Double Din Installtion Kit. Best fit, color, etc.

[SoSleek]

I'm getting ready to install my Alpine INA-W900BT double din head unit. I used the search to pull up a few older posts. "Installation" and "Kit" are both very popular words on this forum. Search returns a wide variety of unrelated posts. I also searched Scosche, Metra, American International, etc. I found some posts that say the Scosche installation kits needed to be dremeled to fit, or the color is close but not a perfect match. Found little info on the Metra. All posts seemed to be very dated though.

I was wondering if someone could provide me some guidance on which kit to buy. I am looking for great fit mainly. A nice color match would be good, but I may be getting my entire center console painted soon so that may not matter all that much. I am looking for quality mainly. I do not want to have to grind anything. I don't want gaps. Just want a nice clean install. If you have experience with one or more of these kits please point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

[ThurzNite]

By this pic, looks pretty good for fitment. If you're gonna get everything painted, then color doesn't matter
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http ... 5-8212.pdf

I'm not sure how your hvac control panel is, but there's a huge gap in the camry
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showt ... p?t=190441
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showt ... p?t=341759
http://www.suburbanradio.com/10Camry.JPG
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showt ... p?t=155133
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/ ... 7B&tp=3121 <-- Maybe call up crutchfield for more pics? They're always helpful to me

I haven't been in an 04 Solara forever. Got any pics of the stock setup?

Dr J

[SoSleek]

Thanks for the links. I would LOVE to get my hands on the Power Acoustik one!!! I don't even know if they make one for the Solara. I know the Camry and Solara peices look quite similar but are in fact different. I read it in an old post here. Below is the same interior I have in my 2004 Solara SE Sport, except I don't have Climate Control. I have 3 dial knobs.

[kingkakyle]

i have the one from toyota
it fits very well (obviously) as long as u dont break any of the tiny, tiny, tiny tabs on the air knobs controls
if you're going to paint it i guess the color doesn't matter, although it matches very well
and fitment as i said it good
i paid around 30$ for a new one from dealer

[SoSleek]

i have the one from toyota
it fits very well (obviously) as long as u dont break any of the tiny, tiny, tiny tabs on the air knobs controls
if you're going to paint it i guess the color doesn't matter, although it matches very well
and fitment as i said it good
i paid around 30$ for a new one from dealer

Pics please? Not quite sure which one it is. Is it the one that Toyota uses for their Nav unit? Does it fit aftermarket head units?

[kingkakyle]

let me find my pic thread
but yes its the one toyota uses for their nav
i have an eclipse avn 5500? and it fits except on the sides theres gaps,
so i bought these side fittings things, it'll be more obvious in the pics

[SoSleek]

OK cool, I'll wait to see...and what did you use to actually mount the Eclipse.

[kingkakyle]

ok i realized i didn't take pictures of when i redid it cuz it was sticking out lol
ill take some tomorrow

i used the existing brackets from the stock, but had to drill a bit
ill show u why in the pics tomorrow

[kingkakyle]

thats what it looks like now
there are these black spacers on the side i had to add because my unit is not wide enough




thats sort of shows the color

this is what is looked like at first, without the spacers
i also had to drill new holes for the brackets because otherwise it stuck out like a mofo
but that could be specific to my unit
but it no longer sits like this

[Aotoyota]

ive done all three kits. I was the first to get the scosche kit way back in 04, then i tried the AI kit and most recently
the Metra kit.

here are my thoughts.

scosche kit was way off on color
AI kit best so far. its black but since it has the pvc texture, everyone thought I custom made one.
Metra. color would have been nice when I first bought the car.

The AI kit is the only one that doesnt have anything hitting the tabs on the top side
of the HVAC controls. I modified the metra one with a dremel so the tabs would not
hit the kit and be flush.

I have a W900 in the car now and it looks best with the metra kit
especially how the face slopes out toward the bottom. but I hate the silver,
So I am considering to shoot it gloss black which I haven't seen anyone do here yet.

good luck!

[SoSleek]

ive done all three kits. I was the first to get the scosche kit way back in 04, then i tried the AI kit and most recently
the Metra kit.

here are my thoughts.

scosche kit was way off on color
AI kit best so far. its black but since it has the pvc texture, everyone thought I custom made one.
Metra. color would have been nice when I first bought the car.

The AI kit is the only one that doesnt have anything hitting the tabs on the top side
of the HVAC controls. I modified the metra one with a dremel so the tabs would not
hit the kit and be flush.

I have a W900 in the car now and it looks best with the metra kit
especially how the face slopes out toward the bottom. but I hate the silver,
So I am considering to shoot it gloss black which I haven't seen anyone do here yet.

good luck!

Very helpful AOTOYOTA! Thanks! The only thing you forgot are the pics! haha. Let me know if you have pics bud. Thanks!

[Aotoyota]

I have the AI kit in there now. still deciding if i want to shoot the metra kit.

will take pics later.

[SoSleek]

I have the AI kit in there now. still deciding if i want to shoot the metra kit.

will take pics later.

I'd really like to see the way the metra fits with the w900! Plz post man!

[wkbrdr91]

I wish i had that much money to drop on a head unit lol. Sleek, could you help me pick out a lower cost one? Doesnt need to be GPS, I really dont care, especially since I JUST got a new TomTom with unlimited live traffic and map updates. Heres the one im looking at, caught my attention cause it does Pandora right on the screen (if you plug your iphone into it)

[url]
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130AVHP43/ ... l?tp=20217[/url]

[Aotoyota]

will try and dig through old pics and see what i come up with.