Radio Install and waterproofing questions

    I know there are a lot of different setups out there for Radio's. I am looking at going with Alpine ILX-F511 11" screen that tilts and takes up 1 Din slot mounting. I am not sure what brackets people used to mount. I also believe that you should have a shield that blocks the engine compartment / firewall behind the radio? So To waterproof these radios that stick out I have only seen people using shower caps that work but it would be nice to have some type of silicone boot or cover, a membrane that goes over it to still be able to touch the screen or use the buttons. Any feedback will be appreciated and if you have pictures please post so I can see what you did.


    Lastly there was a guy in Florida that is out of business that made custom fiberglass side pieces that went from the front kick area to past the seat to the rear his name was Hectir and I heard he is out of business. Not surprised really, seems like a management problem. Hope people didn't get screwed. He had some really good applications not sure if anyone else does that, Underground I would think would take over his design?


    Thanks in advance!

    There are 3 areas to be concerned with:

    1. Face Area: Many people use the shower cap so whatever else you can come up with...
    2. Engine Area: There are templates on this (or the other) website that show how to cut a foam insulation panel to fit between the back of the stereo and the engine. This is probably more for heat than water. I used some 1" foam insulation board with exhaust heat tape to fill in that area.
    3. Above the stereo: Under the two triangle body panels are some slots. These let in a lot of water that people forget about. I used some plexiglass and duct tape to protect the top of the stereo body and it seems to be holding up well after 3 years.
    Quote from chavey2

    There are 3 areas to be concerned with:

    1. Face Area: Many people use the shower cap so whatever else you can come up with...
    2. Engine Area: There are templates on this (or the other) website that show how to cut a foam insulation panel to fit between the back of the stereo and the engine. This is probably more for heat than water. I used some 1" foam insulation board with exhaust heat tape to fill in that area.
    3. Above the stereo: Under the two triangle body panels are some slots. These let in a lot of water that people forget about. I used some plexiglass and duct tape to protect the top of the stereo body and it seems to be holding up well after 3 years.

    Thanks, I searched and finally found it. Here is the link to that post


    Insulating the Infotainment Cubby Area From Engine Compartment Heat

    Quote from BlackDeath

    Thanks, I searched and finally found it. Here is the link to that post


    Insulating the Infotainment Cubby Area From Engine Compartment Heat

    As poster of the that thread, I recommend you try using the insulated foam board to hopefully provide more insulation. After making the aluminum panel I originally posted about and then adding the self-stick insulation to the panel, I've never really gotten used to the flexibility of the the combo. I'd assume a something like 1" foam insulation board would be less flexible.

    Quote from BKL

    As poster of the that thread, I recommend you try using the insulated foam board to hopefully provide more insulation. After making the aluminum panel I originally posted about and then adding the self-stick insulation to the panel, I've never really gotten used to the flexibility of the the combo. I'd assume a something like 1" foam insulation board would be less flexible.

    Are you going to be redoing your install?

    Quote from BlackDeath

    Are you going to be redoing your install?

    The metal shield I used as the basis for my heat shield can flex and therefore doesn't keep out the heat as much as a more rigid shield would, so I may eventually replacement it with a more rigid shield. One advantage of a more rigid shield is you can use some weatherstrip molding to get a better seal to close off the equipment area. I've had it in place over 5 years now. The template I provided in the how-to link is wider than the opening, so if you want to use rigid foam for the heat shield, I'd recommend assembling the template and then using it to develop a tighter fitting template for the rigid foam.