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Finally! I've been tinkering with this project for quite some times, mainly looking for the right compass that would fit the accessory slot next to the radio and air ducts. I really wanted to use the aux. clock face plate and use its pre-cut hole for the screen area. I found this cheap digital compass at K-Mart and figured that after I remove the compass unit from the casing I could fit it behind the clock face plate and mount it on the dash. The compass screen and the compass' black platic face plate fit perfectly within the clock face plate's circular opening. The problem was that the whole set-up would not snap into place because the compass unit and battery pressed against the plastic parts on the dash. I ended up butchering that compass to make it fit rather than cut into the plastic parts where the aux. guages/clock would go. Well, a few months later and looking over Ebay, I found this compass that is almost similar in size to the accessory face plate. It's by PNI and is designed for the windshield; it came with a bracket and suction cups. I removed the backing where the batteries go so that it would free up some back space. I used meat-packing styrofoam (black) and measured and cut it to the shape of the Volvo face plate and then cut out the middle to the shape of the compass. I used black vinyl tape (the ones people use for putting on their top windshield), which I had laying around. It is an almost perfect color match! If you look behind each of the accessory covers, there is a hole that is designed for a clock or guage to go through. The compass' two AAA batteries are positioned there, so there is no problem with the unit not snapping into place because of a size/space issue. That was the problem I had with the first compass, but that had a lot to do with the clock face plate's recessed opening for the clock face. Tell me what you think?
The compass has a green backlit display (looks cool), clock, trip timer, alarm, and some other compass readings. Now I can know what direction I'm heading!
The space on the left side is uneven due more to the instrument panel edge than the fabricated face plate I made.
ps
Be careful with exacto knives!
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