Tricks of the Trade

This month's project is the result of several requests I've received recently regarding custom radio installation in the dashes of newer cars. Replacing a radio isn't as easy as it used to be and sometimes dash kits aren't available or limited to a certain radio size. A perfect example is our project Toyota Avalon, which has a factory double-DIN radio. Unfortunately, the dash kits available for this car don't allow large radio mounting options and the owner of this car had to have a double-DIN. You can't blame him, since the double-DIN DVD-based system is one of the hottest categories in the market right now. Follow along to learn how to integrate the radio you want into your dash. Send questions to techpanel@primedia.com with Tricks of the Trade in the subject line, and check out stevebrownuniversity.com.

This is the stock radio in the '07 Toyota Avalon. It incorporates a folding cover that hinges down when not in use. We're going to remove it and build a custom trim panel for an Alpine IVA-W205 double-DIN unit.	The bezel around the radio is easily removable since it only uses clips for mounting. Gently pull on the top left corner of the bezel and work your way around. The climate controls also have wire harnesses that will need to be unplugged.	Next, unbolt the four 10mm fasteners holding the radio, unplug it and remove it from the dash.
In order to re-paint the radio bezel, it's necessary to remove the climate control buttons and the vents. These are held in place with plastic clips that can be gently pried free with a small flat-blade screwdriver.	Remove the four screws that hold the radio cover in place and set it aside. Now, you should have a bare plastic bezel that will be the starting point for the custom radio trim.	Mounting the new Alpine unit is the first task. Fortunately, the stock Toyota brackets (modified slightly to move the radio forward) and the original Toyota bolts can still be used.
With the radio mounted securely, the original radio bezel can be snapped in to check the fit. As you can see, there's a large gap around the radio that will need to be taken care of.	It's always more efficient to use stock Toyota parts whenever possible, so cut a notch out of the original radio cover using a jigsaw. This gives us a piece that already fits around the contours of the dash that can easily be molded into place.	Factory parts are usually painted and it's absolutely critical that you remove this layer of paint before attaching anything to the surface. Glue will attack the paint, creating cracks where the two pieces meet.
Now attach the notched radio cover using superglue. Notice how well the cover fits into the dash opening, making it easy to trim the new radio.	Spray a little Zip Kicker, or accelerator, on the glue to quickly cure it. Notice that we taped off the seam where the dash bezel meets the dash - any accidental drips will permanently damage the dash surface.	Next, small pieces of ABS plastic can be cut and glued in place around the radio. We decided to set the radio back into the bezel slightly to reduce glare. Also, an ABS lip over the top of the radio keeps it in the shade on those sunny California days.