Aftermarket car stereos are built to a standard. While this means they’ll fit just about any type of car, it also means they’re not designed to match the styling of any understated brand. Fascia adapters are clip-on plastic frames that blend your new stereo into your car’s pre-existing design.
Many people want the best stereo for their car. Whether you’re looking for the best sound quality, want to be able to listen to digital radio on the go, get better reception, or a built-in LCD screen, it can be an exciting purchase. But there is a problem that many people do not consider until it comes to installing the stereo; doesn’t look right To fit your new stereo, you had to remove the panel that surrounded your old one and now it can’t be put back on. A fascia adapter can help. They are available in single and double DIN sizes and will help match your new car stereo to the design of your old car.
“DIN” is short for “Deutsche Industrie Norm” and is, as the name suggests, the standard measurement for all aftermarket car stereo units sold in the UK. A DIN is 2 1/8 inches tall and 7/18 inches wide; depth depends on design. A double DIN radio is twice the size and is generally the dimension used by flashier car stereos that feature LCD screens, SatNavs, DVD screens and the like.
If your old car radio is a standard DIN or double DIN size, you don’t need anything else to install the new one. However, if it isn’t, as is the case with most retail cars, then you’ll need a DIN adapter kit/double DIN kit. These are not complicated; they fill the empty socket left by removing the old car stereo, leaving a socket into which your new aftermarket double din or single din stereo can be installed. And there you have it. Your single din/double din kit has left you with a new stereo complete with LCD screen, iPod dock and everything else you could want to rock your Basement Jaxx on Monday morning switch.
It just looks a little weird. A little sticky, if you know what I mean. It doesn’t fit well with the rest of the dash. It may have a better sound, but it has cheapened the appearance of the rest of the car.
This shouldn’t be too shocking. Your new car head unit was not designed to specifically fit your car make and model. It was designed to fit equally well in a Seat Ibiza, a Citreon C4 or a Renault Megane. You need a fascia adapter. Each is simply a plastic frame designed to fit around the exterior of the new head unit, blending it into the surrounding dash design. The genius of the piece is its simplicity. It doesn’t obscure the screen or controls on the stereo, but it does make it look smart. DIN and Double DIN mounting kits allow you to install an aftermarket car stereo without radically altering the appearance of your car’s dash. Fascia adapters are available for a wide range of major car brands including Seat, Kia, Ford, Jaguar and Volkswagen.
Depending on the make and model of your car, you may need a “cage” to hold the stereo and dash in place. If this is the case, make sure your fascia adapter comes with the cage, otherwise it could be a headache finding a match. Quality suppliers of car stereo paraphernalia should offer this combination as standard where appropriate.
A fascia adapter gives your car style, consistent design, and the best music and audio quality. Like all great ideas, it’s simple but effective. You don’t need any technical expertise to fit the adapters, it’s a quick process and one that even the most die-hard technophobes can do with ease.
