DIY Finished/Rewritten! Mods, could you move this to Interior Style Mods? Thanks
Mount Your iPod to the Dash -347 Easy Steps!
Click here for illustrated PDF.
The concept of this mod is very simple. I want to mount my iPod to my car’s dash somewhere. After considering a few locations, I finally settled on this location:
That awkward sunglasses/accessories/trash/ bin (henceforth “the bin”) is not that useful for me. Prior to doing this mod, it’s sole job was to hold several Bar-B-Que menus and a DVD, which promptly went in the trash.
This location is fairly ergonomic, allows easy finger-tip control of songs, isn’t too distracting to check the screen, and it’s easy to pop out when you leave the car.
Best of all, if you screw up,
click here and you can replace the junk bin for less than $10.
When we’re finished, about the only part of your iPod setup visible will be the iPod itself:
So, in a nutshell, we’ll be doing 4 things:
1 - Creating a slot in the back edge of the bin to insert the iPod into
2 - Mounting the
iPod dock on the other side of the bin along with a charger to connect the iPod
3 - Wiring a plug to attach the finished assembly to the car’s 12v power
4 - Adding an LED light to illuminate the bin only when the iPod is inserted.
Overall, here are the supplies and tools I used:
Tools:
Screwdrivers: #2 Phillips, Flat, #20 Torx
Needlenose, Wire Strippers, Channel Locks
Power Drill with 1/16”, 1/8”, 7/32”, 15/64” bits
Rotary Tool with 1/16” bit from above, grinding bit, 120 Grit sanding drum
Multimeter
Sandpaper (220, 400, 1000)
Super Glue
2-Part Epoxy (or Poster mounting tape, for the cowardly)
X-Acto Knife
30-Watt Soldering Iron (Rosin Core Solder)
Supplies:
iPod Dock
iPod Charger
3’ 3.5mm Stereo cable w/Right Angle plugs
12v Socket (
Pic of the one I used, $4 at Pep Boys)
Lever-action switch (Radio Shack)
Accent LEDs (Pep Boys)
16 Gauge Hookup Wire (Stranded)
T-Taps (4)
Perfboard (As a spacer)
Also one of these:
So let’s get started!
First of all, you need to pop the bin out. Look at:
DIY: CSX Center Console (with storage bin sliding door)
That tells you how to take it off. It’s even simpler if you have an Automatic. With an AT, you will have to put the shifter in N and pull the E-Brake.
Once you have the bin out, you need to figure out where you want the iPod. If you have a full-sized iPod (1st-5th Gen, Classic, Touch) you will find it’s just long enough to balance between the front lip of the bin and rest it’s bottom flat against the back wall. Just play with it - there’s a balanced spot, but you have to find it.
Using a scoring tool, mark out the corners of the ipod so you'll know where to drill. BE CONSERVATIVE. Mark the corners very close to the iPod, so that the slot can start out too small and you can sand it large enough.
Now you’ll need to remove the bin from the larger console piece. Flip it over; you’ll find 4 #20 Torx screws.
Now, carefully use the 1/16” bit to drill a hole at each of the corners of the slot you marked.
At this point I switched the bit over to the rotary tool and connected the four holes (again making sure to make the slot too small). After I had hollowed out a small slot, I switched to a grinding bit:
This bit has a more aggressive bite to it, and will allow you to shape the hole closer to it’s final shape and size. I used a slow RPM, and made it as straight as possible. Being that it was a very aggressive bit, a little bit went a long way. The slightly irregular hole looked like this when I was done:
Don’t worry about it being perfect at this or any point. Remember that the hole won’t be readily visible once it’s installed. Test-fit the hole. If it’s close, it’s time to switch to the sanding drum. Use a
small diameter one.
You’ll be looking to make your edges straight with this part. It’s tough to do freehand (in fact, this whole thing would’ve been quicker and more precise with a router jig but we work with what we have).
Use medium speed and MOVE FAST. Don't bear down at all, just let the drum pass over the edge lightly, spending more time on the high spots and less on the low spots.
In the corners, you can use the roundness of the drum to make the corners nice and rounded. My initial hole was too narrow for the iPod, so this made it the perfect width.
If you're satisfied with the shape of the hole, use the X-Acto knife to trim off any excess trimmings and wipe it down to get a good look at it.
At this point, the iPod fit but it was very snug. So now you start hand-sanding. I used the perfboard above as a sanding block because it’s perfectly flat and slightly flexible. I started with 220 Grit and worked my way up to 1000.
With your lowest-grit sandpaper, you’ll also want to scuff the area of the bin on the bottom side. This will make it easier for the epoxy to stick later.
Test fit, and if you're satisfied, good. The scary part is over. At this point the iPod should smoothly slide through the hole, but not have much, if any wiggle room.