Thread: Nissan Patrol GU 2004 - 4.8ltr Semi Auto

A picture of the dashboard face BEFORE my modifications to it. I made a few pencil lines on it, but didn't really stick to them in the end anyway.



A few unsure cuts later. I basically removed the buttons so that I could keep them neat and re-use them later as a section.



I got a little side tracked here and started taking the Xenarc apart.

Originally Posted by Cris

Wow, you are a brave man...cutting from the metal bars...takes courage. I too was faced with this option when I did mine, but I wasn't strong enough.

LOL... I didn't have a choice. The screen is so big, it wouldn't fit any other way. I get a lot of glare on my dashboard which means that I need to angle the screen back a bit. This is actually a good thing for the viewing angle from the driver's position. I tried to cut the bars as cleanly as possible and I've kept them, so if I do need to put them back in I still can give that a go.

Working on the screen and getting the angle right to make sure that it was viewable, and that it fit in there neatly was not as easy as I had thought. I started by making a new plate to hold the screen out of 9mm MDF. I used MDF because it is fairly strong and really easy to work with. Used a router and a jigsaw to get it just right and recessed the screen so it sits well in the MDF.








Made some side support and cut some more off the dash to get the viewing angle nice. this took a bit of time and a lot of fiddling around and cutting cardboard to the right size and shape to get the angle right for the side supports.

Nice job so far, can't wait to see it finished.

Some further pics of the screen dash fabrication. I have used a combination of Screws, Aryldite and Car Body Filler to keep everything in place. I have done quite a bit of filling and sanding so far but still have a bit to go. Just need to fill in the bottom section then sand and prime. Followed by some painting.

Looks fantastic! I've seen a few nice Patrol installs now.. I wish my car had the same room in the dash..

Originally Posted by Craigus

Looks fantastic! I've seen a few nice Patrol installs now.. I wish my car had the same room in the dash..

Yeah that is what i'm getting towards.. that is a VERY clean install.

I can't wait to see all finished. This is one of the few installs around here that have the screen recessed so much.

I really hope you used (maked with read) something solid to cover that area, and only after that covered it with body filler.
Body filler has to have a support under it, otherwise it cracks. And also it can't be used instead of glue.