Another successful operation. Last time it was the Apple CarPlay. This was definitely not for the faint of heart. Most of the dash trim had to be removed to gain access to the Info Center. The hardest part was routing the wire from behind the seat to the trunk. Could not find any YouTube videos of this being done with an RF. You sure learn a lot when you need to study it and how to pop the required trim. I found the BOSE amp in this area. I would have never guessed it was here. Drilling that hole above the license plate into the bumper is kinda scary. Probably the scariest part, because what ever I do, there is no going back. One wrong move and the words would have started flying, but everything went well. It took about 5 -6 hrs to finish this job up. Now I just need some nice days to test things out. I'm now looking forward to backing up. (pun intended.)
Since I had to route the camera wire through the hard top mechanics, it becomes clear at how complex the movement actually is with such limited space. The mechanics of this system is a work of art. And the fact that it closes up and becomes water tight is impressive. Those Mazda mechanical engineers are incredible.
Next project . . . Air Oil Separator. Should be a lot easier.
I've installed factory back-up cameras in two ND Miatas, my RF and a friend's soft-top. As Shindel says, it takes about 5-6 hours, and although it's not impossible it can be a little scary, especially when you start taking the interior trim apart. The results, however, are well worth the effort and I highly recommend it.
For anyone contemplating this project there is a lot of extremely helpful information, including detailed photos, here:
2017 RF Club, 6MT, Arctic White
You're a braver man than me, Mike - even if I had an ND.
"Straights are for fast cars; turns are for fast drivers." - Colin McRae
