, but there was this sweet chorus of Z music resonating all the way to the waiting room. The damn thing sounded angry! Anyway, the whole garage broke into a chorus of hoots and hollars (I'm not kidding). As they were pulling the Z out of the garage, everyone in the waiting room is looking out the window to catch a glimpse. It was pretty awesome.

Thanks for the pointer on the ground line. Finally someone stepped forward on my battery idea. Why do you think it would increase the whine? I figured if I used a well-oversized ground cable the length wouldn't really matter.

 

yeah, i love the sound it makes too. i just turn off the stereo sometimes and listen to the symphony coming from my engine compartment. as far as the ground, i can't remember exactly why now, but that was what the installers i learned from taught me. something about the battery terminal being too close to the alternator itself or something like that. oh, and can ya send some of that dry weather this way? snowed again last night in the windy city...

 

I jinxed myself. No more than 2 hours after I wrote the email, the snow started falling...and hasn't stopped for 10 hours. The Z now rests comfortably beneath a blanket of light powder. I am thinking about getting a cover, since I have to park it outside, so that I can tuck it in when I know it will otherwise sit collecting snow for a week or two. I'm not sure if that is wise, though.