# How To: Poor Man's Switch/Guage Panel



## UnkalledFor (Sep 21, 2004)

Well i was faced with the situation of an ugly switch after installing my power antenna... So i decided to make a poor man's console... It's actually very simple, and i took pictures with my camera phone as i did my work... hope this gives ideas to those out there.. hopefully its never been done before and i dont look like an idiot... oh well, here it goes...

1. Pull out center console and remove empty space box thingy
 ... 

2. Grab one of those AOL CD covers you get in the mail, or a DVD cover from some unwanted promo disk...looks like this...


3. Place the box thing facing down onto the CD/DVD case, and with a pencil trace it... in this picture i am just showing it down against the cover, but i traced my line higher up so that i could get the middle flap thing of the DVD cover seen in the second picture.. Cut it where you made your marking...
 ... 

4. Test the new cover for fitment before you go any further and cut the holes for the switches/clusters...use the top flap to make it fit tighter and look more even.. then add the center console frame to see how it will look and if it is flush...
 ...  ... 

From here on this might be different depending on what you are putting in the panel.. In my case i am only adding one switch for now, it controls my new power antenna..

5. Get out the drill, or any other necessary tools...hehe i like power tools, it brings out the psycho in me! :crazy: 


6. Drill your holes and add your switches or whatever you are adding to full the space...


7. Put the panel back on and the trim and you are finished! Heres a before and after picture...
BEFORE:  ....... and AFTER:


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## mzanubis (Feb 19, 2003)

dang! looking good, but should you be trusted w/ power tools? :thumbup:


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## Z_Spool (Sep 27, 2003)

My only question is where is the rat living now that you've destroyed his original habitat?


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## UnkalledFor (Sep 21, 2004)

Z_Spool said:


> My only question is where is the rat living now that you've destroyed his original habitat?


oh.. yea thats my car's mascot.. his name is Rupert.. ill post a picture of his new home later.. lol :thumbup:


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## HLBulldog (Mar 12, 2003)

that's ghetto..... 
I like it, great McGuiver job.


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## LIUSPEED (May 29, 2002)

HLBulldog said:


> that's ghetto.....
> I like it, great McGuiver job.


make me one ! :thumbup:


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

Not bad....

My headunit is dual-din, so that's a no go for me.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

isnt home depot tuning the greatest? i have never done anything to my car without at least one trip to home depot :thumbup: 

heres some more home brew ideas. if your going to put gauges in there angle them, no need to buy them off of ebay though. go to home depot and find PVC pipe with an I.D that will fit the gauge housing. cut the pipe to the length/angle you want and paint it black. you now have a home made angled gauge bezel :thumbup: keep back yard tuning alive!


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## TheMadCheshire (Dec 30, 2004)

thats awsome. Finally found a use for those annoying aol cd thingies. Always wanted to use them for something. Right on. :thumbup:


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## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

Isn't the orange wire on the HU for the antenna?


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## Neva2wicked (Sep 13, 2003)

TheMadCheshire said:


> thats awsome. Finally found a use for those annoying aol cd thingies. Always wanted to use them for something. Right on. :thumbup:


Amen to that. Now I wonder what else I can use those damn things for


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## HLBulldog (Mar 12, 2003)

LIUSPEED said:


> make me one ! :thumbup:


lol, you can put together a set of HID headlights, but can't make a switch panel out of an AOL CD cover?


Neva2wicked said:


> Amen to that. Now I wonder what else I can use those damn things for


I use the CDs as bird scarers, the shimmering scares them, keeps them from crappin all up in my pool, but a more fun use is as targets they shatter in to a kabillion pieces  
I'm gonna do this next time I get one of these CDs in the mail, I can't wait.


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## jeff9nissan (Jan 9, 2004)

think you'd want to give me the stock bx thingy? Just bought a ne car but it has the dul din stock player.


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## UnkalledFor (Sep 21, 2004)

the only downside is if you have switches it will pretty much render the cup holders useless... also, if you find the panel too flimsy, you can add something behind it to strengthen it like another cd case piece or cardboard or w/e, but u would obviosly have to make the holes in that also.. but the best part of it is that if you decide to take it off you didnt modify any part of the original console, so it can go back to the original easily.. and the parts are FREE so you wont feel like an idiot if you mess up once or twice.. or have to replace it a few months later...


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## Neva2wicked (Sep 13, 2003)

HLBulldog said:


> lol, you can put together a set of HID headlights, but can't make a switch panel out of an AOL CD cover?


The definition of laziness  J/K


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## LIUSPEED (May 29, 2002)

Neva2wicked said:


> The definition of laziness  J/K


exactly.. too lazy to make one :thumbup:


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## Neva2wicked (Sep 13, 2003)

LIUSPEED said:


> exactly.. too lazy to make one :thumbup:


You're like a book bro 

BTW- if anyone's doing this.. you might want to paint it *lol*the cover looks so damn cheap compared to the panel and all.


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## UnkalledFor (Sep 21, 2004)

Neva2wicked said:


> You're like a book bro
> 
> BTW- if anyone's doing this.. you might want to paint it *lol*the cover looks so damn cheap compared to the panel and all.


i thought about doing this too... i will probably add more layers to make it sturdier and paint the top layer... thatll be later though.. i am lazy too. and to get motivated it take alot lol.. :thumbup:


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## HLBulldog (Mar 12, 2003)

Does that thing move around at all? No glue used? 
[qoute=UnKalledFor]the only downside is if you have switches it will pretty much render the cup holders useless... [/qoute] Does anyone honestly use the cupholders anyway? I can only stick the 20oz cans and small drinks in there cause anything larger pushes against the headunit and messes with the buttons.


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## UnkalledFor (Sep 21, 2004)

HLBulldog said:


> Does that thing move around at all? No glue used?
> [qoute=UnKalledFor]the only downside is if you have switches it will pretty much render the cup holders useless... [/qoute] Does anyone honestly use the cupholders anyway? I can only stick the 20oz cans and small drinks in there cause anything larger pushes against the headunit and messes with the buttons.


nope doesn't move at all.. i was thinking of using glue when i started the project, but i realized i didnt need it.. the trim piece keeps it in place perfectly, if you try it you will see what i mean..when i add support to the panel i will use glue to stick the back to the original panel tho... as for the cupholders... its true that they are miniature, and everything i put hits my HU..if i brake hard it hits a button and changes songs or puts it on AM/FM mode lol.. so i usually just hold the cup between my legs...


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

not sure of the size of these, but I looked at these on ebay a while back

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...tem=7970221935&category=50459&sspagename=WDVW

pretty cool, I never measured the size though to figure out if it would fit though.


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## wildmanee (Nov 21, 2004)

Those cupholders are a horrible design, I can't work my receiver whenever there's a drink in one of the cupholders (or both).


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

you need to do the altima cup holder swap.

theres a write up for it on NPM.


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## UnkalledFor (Sep 21, 2004)

xbrandonx said:


> you need to do the altima cup holder swap.
> 
> theres a write up for it on NPM.


i wanna see, you have the linky?

Edit: N/M i found it .... http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/january01/cupholders.shtml


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## LIUSPEED (May 29, 2002)

imma hafta pick me up one then  cuz i need big cupholders


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## jeff9nissan (Jan 9, 2004)

Need to figure out a way to make the holder come out farther. My cups push buttons on my head unit.


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

do the cup holder swap


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

Nice job.... :thumbup: for originality


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## SneakyMilo (Jun 27, 2004)

This is some ghetto-fab hawtness. Nice Job, man. :thumbup:


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## HLBulldog (Mar 12, 2003)

wtf? they changed the cd covers on the AOL CDs!!!!!!!!!!!! Just when I found a good way to use them....


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