Anyone thinking of mounting a Nexus 7 in dash?

Leeds · 01-30-2013, 10:36 AM

This mod has been coming up a lot lately on the web. This person put one in his Subaru, and now lots of other people seem to be adding them to their cars and trucks.

I see a lot of chatter on VMF about making custom consoles, has anyone made one with a computer (Nexus or Fruit-Pad) in it?

I've got a nexus 7 suction-mounted to the windshield of my everyday car and I love having it there. But it would seem even more useful as part of a more permanent mod. For $200 it seems a no-brainer compared to buying a one-trick pony like a Garmen...

// Disclosure - My nexus is wifi only, so I benefit from being a Verizon customer as our phones are wifi hotspots. The 3G nexus 7 comes out in a month or two but that would be a monthly fee to keep online...

66resto · 01-30-2013, 11:05 AM

I'm not there yet, but I fully intend to mount something. I won't be running a radio and plan on either running the console all the way up to the radio cut out (if I can make it look integrated) or installing gauges there like the ones I have attached. You can see the tablet or double din radio just below the gauges.

The car is on the Custom Classics web page...interior.

I'm running Moates QH and would like a way to use the tablet to manage that for me, but it will require windows to run that, so I will have to wait and see what is available when I get to that point. More than likely it will just be a tablet and I will hook in the laptop when I need to make adjustments.

I have a buddy who owns a body shop and has done this several times already, Iphones on motorcycle tanks, ipad minis in trucks. Just takes some time and patience and some fiberglass skills. I don't want mine "permanently" mounted, but to either slide out the end or push release out on a spring.

Iphones can be wifi hotspots too...just takes a little tweaking.

Beau M · 01-30-2013, 12:59 PM

Kind if funny, I just got a 13 WRX and was over on that forum reading that this morning

I plan on mounting a kindle fire in my mustang center console very soon.

Klutch · 01-30-2013, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beau M

Kind if funny, I just got a 13 WRX and was over on that forum reading that this morning

I plan on mounting a kindle fire in my mustang center console very soon.

I just received a Kindle Fire for Christmas. I don't know much about it. What would mounting the Kindle in your Mustang do for you? Would you use it for playing music?

Beau M · 01-30-2013, 02:45 PM

Well, it's main limitation is the lack of blutooth. I think I can get a usb to bluetooth adapter though. With bluetooth I can connect to my Megasquirt ECU in real time to do data logging, display virtual guages etc. Yes, it would also double as my stereo / media player.

The main thing I want it to do, which will happen, is act as my build binder. I'm making a removable mount for it under the hood, so it can show pictures and videos at the shows.

To get this all to work I had to root my kindle and then flash a new ROM onto it. NOt for the faint of heart, but I have an old Kindle Fire that we dont use anymore to experiment with.

ZPD · 01-30-2013, 04:42 PM

I have been working on (really I started it abour 5 months ago and haven't touched it since then) a center console that my Samsung Galaxy S3 can snap into and be hooked up to a seperate crossover which would then be connected to amps and speakers. I have it set so that the S3 is up higher just under the center dash trim so it is within reach.

wolfvk · 01-30-2013, 11:57 PM

I've actually been thinking about it! I plan on buying one of these and mounting it, actually.

Zimbo · 01-31-2013, 12:27 AM

I made a thread about this with an iPad.. here: 21st century center console ideas (crazy)

it would be in a Shelby style console.. you can pick 1 up for 600 - 700$ like in that thread I posted or you can attempt to build one yourself.. I'm going to try and build it at close as possible to the row of pics I posted with a nexus or ipad mini in there.. maybe even a full size ipad if it will fit.. soundman car audio on youtube does tons of ipad installs and have the parts to do so.. I would go watch some of their videos

Leeds · 01-31-2013, 07:40 AM

I'd stay clear of ipads for this sort of thing- you can't flash them with use-specific firmware like you can with the Nexus products. A stock ROM is hardly tailored for in-dash use.

Zimbo · 01-31-2013, 04:32 PM

the thread I made was right at the release of the ipad mini.. and back then the ipad was even with the nexus but now the new nexus is far better I agree.

Still soundman car audio on youtube (here:soundmancaraudio - YouTube
has some useful information..

For my console I was going to make it slide in from the passenger side to a docking port and wire it into the radio so I have volume control there and whatever the noise comes from the ipad/nexus may it be music,nav,local information, news, ect will play though the speakers.

Also the voice recognition app or base software on the tablet will be nice maybe now I wont get lost on road trips.

Heres an article on the Shelby console I want to build has lots of pics and info
http://www.mustangandfords.com/techa...s/viewall.html
and here is the builders of these.
http://www.mustangponycars.com/www/consoles.html

Hope to see yours when it's done.. whenever I get the carpet into mine i'll be building my console!

Leeds · 01-31-2013, 04:45 PM

Please don't take my comments to be anti-apple, (heck, I'm an AAPL stockholder!).

But I'm excited to see what people come up with for this. I've been reading up on in-dash nexus installations and currently there is a good discussion going on about the best way to stream a backup camera. I can't wait to see what else the android community comes up with for this device.

At $200 the options are wide open.

mustangstofear · 02-01-2013, 10:12 PM

We built the console for Custom Classic. We now have over 115 different options for our consoles. The double Din is one of the most popular.

Zimbo · 02-01-2013, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mustangstofear

We built the console for Custom Classic. We now have over 115 different options for our consoles. The double Din is one of the most popular.

hmm.. oh wow I didn't know mustangstofear was on here.. could you sell me just the lid in black like in this pic from your site?

if so how much would it be? thanks -DT

66resto · 02-02-2013, 12:43 AM

Hi there Rich. Any thoughts in what I mentioned on having the console appear to be to be integrated with the radio cut out? Think if as the long version when a guy doesnt have AC. Installing the tablet in that location would be more functional, safer and just look way sexy.

mustangstofear · 02-02-2013, 06:37 AM

Just the lid without the fiberglass bucket wouldn't do you any good. We are about half way done with our new full length console that will go all the way to the radio bezel. I'm lucky if I go to this forum 3 or 4 times a year, if you need something send me a E-mail at rich@mustangstofear.com Thanks.