Thread: 2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan

Here is my head unit going into honda OEM nav trim. The fit is pretty good. I just need to devise a little trim ring to fill the gap around the edge. This is going to be perfectly rectangular so it doesn't have to be nearly as involved as previous pieces (hooah!)



now I cut that rectangle with a little bit of draft on all sides so it will drop into the opening. Straight sides won't go in right, so if you're duplicating this, all you need is 1-2 degrees of draft.

nothing like a perfect fit ;-)



and then cut out the opening for the head unit. Takes a little finesse but not too much trouble.



everything goes in pretty easily.

and finally, a little flat black paint and life is good...enough....for now...



Not that i ever questioned it the way I'm doing it now, but i just wanted to fire up the unit and make sure all systems were go... and that I could adequately interpret the installation instructions... and for the pretty lights...

this is more for my own memory - but i went back to look at the i-pac keyboard emulator and found out it has programming software for the mac. this will save me the effort of hacking an actual keyboard, plus allow me to change steering wheel -> key functions without having to re-wire anything. Also learned about debouncing buttons and why that's important... good things to know. I think as soon as I have plates on the car and money in the bank again, i'll be ready to try this.

good job on the bezel, as allways. See you next week!

I have that iPac for my arcade emulator... it is a slick little device, mine is not the latest release, it is PS2, but I did get a USB/PS2 adapter to simplify it... it works perfectly, can handle a rediculous amount of simulateous key presses... I was thinking about it today on our drive to Kansas, it would be nice to have hard volume buttons, etc... especially after seeing the horror of fingerprints on the transflective screens...

(remind me to show you the iPac)

In a constant effort to keep avoiding the major obstacles while still making progress, i've decided to attempt a backlit button. I'm cheating by starting with a backlit button.

After significant time was invested looking for honda OEM connectors and turning up nothing, i finally gave up and zipped off the housing so i could solder wires directly to the pins.



These VSA OFF switches are backlit momentary switches that click right into the factory openings.... for $6. Can't beat that.

...some fancypants soldering. Thanks to my buddy steve for the technique.



so... The VSA OFF lettering is created by painting the translucent white plastic, and then burning the paint away with a laser. Not having any lasers nearby, i decided to just try masking by hand and seeing what i could come up with... these are after all only $6.

So i sand off the paint-


and here's where i got lazy and didn't take a picture, but in short, here's what i did: I laid down a layer of scotch tape, then printed out the apple logo to scale. I positioned that where i wanted it and then put another layer of scotch tape over that. Then with a utility knife blade (x-actos seem to be in short supply around here... oy...) i carefully cut around the edge of the logo. When i peeled it all off, there was a clear mask of the apple logo. Then in the lightest possible manner, i sprayed the button with flat black paint. I think i'll try again with semigloss.



and then here it is with the rest in the car-



And lit up -


In reality, those backlights are pretty dim. They're this cool-white color and they are considerably dimmer than any of the other dash instrumentation. The picture, in case it's confusing, was taken with no flash, i believe AE was on, and in pitch black darkness. So... i guess I'll just have to get it in the car with everything else so there's something to compare it to... but it does light, and i'm happy about that.

So all in all, a good experiment. I'll buy another switch, go with a darker and slightly glossier paint and get it done with a laser next time and the results should be nothing short of perfect.

PS- Nick, if you want to loan me your laser services for the next run, i'd be hugely appreciative.

I can try to get the laser to do that. But those buttons looks curved. Any curves will make the focus off, and burn inconsistantly. So it might either not burn away or butn too much depending on where it is on the curve...

I can make you a little vinyl logo that you could press on there really well, and then paint. That would give you an exact logo. Then it just peels up with a little work and exacto.

that's 1st class right there...

thanks man!

nick- that's actually a really good idea... just cut the masks using the laser. PM me when you get a chance and let me know when a good time would be to come get that done. Let me know what kind of materials i need to get too and how much your time on the laser cutter costs.

I'll do it for free. I just need a vector image of the mac logo you want, and the dimensions. Corel Draw X3 or AutoCAD 2007 files are best.

If you cant find a vector image, you can find a regular bitmapped image and then use CorelTrace or other program to convert to vector lines.

I'll just use some scrap vinyl. I am sure it isn't that big. I'll make multiples if you want in case one gets screwed up somehow.

So dimensions and a pic. And I can cut them soon after I receive them and either deliver them up to you or mail them or something.

-- Nick