Zoidberg

I have a 2003 ES, with the double size head unit.

After much cursing I got the thing out. It's surprisingly easy once you actualy see what the clips look like.

Anyways, my problem is I have nothing to mount my new deck to. There's just a big gaping hole.

So my question is, how did the rest of you install your stereos?
My deck comes with a kind of metal housing that should get installed first and then the deck can slide right into that.

But If I have nothing to mount the housing to...

Any help will be appreciated.

ibanez78

i'm no install expert but this is what i did, my hu came with a piece of metal that fit around it, this had little tabs on it so when i place it in the opening and bent the tabs it held pretty well. the hu has a hole in the back for a screw with rubber on it. when i slid the radio into the metal frame the screw+rubber fit into the whole in the piece of metal in the dash. I'm sure that pro installers have better ways of doing it but it worked for me

Zoidberg

Yeah that's what I have too, but there's nothing to hold the HU in the top spot... aside from resting on the pocket in the bottom spot. That's not the way I want to install it.

There is a hole on the left and right sides, right in the middle, so I'm going to make a bar that will go across the middle. That will support the HU.

I think I might take some pictures of the whole procedure and post it on a website.

Poseur

try posting over at protege5.com bit more active site over there. I personally made a crossbrace for mine, but it's really fairly pointless. if you get the back secured nicely and the tabs of the metal sleeve biting really solidly into the sides, it's not really an issue. YOu can also carpet or foam-tape the top of the pocket I'd imagine. The best alternative is toget the other kit. I forget which is which, but I blieve it's scoshe that makes a kit that only gives a half-din pocket, but it has a full-surround bracket for everything. My only dislike was that it leaves like a 1/2" blank gap above the stereo, and keep sit form lining up with the rubber-plug hole on the support.

twopointohhh

you have to screw the brackets that were on the old HU into the metal housing that came with your factory hu. and get a pocket from crutchfield to fill the bottom din.

TeamUNDRGRND

You can get a kit from any future shop that is made specifically for the protege that houses the head unit cleanly and also has storage below for CDs or whatever you want. I use that space for a interior lighting panel. It is a really clean install, no holes or gaps.