help please! stereo install.

[Jace]

my MX5 has been sitting in my yard with an messy dash center for too long.
i really need you guys help with installing (or re-installing) my headunit.
story goes, when i bought the car, it had the cd player installed about 20mm from the top of the cavity for the stereo, above that there was a little piece of black plastic that'd been cut down to fill the little gap. underneath the unit there was proper black fill in plate.
it looked okay, but i wasn't happy with 'okay', plus i'd sometimes hit the buttons with my knuckle when i shifted, so i took it apart.
i've been quoted $100 to install it properly, with a pocket thing as well as a little fill-in plate across the middle. which i thought was a bit much considering that everything's wired up, just needs a professionals touch.
firstly, can anyone tell me how the hell this center 'hood' dash board piece comes off?
it seems as if it's screwed in at the top. if i get it off i should be able to get at the rest of it.


secondly, there doesn't seem to be much to screw/rivet into inside the cavity. (except a whole lot of surface rust )
left:


right:


the stereo has a pretty typically shaped sleeve/slidey-iny thing with all the little bendable tabs and whatever.


eventually i'd like to have something like the d-technique dash piece made up


probably with some sort of a pocket on the other side of the window switches.

maybe it sounds ridiculous, maybe i'm fussing too much.
but any help you guys could offer would be proper awesome.
if you can re-direct me to help, show me pictures of how you did it, or whatever i'd be heaps appreciative.
thanks.

[grump]

made my own console, radio mount,extra instrument, cd pocket. check out grumps na . garage chat.
make a plywood box the right size that sits under your stereo, cover it in black felt, screw it to the frame inside your console and slide your stereo in on top of it. if your stereo is a snug fit you won't have to fix it in it will quite happily sit there and not move.

[Locutus]

to get the centre trim off you need to remove the centre console (the whole armrest/ashtray/shifter bit) to get to the bottom screws, and pop out the eyeball vents to get to the top screws - just yank them out.

when you put it back togeather remember to plug in the hazard/headlight cable before putting it all back togeather again or your headlights motors won't function.

[Jeo]

Looks similar to mine, so I'll assume its an NA.

From memory...
Take out the centre console. 2 screws inside the lift up part, 1 under the ash tray, 1 either side at the front.
Pop out the eye ball vents and you'll find two more screws.
The whole tombstone piece should just pop out.

Once its all out, you should be able to figure out how your head unit will go back in. I had the pocket out of an old commodore lying around that happened to fit perfectly, so I can't really help on that front.

[Garry]

If you dont mind spending some money you can get a factory look by buying a new facia (around $80 I think) and the correct pocket to fit (around $20). The newer facia from a 96/97 model has the correct sized cutout to fit a single DIN after market headunit. It also has facilities to attach a support beam across the middle of the cutout so you have something to attach the head unit craddle and the pocket to. My factory fitted single DIN head unit came with a metal support beam but apparently Mazda dont sell them any more so you would have to fabricate your own. Then it's simply a matter of attaching the head unit cradle to the facia by bending the locating tabs, clipping in the pocket, refiting the facia back into the car then sliding the head unit in, making sure that the rear support lug fits into the attaching bracket at the rear.

[Jace]

If you dont mind spending some money you can get a factory look by buying a new facia (around $80 I think) and the correct pocket to fit (around $20). The newer facia from a 96/97 model has the correct sized cutout to fit a single DIN after market headunit. It also has facilities to attach a support beam across the middle of the cutout so you have something to attach the head unit craddle and the pocket to. My factory fitted single DIN head unit came with a metal support beam but apparently Mazda dont sell them any more so you would have to fabricate your own. Then it's simply a matter of attaching the head unit cradle to the facia by bending the locating tabs, clipping in the pocket, refiting the facia back into the car then sliding the head unit in, making sure that the rear support lug fits into the attaching bracket at the rear.

so the facia your talking about would be an NB one? i always thought they were moulded into the dash board?
do you mean buying NOS OEM parts directly from mazda?

[CheyneX5]

Not quite, this center tombstone garry is suggesting is from the last of the NA8's. They have a slightly improved design around where the stereo goes to better suit aftermarket HU's. i bought one of these not so long ago, works very well and for a small price of $70.

[Jace]

thanks for the help guys.
so the vent rings are supposed to be easy to get out, yeah?
well mine might be glued in...
any tips?

[CheyneX5]

Get pliers, twist, pull

[Locutus]

not easy, they require a good tug.

bed the tabs that hold them in back slightly before you pop them back in so they are easier to get out next time.

[GS]

Ditto the previous comments. First time you try to remove the vents they can be a bit of a bitch, after that they pop out a bit easier. My preferred method uses some thick wire bent into a J shape at the end. Hook in behind the vent so you dont mark the outside, then give it a good yank.

LOL about the hazard switch advice from Locutus. Been there, done that, sworn a lot...

[Jace]

thanks guys.
using a flat head screwdriver as a lever from the very top of the vent worked heaps well.
no scratches at all, i recommend this method actually.
thanks again.