I have just ordered MKII yesterday.
Now comes the fun part, installation to Honda convertible S2000 in Australia. I have this nasty feeling about the ease of this process. There will be NO dash/trim/wiring butchering!

If someone would like to lend a hand by postal re-routing the Service and ETM manual (avail in US), you can feel all warm and fuzzy in knowing you took part in installation into a seriously cool car.

http://www.geocities.com/hondasportscarclub/

They available for purchase online or by phone, I will cover costs.

Please email private in response or for more details: [email protected]

Cheers,

Kieran.

Can't you just order a dashkit/instructions from Crutchfield? Their installation guides are works of art.

___________
Tony Fabris

I can't find anywhere on the site descriptions of them shipping to Australia. + Connections to phones, palms, changers, wireless lan, control stick etc, are likely going to cover different panel areas than crutchfields guide. Convertibles don't make it easy....

Good to have a service manual in general I find...

Cool site though, will keep it in mind....

Do you know if they sell their 'mastersheets' seperately? Everything seems to point to "buy a receiver from us, is the only way to get it"

Do you know if they sell their 'mastersheets' seperately? Everything seems to point to "buy a receiver from us, is the only way to get it"

I'm not sure. You could always call them and ask. About both the Oz shipping and the master sheets. Note that you'll need a connector and maybe even a dash kit anyway, so maybe that would qualify as enough of a sale.

___________
Tony Fabris

Cambscar have done an install into an S2000 (audio gear, amp, etc - not an empeg though) and said it was very easy, plenty of space for amps, etc.

Hondas are usually pretty good - at least they have standard DIN slots!

Hugo

...Only problem I've had w/ my honda '99 (almost the same as the 2000) is how to FIT and make STAY the empeg and another head unit.. I ended up using one screw that I drilled on the back of the mk1 sled, and duck tape on my last one (don't ask.. I couldnt' find the right double-din cage anywhere...)

Actually, I guess I'm going to have to look for a double-din cage again, since now I have a new one to install:)
-mark

...proud to have owned one of the first Mark I units

Hugo,

> Cambscar have done an install into an S2000 (audio gear, amp, etc - not an empeg though) and
> said it was very easy, plenty of space for amps, etc.
>

They have done an S2000 install of an empeg. Mine (Mk1).

> Hondas are usually pretty good - at least they have standard DIN slots!
>

No they don't. The S2000 std head unit is slightly larger than DIN and is mounted via a set of
'flanges' on the side of the unit (rather than being clamped to the fascia like DIN). Cambscar had
to fit a slightly untidy looking plate so that the Mk1 could clamp onto the fascia. This also means
that the S2000 hinged head unit cover does not quite close properly. :-(

All rather distressing but I coundn't be arsed to argue with Cambscar at the time and I've got
used to it now....

.Peter

Well, in my 2001 VW Polo there's also this big double DIN
hole. With a radio in the lower position the empeg sleeve
wouldn't grip properly (the radios sleeve gripped good at
three sides (l/r/b) ) as it has no tabs at the sides and
the empeg sleeve would drop down ~1/4", just enough for
the top tabs to disengage...

Solved it by inserting a piece of wood (painted black)
1/4" thick and 1" deep between the sleeves along the front
edge. Cut out slots for the tabs of the sleeves to grip into.

Works well, as the empeg sleeve is raised and thus grips
along the top. Even if it would like to pop out, it pushes
against the wood which in turn pushes on the radio sleeve -
which is suffiently anchored...

Sounds a bit weird from my description above, but in
practice it is solid. With both units in, only about a
millimeter (1/24") of the wood shows between the units,
and as it is painted black totally unnoticeable. With the
empeg out it shows a bit more (but then you have this
gaping hole in the panel anyway...) but is still very
unobtrusive. Will probably keep my eyes out for something
suitable in plastic, really matching the dash, though...


/Michael - new owner of 00068

Linux: Turn on...Tune in...Fork out...

I hear a bit about Crutchfield.. Where can I find more info.. A webpage perhaps?

Do you have any suggestions for someone about to install theirs in their s2k? I would like it to appear clean and the door to close (my right knee rests right there, and it pokes me when the door is open).. If anything, I'll remove the door completely.

I hear a bit about Crutchfield.. Where can I find more info.. A webpage perhaps?

When in doubt, just type a company name into the location bar. Typing in Crutchfield into Netscape reveals their home page in a few seconds at www.crutchfield.com, or if using the other popular browser, it should load the site and an annoyning search window on the left.

Helps me quite a bit for companies with slightly off names then websites as well.

I suggest you get the Empegs sled modified to add 'flanges' in the correct position. Need to get
this just right so it is far enough back so that the S2000 flap closes OK but far enough
forward so that you can still pull the release handle up to pull the Empeg out.

.Peter

Although Crutchfield maintains a reasonably competent web site, the real gem is their telephone reps. They are very knowledgeable for mail-order people. Definitely call their number and ask whatever questions you want.

And when they answer your questions and tell you what you need, odds are that they're the best people to order the items from. So you take care of everything with one phone call.

I'm in the USA, though, so I don't know how they handle international orders.

___________
Tony Fabris

I can see a lot of help so far. No one in the US has volunteered to forward the service manuals though :) I'm sure it will come. It's really not much work....

On the query of fitting in the Honda S2000, not sure what you mean about the door closing. I presume you are not talking about the head unit, rather fitting some BIG-ASS speakers into the doors.

In the S2000 I fit standard 15 or 16's I think, in replacement for the factory, without worrying about messing with the trim. My saving grace was this pair of Sony's 2-ways where the tweeter's were floating, and could be "pointed" up at the driver. Without putting in separate tweeters, I got probably the best result you are going to in the existing space, without messing with trim. Normally without the directional tweeters, you are just losing so much top end, especially when the soft top is down.

Really, if you drive it with the top down most of the time, the acoustics are crap anyway, you are going to lose the finer points. So this is a good comprimise.

As an additional piece, a nice little slimline alpine amp, fit right under the passenger seat, without doing any extra wiring into the boot, or taking up any more of the little boot room there is....

> On the query of fitting in the Honda S2000, not sure what you mean about
> the door closing. I presume you are not talking about the head unit,
> rather fitting some BIG-ASS speakers into the doors.
>

No, I am talking about the door over the head unit. The Empeg sled expects
to clamp onto the facia of a DIN size hole. The S2000 head unit hole is slightly
larger than DIN so you can't just clamp the sled in. When CambsCar did my
install they used a panel with a DIN size hole and fitted that like a washer
between the neck of the cage and the facia. This brings the Empeg forward
slightly where it starts to get in the way of the head unit door closing.

> Really, if you drive it with the top down most of the time, the
> acoustics are crap anyway, you are going to lose the finer points. So
> this is a good comprimise.
>

This is what I figured so I just stuck with the factory fit speakers. I do like the idea
of the remote tweeters though as I find the natural position for my legs is right
over the door speaker grill and that effectively absorbes most of the high end.
I end up swinging my legs to the other side when Empeg gets to a good track...

> As an additional piece, a nice little slimline alpine amp, fit right
> under the passenger seat, without doing any extra wiring into the boot,
> or taking up any more of the little boot room there is....
>

Sounds good. Again, sadly CambsCar fitted quite a chunky amp behind my
passenger seat so that it does not go all the way back anymore :-(

I still think there is space for an amp next to the spare wheel where the hood
motor is.

.Peter

Thankyou to those who responded to this cry for help.

BIG thankyou to David T-G from Connecticut - who has organised the manuals and they are on their way.

I am loaning him my pet Kangaroo and my dingos (not the baby eating kind) to look after his family while he plays with his empeg. I offered him my wombat too, but he knows better than to accept a wombat from a stranger ;)

Car player arrived. What can I say.... Awesome!!... install to begin shortly...

Cheers from Oz,

Kieran