Upgrading the Accord iCDTi ICE. Many Questions (& hopefully Answers too!)

[DJ Wozza]

Finally back on track today. I think there are 3 full days left to go to completetion so should we should hopefully be 50% completed after today. Will be deadening the boot & bootlid, maybe fitting the reverse camera, and if enough time, installing the "Big Three" power & ground cabling in the engine bay etc.....

Still to do:
1) run 0awg power cables from engine bay to boot via conduit under the car.
2) install 2 new AGM type batteries (one in the boot)
3) modify the aftermarket Double DIN facia so it actually fits
4) sound deaden the doors
5) install MDF speaker spacers in each door
6) install coaxial rear door speakers behind factory grills
7) install front components, woofers in doors & tweeters into stock locations in the dash
8) fit subwoofer to custom MDF box
9) fit Head Unit & modified facia to the dash
10) sound check & adjustment

Damn I can't wait for this to be finished!!!!

 

[DJ Wozza]

Here is a progress report. Nowhere near as much done as hoped yesterday, but a sharp shower cut the day short and I'm still recovering from my hospital stay so was pretty tired by then...


1 Boot Insulation removed

2 New LED Bulb & Reverse camera

3 Dremel work on cover plate. Also some CCF to stop the cover panel from rattling. The camera cliped into position perfectly ( as it was designed specifically for this car), however the cover plate wasn't taken into consideration and when refitted bulged badly, & I really wasnt happy about that...

4 Camera fitted snug as a bug

5 Boot Badge layered up with double sided tape to stop rattles

6 Cover panel nice & flush with no rattles hopefully

 

[DJ Wozza]

7 heat shrunk power connection. Takes a direct feed from the reverse light

8 Rear shelf underside

9 start to fill all small voids filled with small strips as best as possible, 2 layers minimum, 3 if possible

10 then a double layer over the top

11 continuing to fill voids including up and behing the number plate/rear boot light clusters. This was ridiculously tedious & time consuming, but my pal who was helping me is particularly **** about doing a really thorough job. TBH he was right as doing at least two small layers in the voids you can actually reach as made the boot have a uniform thud when you tap the panel.

12 more layers added to seal as much as possible, lesson to remember, poke the trim & cable retainer holes as you apply each layer, as its way harder to fins the hole under two or more layers of Silent Coat

and finally
13 video cable connection heatshrunk then cable tied to existing cables

So much more to do but my pal is busy with overtime so no more progress for about 2 weeks, except for my modified Metra facia as I will begin work on that next week.....

 

[DJ Wozza]

I forgot to add, my boolid now need a serious dose of Viagra. It pops up only 1 inch now, and when lifting it you feel a ridiculous amount of weight. It will act like a guillotine when closing so might have to fins a way to strengthen the torsion bars, or possibly a hydraulic ram.

 

[DJ Wozza]

I was a little worried the lights might not match up at night (from the new LED on the left and the camera on the right), but actually to the naked eye from behind they match up fine.

 

[gtv]

any more updates?

 

[DJ Wozza]

Unfortunately not, my initial delay was due to a stay in hospital due to contracting viral meningitis, & been back in again since, due to a foot infection that started whilst I was in there, & has become massively serious. I am under strict instructions to stay off my foot as much as possible with antibiotic injections every day for the next four weeks.

On a brighter note, the Metra facia I bought from the US which turned out not to fit, will be my ongoing project over the next week. I have bought some plastic & just need some epoxy, wet n dry & a Dremel to make it fit as it should, so pics will follow. Hopefully I can get back to the main install in a couple of weeks as things heal & the swelling goes down.

 

[DJ Wozza]

I managed to get a little bit of work done on the install yesterday. Happy just to get a little bit done after all the time off with health issues. The Double DIN facia has been nothing but troublesome, but those who might know me back from LOC days understand facia modding is something I can do fairly well.

The Metra Facia supplied from the USA has small gaps at each side, and I just wasn't going to be happy with that. I hanted to test fit the Head Unit with the facia, then fit the lot into the dashboard to see excatly where we were before I decided exactly on a course of action...

Honda Facia removed

RCA's, remote leads etc all in place.

This bracketry just gets in the way of the replacement facia so out it comes

The Gap. I know it's fairly small, and when painted black will show even less, but that isn't the point. It should fit perfectly in the first place...

Now it was decision time, Head Unit recessed into the Facia or with the Pioneer trim? Which do you prefer?

No trim

or trim piece?

 

[DJ Wozza]

Bearing in mind I have now decided to go with plain black or the facia front, I think with the trim was the best option. There were problems however, as the Metra facia has two curves. One from top to bottom, the other horizontally which you can't really see until you take the whole thing out....

From the front you only know how bad it is fitting if someone point's it out, but I'm not having a dogs dinner ill fitting trim on my dash, especially with the top head unit pioneer currently make!!

Patient work with a dremel (several test fits & more trimming) the ill fitting top now countours to match the facia. Almost half it's thickness is gone in the middle, with less removed at the edges

The side required less trimming, but the facia isn't straight anywhere from top to nottom. Obviously becuase of how the Stereo fits & the shape of the dash, the bottom section will stick out, but when fitted this doesn't really notice at all, but I have considered bringing the curve at the base upwards to meet the trim panel. Undecided as yet how I will leave it.

Looking a bit more like the real deal. Shame about the gap on the right which is about 3x bigger than the one on the left when everything is bolted securely in. In fact the one on the left is only about 1mm and when painted black and bolted in won't notice, but Mr Rightside needs attention.

Time for some masking tape.....

Clear plastic epoxy resin if the first thing to try, we shall see how it works out. Obviously it looks like ***** now, but I'm hopeful it will close the gap and harden sufficiently to allow sanding and painting. Fingers crossed eh?

Time to dry and harden. More updates in a few days as and when I get time, lots of hospital ***** to contend with this week.

 

[DJ Wozza]

To have to pad the facia width out & trim the internal aperture to allow a standard brand name Double DIN size isn't really plug n play, but I guess in the US the dash might be slightly different. I can certainly see why there are very few ICE Honda Accord (7th Gen) in the UK, and nearly all of those I have seen use a Single DIN head unit.

The resin seems to have set and might well do the trick, notice the gap isn't uniform, it is even wider at the bottom, however this will be out of sight. The masking tape protected the dash and kinda acted as a mould for the resin & I will give it a bit more time to harden fully (just in case) before the Dremel comes out to tidy it up, and I will flat back the facia front ready for priming & painting.

 

[DJ Wozza]

Ok a few pics of the facia work.

1) Next stage, trimmed off the tape

2) a rough dremel

3) trying to keep a straight edge

4) The only way I know it is flat is when the paint is off & at the same level as the plastic epoxy resin....

5) Pretty damn happy with that visually, but it isn't perfect to the touch so........

a skim of fine grade P38. It might be overkill to some, but I want it looking as good as it can......

It just needs to dry, a quick sand, plastic primer, a quick sand, then a couple of top coats with a sand in between each one....
ETA next day or so.....

 

[DJ Wozza]

99% of the filler applied is removed with Wet & Dry

Plastic Primer on, now have to wait 24 hours before I can start again with the Top Coat

 

[Stevearcade]

Good work mate.

 

[DJ Wozza]

Thanks Steve

I was lightly using 600 grit but it took too much off when flatting back between coats, so 800 grit upwards once the next coat has dried....

 

[DJ Wozza]

Before shot

After shot
It's never going to be perfect out of a spray can at home, but it's a pretty decent job in the end

There is now a delay as my pal is busy on overtime & i have docs/hospital appointments etc, but the last few stages are approaching.
Here is a list of what is left still to do when we can get time when we are both available...

1) Install 0awg Big 3 & run 0awg Power Cables from engine to boot via conduit under the car
2) install 2 new AGM type batteries (one in the boot)
3) sound deaden the remaining boot and under rear seat
4) sound deaden the doors & run all remaining control cables
(Bluetooth Mic, Epicentre Controller, JL Amp Cable, GPS receiver
5) install MDF speaker spacers in each door & run speaker cables
6) install coaxial rear door speakers behind factory grills
7) install front components, woofers in doors & tweeters into stock locations in the dash
8) fit subwoofer to custom MDF box & install LED's & Perspex
9) fit Head Unit & modified facia to the dash
10) sound check & adjustment

Will do this myself possibly tomorrow or Wednesday
1) Cut ski hatch grill mesh & paint

I have also ordered some small single LED's I will install discretely for courtesy effect lighting for the front door bins & the door handles like some later cars. They will be installed so you only see the effect of the light, not the actual light source itself. These will come on when the door is opened or the engine is running like the door window/central locking switch illumination etc. Also I have some front footwell courtesy lights for entry and exit. These are minor ***bits that will just add an air of quality to the install & are in keeping with a similar set up I installed on my IS200.

 

[Stevearcade]

Wow!!!

 

[DJ Wozza]

I'm not sure it quite deserves that reaction, but I'm pretty happy with it, so thanks mate

 

[Stevearcade]

I disagree. It completely deserves that reaction. In fact:

 

[DJ Wozza]

Ha ha ha

 

[Stevearcade]

Here's another in honour of your avatar:

 

[Stevearcade]

^ that's you dancing to music on your new car stereo...

 

[DJ Wozza]

None of this work would have been necessary had the Metra kit actually fitted perfectly. I just can't understand why is us so difficult for a UK based manufacturer like Autoleads etc to actually produce a Double DIN facia (rather than the trial & error of one from the USA or China) for the 7th Gen Accord. No wonder so few have been used for ICE as the car has pretty much fought me all the way do far. I refuse to be beaten tho, & this car will be at JAE in September & it will be finished.

 

[shab_the_man]

Now that is a very nice install. Very impressed with your detail.
I've done this install before so know what ot entails.

Well done fella

 

[DJ Wozza]

It's taking way way longer than expected, due to health & work issues, but I'm sure it will be so worth it for the smile I'm gonna have when it's finished...

 

[DJ Wozza]

Ski Hatch Grill done.

Firstly cut the aluminum mesh to shape

A bit of colour so it doesn't look out of place

But the Honda doesn't have a Ski Hatch i hear you say? Well you are correct, but it will have one of sorts, or should I say bass port
in a similar way to the one in my old Lexus, but this black mesh grill will cover things more discretely when the armrest is down.....

The rear 6x9's are removed so they are effectively bass ports, so once a ski hatch style aperture is cut into the armest back, there is pretty much no restriction on the subwoofer from flooding the cabin with big lows.....

 

[DJ Wozza]

I still have to cut the hole in the "ski hatch" but to give you an idea

 

[Ultona]

Some sick upgrades

 

[DJ Wozza]

Thanks mate :blush:

 

[Racy Jace]

Some great work here. Have you thought about hydro dipping your plastic trim? Im sure its quite cheap to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN4PS7ZJeYY

 

[DJ Wozza]

I have, but I decided the go with black as to not draw attention to the area when the car is parked rather than have something contrasting if that makes sense?

I mean I could go for a black Carbon dip but would need to do the gear surround, door switches & cup holder the same?