Manntis

I wasn't completely happy with my first stereo mount/cupholder that I designed, so I've made a new one. (sold a few of 'em via eBay, too!)

Without further ado, here's the Mark II Cupholder/Stereo mount for my '85 GSL-SE. it has a brushed stainless face but lightweight aluminum and foam construction internally so it weighs next to nothing. The facia openings are 6 3/4" wide, just wide enough for a standard detachable face on a stereo to peek through thereby eliminating those tacky black plastic trim rings that come with the stereo and never quuite match the dash.

I also have a version with three 52mm gauge holes instead of the 5" deep cubby hole under the stereo.



and with stereo face open...



maybe I just have a brushed stainless fetish. If I put vents in the sucker DirectFreak would want 10 of 'em

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

Do you have a picture of it with the cup holders out?

Manntis

same as the last version, kinda like this:



(Mark I shown)

jeremy

iTrader: (1)

looks damn good. if it were black it would look completely stock.

inittab

Manntis - Did you paint your dash parts black? Looks good!

MarkPerez

Clean metal work ,man, i like just a touch of brushed
stainless myself,,now,,no support under the holder ??
for the cans or cups. The cans just sorta 'hang',,awe,
i see you also changed your shifter **** too.

79+80_rx-7

If I was to use a cd player, then wanted to put a digital grapic equalizer below the cd player, would it fit? Or would I have to cut the center piece? hehehe... Just curious....

Might buy one, and modify my dash to fit my 80 in the future... Would look good with the silver radio panel, and cluster surround and the rest gloss black....

Anyways, THANX, LATERZ, Andrew

Manntis

I might paint it black metallic and clearcoat like the dash (matches my car's bodycolour) but I decided to keep it natural stainless and see if I like it. So far I do

Is the graphic EQ 1 DIN height or thinner? It should definately fit then, but right now my mounts come with holes for the top stereo and the cubby hole "shelves" pre-cut. For the EQ you'd have to drill a few 9/32" or 5/16" holes yourself to put screws through.

Nice thing is it's quick to put in, but will take any thief brave enough to go into my car a long time to get the stereo out

Good eye, Mark. I was using the **** out of my '83, as the stock GSL-SE **** had faded from maroon to the greenish brown that maroon fades to. One of the guys in my local club had a GSL-SE shift **** in his @nd gen GXL and gave it to me when I helped him install his Momo ****.

79+80_rx-7

I dunno what size, it would most likly be a 1 DIN thing... I havent bought it, this is for future reference hehehe...

Would I have to cut the center trim to make it fit? (the stainless steal strip between the radio and cubby hole)


Just curious...

THANX LATERZ< Andrew

Manntis

nope. You'd just delete the foamcore 'shelf' between the upper stereo and the cubby(inside the bracket, therefore invisible in the pic), and mount it beneath the stereo

Manntis

*shameless bump*

79+80_rx-7

oooooooh okay.. coool


Thanx laterz Andrew

Manntis

a thought: do the EQ faces go right to the edges, or leave a border all the way around like a detachable face stereo?

79+80_rx-7

I have no clue... The only one I saw had a border thingy.....

Manntis

then it would fit no prob. I aligned the cubby hole opening with the 6 3/4" detachable face for the stereo opening for a more "manufactured" look, so as long as your EQ has a similar face it'll look great.

Easy to check if you get one, though; I formed the facia so it's a press-fit over the stereo bracket chassis. You can take the facia, loose, to your electronics store and test different models of EQ just by holding the facia up to them. Then, when you install the bracket, press the facia into place as one of your last steps to installation.

It's a tight fit, to prevent it from sliding off, so you may need a rubber mallet or other such 'part persuasion' device

BrianHeston

Hey Manntis, glad to see that everything has worked out so far with the sticker thing. And definately glad to see that some one as genuinely helpful, and widely knowledgeable as yourself is sticking around. I'm curious about two things.

1) Are you still allowed to sell what you have left? If so how do I get some?

2) This center console - would it work for an '82 since I don't have the "PUSH" ashtray and I have different environmental controls?

Thanks,
BrianHeston

85RX7GS

iTrader: (1)

Manntis - What shift **** do you have?

Manntis

I don't believe it would fit an '82, since you have a 1 DIN slot for the radio whereas 84-85 had a huge 2.25 DIN hole... this stainless/aluminum bracket is designed to bolt right into the mounting holes of the 84/85 stereo placement but for 82' would require a lot of fabrication.

I should develop a cupholder/cubby piece for the 81-83 FB soon

BrianHeston

Let me know if/when you get one designed for the 82, and how much do you think it might cost in the end?

Thanks,
Brian

Manntis

Probably about the same - my main cost was getting the metal laser cut and formed for nice smooth edges and a tight fit, not the materials themselves.

MarkPerez

Hey,you know,,that the 81's -83's are going to be a challange , just to design,,i've tried using AutoCAD
There really is no place for it to go,as far as a pull-out
tray-like job,,not impossable though,just rough to
plan out,,Shift *****,,,,2ed gens are nice, the 2ed gens
R is always red.while a 1st gen the same has a white R
I have at least 3, 2ed gen shift *****, all black,good condition, $ 5.00 each.

Keaponlaffen

You should start marketing these with a cool logo on them or something, laser etched in.... maybe www.nopistons.com?

K, I'll be quiet now about the rx7club.com thing....

MarkPerez

This is where i thought a cup holder would go,,,out of the way, no electrical to worry about,,still in reach for
driver,it just would NOT be invisable,,

Manntis

My design leaves plenty of room for the electrics in the 84-85 dash. Other than the stereo it's only 5" deep in a hole that goes much farther back, so harnesses have ample room to snake around back there.

The drawer itself is 6" deep for greater stability when pulled out, but has a blunt end and hasn't had a problem yet in my working model

Mark, I can't see where that arrow is pointing. Is it to the center console behind the shifter? That was my original concept, only I noticed my forearm and any drink there would tend to occupy the same space as I shifted, leading to potential spills as there's only about 2" depth to go into the consle before hitting carpet. In addition, the wiring harness for window switches et. al. is surprisingly thick and located under there.

MarkPerez

I know,,the picture quality sucks, bare with me here,,
on the 'side' passanger side of the console,,,rounded
some side X side, or up higher and make it 'steped',
one high and one lower,,but it would still stick out like
a sore thumb,so it would HAVE to look good.