Steve Wright's Serious Moddin' - HVAC relocation

It's Friday, it's Sunny, Steve Wright's Serious Jockin' is on the Radio. There's only one thing for it - Serious Moddin'! My son's bought me an Xtron double din head unit for Christmas and I'm due to receive it any day now. Seeing as I was quiet at work yesterday and today I thought I'd get in front with the job and relocate the HVAC (climate control) unit into the centre console. I haven't bought any extra trims or cubby holes, etc. as I wanted to test location before finalising its new home. Yesterday I relocated the HVAC to the usual place in the centre console between the bat wing (heated seat panel) and cubby hole. What a load of rubbish!!!!! How anyone can live with it there is beyond me and I can't believe Porsche actual puts it there for factory double din cars. So today I set myself the task of locating it in the upper position of the centre console, leaving the cubby in the lower position. I'd read on a post a couple of years ago one member who'd done this and had to cut parts away with a Dremel, etc. so I knew I'd have my task cut out and was ready to fire up my milling machine. Seeing as it's Friday afternoon and Steve Wright's on the radio serious jockin', I thought I'd do a quick 'serious moddin' thread before heading off to the boozer to meet the lads for a couple. Like I said, I'd already relocated the wiring harness for the HVAC to the centre console yesterday, so today's first job was to strip everying out from the centre console and remove the housing. Once the leather side panels are clipped off and the carpeted trims, the housing is just held in with 4 torx screws, 2 either side. Once removed, into the workshop to assess what needs doing. Then on to the miller to machine out a pocket in the housing to allow the HVAC so sit in the top position. Machine the top out to remove the strengthening ribs along the top. Then machine the centre support back to allow the underside of the HVAC to sit in the slot. A couple of lugs to grind off the cubby and HVAC. Checking to ensure the HVAC fits before I remove from the miller. Fitting the external HVAC trim. Obviously too big and requires some meat machining off the bottom - 4.7mm to be precise Back on the miller and set up to machine. Pitch over 4.7mm. Machine excess material off. Next job was to cut the top edge off the housing to allow the top of the trim to fit flush over the HVAC. I trimmed this back with a Stanley knife as the top edge was only really thin. Seen here with the top edge cut back enough to allow the trim to fit flush on the HVAC. Try everything for size and fit - perfect! Next job was to securely fit the HVAC as there are no screw holes in this top location, or even material there to screw into, so I had to get some small plastic blocks, screw them to the sides of the housing and and then drill pilot holes in them for the HVAC clamping screws to screw into to ensure the unit is secure and held flush on the front face with the cubby. You can see the blocks in each top corner of the aperture. I also had to drill some clearance holes so the HVAC trim lugs didn't foul against the blocks. Now ready to refit back in the car. slide housing back into position and refit the 4 torx screws, ensuring all wires and plugs for the seats and HVAC are in their correct positions and not snagging on the housing. Slide the HVAC in and clamp in the housing with the 2 screws, slide the cubby in, slide the bat wing back in (remembering to reconnect seat buttons and HVAC before doing so) and then clip on the outer HVAC trim. refit side carpet panels and leather side trims, ignition on, test and smile for the camera Loving the new position and think it's turned out pretty tidy. I do drive round my manor a lot with my left paw on the gear stick. Noticed straight away how easy it is to adjust the HVAC whilst driving like this, and nothing is out of view or access due to the gear stick (like when it's in the lower position). Hopefully I'll be doing a write-up in a few days on the XTRON installation once I have that fitted and up and running. The model I've got is like this one: Right, where's that BOOZER!!!!! :drink:

Nice job indeed. :thumbs:

Love a good DIY, especially one where someone gets to show off their specialist toys! :thumb:

can anyone else not see any other the images? :dont know: shame as I really fancy seeing the process! Ignore that! They suddenly started working! lol

Nicely done! :thumb:

:boogie: Thanks guys.

I just sat here studying every picture .. what can i say .. :bow: Loving it

Nice one Alex

Well done Alex, this is what put me off going for a double din, good to see it's possible to put the controls in a sensible place, just a shame it takes such effort!

" I do drive round my manor a lot " When Danny Dyer does Porsche

Alex - great write up and smashing bit of work; are you intending to connect the Xtron to the existing fiber ariel in the car...?? If so how...?? Osh

Thanks Osh. I thought it would just plug in to the new unit, but after a quick gander on the web, looks like I may need one of these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autolead...-Car-Radio-Stereo-Tuner-Adapter-/300389853222 I may also buy a dab aerial at some point too.

That's a really nice piece of work Alex ....... :thumbs:

Hi Alex, Does your car have an embedded screen aerial? I wouldn't want an external aerial but I have fitted a 'stick on' DAB screen aerial on my Mondeo and it's really unobtrusive. Mike

I have the embedded screen aerial. The dab one just sits in the dash does it not? :dont know: http://xtrons.co.uk/usbdab01-usb-2-0-digital-dab.html Not paying £50 for a dab aerial though :nooo: