New metra dash kit. Need opinions...

When I first bought my Tacoma I installed a kenwood ddx419 with a scosche dash kit.


I wasn't too happy with the scosche dash kit. I didn't like the way it surrounded the h/u and left a gap around it. Metra recently came out with a new 95-8214 kit which guaranteed a great fit and finish so I gave it a go.



I really love this new dash kit. It fits snug and the fit and finish is great. It make the h/u look that much better IMO.

The only problem is that sometimes I get a mean glare from the sun off the top of the dash kit's silver finish which is quite blinding and distracting at times. I'm thinking about painting the dash kit and the silver background behind the climate controls. Maybe flat black or a darker gunmetal color. What do you guys think? I'm on my phone so I can't make a poll. I'd also like to see what you guys have done as well.

Keep it the way it is and deal with the glare?

Paint it flat black?

Paint it flat gunmetal?

Other options?

 

I always wear polarized sunglasses when driving in sunny conditions. No glare problem at all.

That being said, I've seen plenty on here painted up and some other interior color mods that look nice. Also, I prefer the Metra to the Scosche also due to the dimpling on it's finish.

Flat black would probably match the trim around the vents the best should you choose to paint it.

 

Just my .02... I ordered a dark gray kit and a silver for my 05 (silver being stock). I would recommend either ordering/painting it dark gray. I don't know how paint will last in the heat, but I ended up test fitting both without the clips attached (for ease of removal) and I think the gray looks sharp. It contrasts the immediate surrounding silver and matches the other dark gray in the dash.. Granted, mine is just single DIN...

 

I have the Scoche kit and my deck doesn't sit like that at all. You can move it forwards more and remove most of that gap you are seeing.

 

I meant the gap surrounding the HU. Between the dash kit and HU. There's no way to adjust it and the trim piece was garbage. It's basically just a big square hole where the HU sits. The metra kit looks much better and the trim piece sits nice and snug around the HU and ties them both together nicely.

Any other pics of painted dash kits and climate controls?

 

Mines painted.


Painting the climate control black too

 

Painting the climate control, if you could match the color with the dark gray, would like really sharp...

 

Where did you get it?
I dont care for my scoshe much either. Does it rattle at all like the scosche?

 

the metra kit is pretty sturdy. never tried the scosche so i cant compare

 

I plasi dipped it black, i think it looks great

 

Looks Great, Quick question: How do you like the Parot Head unit? I'm thinking of picking one up. Would love to know the Pros and Cons... Thx. CW

 

I bought online. Think the website was sonicelectronix.com. Just google the part number 95-8214. It's very solid. It came with its own white plastic clips which hold better than the oem Toyota ones did. No rattles at all. Couldn't be happier, just not sure if I want to paint it or not.

 

Plastidip... I've never used it but have seen a lot of it on these forums. I need to get some. I'm curious how it holds up...

 

Pretty great stuff, theres a plasti dip thread. People dots lots of crazy things

 

The geek that I am. I absolutely love it. I will say that I'm not a fan of the circular wheel (is not smooth spinning, it's notchy), and the software can be unintuitive at times, BUT I bought it for a few main reasons: aesthetics (I like simple and pain, not gaudy and flashy), inputs (iPod, line in, SD Card, 3 x USB so I can attach a 2TB drive in the glove box, 3G dongle for GPS, etc. Which can be substituted by tethering your phone via Bluetooth or one of the available USB ports), and outputs (3 x RCA, two of which feed an amp under the drivers seat powering component Polks in the front door, 2-way Polks in the rear; the third feeds another amp under the passenger seat for a sub). Add to that, Bluetooth hands free calling that people swear I'm on a land line? I'll take 2...

The only negative thing I can say, besides the minor quibbles above is that, for lossless music, it only supports WAV files, and my collection is FLAC or Apple Lossless. However,I do maintain a second library for my iPod with 320kbps MP3s, and that's what I normally use, loaded onto an SD card with this unit.

Overall, it's pretty sweet. The reviews online are a mixed bag, but after owning it, I chalked a lot of the negatives up to ignorant people.

 

I need to search for that. I've seen wheels done with it (not to hijack this thread) and can't fathom how it holds up to washing... I'll find it and learn the great ways of the Plastidip kings! Lol

 

ill just leave this here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDhIAoXc1sw
But yeah back on subject

 

Oh my... Shut the front door... Just found how to renew my plastic trim back to black

And now we return you to your regularly scheduled program...