Finally got my empeg installed yesterday! After having one for almost two monthes sitting on the stereo cabinet, it's in the car.

--Nathan

Congrats! Be sure to take pics!

Don't leave it in the car someone might nick it

And once you become an empeg convert you can't go back no way, one way street

Well, the guys who did the empeg/amp install just used the bend-outs on the sled to attach it to the trim piece. This meant that the empeg was about cantilevered 3/8" in front of the rest of the panel. (I never got around to taking pictures of this.)

Yesterday me and a dremel spent a few hours with the trim piece, the sled, and the the assembly that's supposed to hold the radio, pocket and cup holder. This assembly is very similar to a single pair of rack-mount ears that hold three pieces of equipment. There are two threaded holes for screws that mated right up to the factory radio and the Sony headunit I put in some years back.

These stock holes would have interfered with the screws in the side of the empeg, so I ended up drilling a single hole on each side of the sled between the inward facing dimples, and matching holes on the "ears". Then I had to grind down the head of the screw that was on the inside of the sled because that was too thick. Even though there's only one screw and nut on each side, it's actually pretty secure since there's not much room to move around, and the back of the sled is resting on pocket below. The lip of the sled is wrapped around a bezel on the pocket.


bigger picture

One the empeg is in place

bigger picture
everything is nice, snug, and pretty except for the carnage I had to wreck on the trim piece. The unit is actually slightly tilted, the back is probably about 1/8" lower than the front, which actually compensates a noticible amount for the parallax effect. The surface of the fascia is flush with the a/c panel, which leaves a good amount of clearence for things in the cup holder, which is just below the pocket.

Any suggestions on ways to make "adjustments" to the trim look a little nicer would be appreciated. I was thinking of maybe trying to wrap some electrical tape around the parts I had to grind down, but that would probably look tacky.

The car's a 1995 Nissan 200SX, sort of a two-door version of the Sentra.

--Nathan

Speaking of not leaving it in the car, what do most people do with the empeg when they're going to a bar to see a band or someplace where carrying the unit around is likely to get bumped or have beer spilled on it? I've been putting it in the trunk, not really having any other ideas.

I know if I carry it everywhere, even in the softcase, it's going to get subjected to a fair amount of abuse.

--Nathan

I just leave it home.

I have a novel solution if hving to leave empeg in car.

I have from an old stereo the wireing loom which i put into the cage where the empeg should go and that leaves a collection of wires and plugs hanging out of the dash. Gives the image of a stereo has been ripped out of dash.

Suggestions for modifying the trim in your car:

1. Run down to the local junkyard and get a spare trim panel, so you can restore the car to factory condition should you ever sell/trade-in. This also allows you to leave you car intact while you spend the time necessary to do it right. I think they charged me $15 for mine (it was significantly more going through the local Nissan dealer's parts dept.)

2. Very carefully measure how much you need to cut, mark it with a pencil (which easily comes off). Then use a dremel or similar tool to cut slightly inside where your mark is. You can always go wider. You can't go narrower.

3. Angle your cuts slightly so that they are narrower at the face of the trim panel than they are in the back.

4. Get some flat and round files and smooth out your cuts so that they are perfectly straight and round at the corners.

5. Make a small sanding block by wrapping a some fine sand paper around a small block of wood. Then proceed to spend an insanely boring few hours sanding the cuts perfectly smooth (remembering to keep the angle on the cut.) Recommend that this be done in front of the TV.

6. Try it out in your car and repeat steps 4-5 until you have the desired fit.

That's what worked for me. YMMV. I helped a friend with his before I did mine, and thus avoided some of the pitfalls he made. So with two of these under my belt, that's the sum of my knowledge gained from experience.

Nissan used some change trays that were designed to fit inside of a DIN sized housing in the 1985 200SX and probably in other Nissan cars as well. I It has four screws that hold it in. It slides into the slot really easy with hardly no protruding lips and does not need to be screwed in.

This is what I am using in my 1972 Datsun 510 and it works great.

Sean in NC

I know if I carry it everywhere, even in the softcase, it's going to get subjected to a fair amount of abuse.

I lug mine around in a Pelican hardcase; the 1200 model fits the empeg fairly tight - remote and an USB or ethernet cable can also be included but not much more. If you want to include the power adapter, more wires and wire adapters etc, then the 1400 is for you...

/Michael

I'd like to tell you where I stash my player. But I'd have to kill you first...

(Killing afterwards is strictly for the James Bond films - that's usually the bad guy's major mistake)