2003 Audi A4 Worklog ~ Puff's Ride - Page 8

Quattro · 06-18-2006, 12:14 AM

looks alright. You still don't need that much bondo. What you should have done was just bondoed along the edge where teh lcd meets teh din adapter. Filled that up nicely and smoothed it out. The rest would have been fine and it would have looked perfect. Right now you gonna have to do alot of extra work. I hope once you sanded it down it comes out good. But your really gonna have to work on the bottom edge of the lcd bezel, where it meet the lcd.

Puffanug · 06-18-2006, 12:40 AM

Yeah the bottom edge got a little wacky. I will get it as good as I can, then probably make another one sometime. That damn double din kit was pricey! I think it will be ok though. If it starts to bug me once it is installed, I can always make another one and swap them. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I did that first bondo job... It was perfect until then

For future times, what is the best way to apply bondo? I mean what kind of tool? How should the bondo feel as I am applying it?

turbocad6 · 06-18-2006, 01:24 AM

the din kit is not where your problem is, it's the lcd bezel that's bad.... the edge to the lcd....

from where your at right now, if you want it to be nice then rip the bezel out of the din kit & get another bezel & do it again if that's not such a hard option, the din kit looks fine.

if you do it again, just use the filler like caulk... fill the seem initially only... then work from there... preserve the first 1/4" of the edge to the lcd, nothing should touch it but primer & finish paint prep sanding... no bondo there at all on that edge, it has to stay crisp & perfect or everything else doesn't even matter

Puffanug · 06-18-2006, 02:16 AM

I'll take a look at it and see if cutting out the center and putting in a new lcd bezel is an option. I could easily justify the $15 for another one. I agree, the lcd inner edge is going to bug me if not done right. I should be able to cut out the lcd bezel and sand down to plastic again on the edges, then do another lcd bezel in there.

When I look back at the pics of the lcd with just the back sealed with abs cement, it looks like the smallest amount of bondo would finish it pefectly. In hindsight, it was the fact that i added abs cement to the front to try and fill/bond the tiny gap there. If I do redo it, I will only abs cement the back. That **** is strong and would hold it fine. Then a small amount of bondo just to fill the crack.

Good/bad news is a have time to do it. No cash flow right now to order all the other hardware I still need...

Puffanug · 06-19-2006, 12:14 PM

Update: I did more work on the bezel this weekend and will post pics when I get home from work. It looks OK, but not near perfect by any means. I think I may chop out the lcd bezel, sand it down again, and insert a new one.

If I redo it, or if anyone is following in my footsteps, this is where I went wrong. After I did the ABS cement on the backside, I should have not even touched the front with ABS cement. The amount on the back was more than enough to hold the lcd bezel in place. Then all I would have needed to do was use a tiny amount of bondo to fill the crack between the double din kit and the lcd bezel. Look at the pics of the front after the ABS cement was applied to the back. See how much more work I made for myself, not to mention messing up the inner lcd bevel edge? UGH.

I looked at the thing this weekend while sanding. I could cut out the lcd bezel, but it may get real close to the inner edge of the double din kit. Should not be a problem as I won't be cutting any sturctural part of the double din kit. The top and bottom edge will be the hardest since they have the least room between the lcd and double din.

I'm going to put the lcd bezel part on hold until next week. I think I will order another 629 bezel from digitalww.com and start over

I don't want to, but I think the mistakes I made on the bezel will bug me after it is installed. And as someone's sig once said "If you don't have time to do it right the first time, how will you find time to fix it?"...

endiz · 06-22-2006, 03:38 PM

Hey Puffanug;;

Good luck with your adventure. I am planning on buying a 2001.5 A4 1.8t and install a carputer the minute I buy it.

I will be watching the thread to see if you have any other problems?

Have fun buddy!

Puffanug · 06-22-2006, 03:59 PM

@Endiz - thanks for the good luck wishes. There are more B5 platform installs here. The dash in mine (B6) and yours (B5) is different, as is the audio system. Other than that, they are very similar...

endiz · 06-23-2006, 12:37 PM

I'm still deciding between a 2001.5 or a 2002... your project outcome may effect my decision =D

Keep us posted

Puffanug · 06-26-2006, 04:25 PM

Update: I fixed a few wiring mistakes on the diagram and replaced the Audigy USB with a Turtle Beach Roadie. See the first post for the update and the latest diagram...

ODYSSEY · 06-26-2006, 04:37 PM

How is the screen coming?

Sid3ways S13 · 06-26-2006, 05:12 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Puffanug

Update: I fixed a few wiring mistakes on the diagram and replaced the Audigy USB with a Turtle Beach Roadie. See the first post for the update and the latest diagram...

So why did you choose the Roadie vs. the Creative unit? I'm curious as to your decision.

Mainly because I'm not totally familiar with the Turtle one.

Puffanug · 06-26-2006, 07:41 PM

@Odyssey - The screen has made no progress this week. I think it will be salvageable, but I may redo it once i get the actual LCD. It is looking good so far, except for the bottom edge of the inner LCD bezel, and it may bug me enough to justify redoing it.

@Sid3ways S13 - I read a recent review posted on the forums about how it handle hibernation well, had higher level outputs than the Audigy, and was a little smaller. It is also cheaper. I have neither one of them, so I can't speak on the quality between the two, but the reviews seem promising. I have used Turtle Beach stuff before for desktops, and have been very pleased with the two different PCI cards I had from them.

Sid3ways S13 · 06-26-2006, 08:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Puffanug

@Sid3ways S13 - I read a recent review posted on the forums about how it handle hibernation well, had higher level outputs than the Audigy, and was a little smaller. It is also cheaper. I have neither one of them, so I can't speak on the quality between the two, but the reviews seem promising. I have used Turtle Beach stuff before for desktops, and have been very pleased with the two different PCI cards I had from them.

Fair enough, thanks for the input.

endiz · 07-09-2006, 07:40 PM

Hows it hangin buddy? Any updates? Hope everythign is going ok

Puffanug · 07-10-2006, 11:54 AM

Update: Um, well no update actually. I have had little time and even less money the last few weeks to make any progress. I do have a birthday this month, so hopefully I will get some fundage for my carPC. I have not re-done the bezel yet, and may find some time this week to work on it more. I think I will order another LCD bezel kit from digitallww.com and start over on that, since the inner edge is messed up. Hopefully, pics and updates this week.