iPhone mounting in an S4?

[TimSportsTourer]

I assumed this would be an FAQ, but I can't find anyone's answer, despite a fair bit of (fascinating) searching.

 

I'd like to use my iPhone as a GPS and an iPod. I have sourced all the cables I need to connect the phone to the head unit I have, and that bit all seems to be going well. But how to I attach the phone to the dash? I imagine a bracket coming out above or the left of the radio would be ideal, or possible the left of the instrument binnacle. Despite all this reasoning that seems so solid to me, I can find neither evidence of someone else having done it, or products that will enable me to do it.

Can anyone shed light into my darkness? And hopefully prove to me that the real problem is my search ability?

 

Cheers.

 

 

[karmavore]

I used a Tom Tom GPS window mount.

http://youtu.be/TDOn3uvgJFw

[TimSportsTourer]

Thanks, Luke. Yours is a very sophisticated set up, covering lots of different bases. I'm glad that the Tom Tom works on iPhone, though. I've heard other good stories, but I've not 'seen' it before. Windscreen mounts are a bit of a pet hate of mine, I'm afraid. I think I've found a solution at CellularMount.com (http://www.cellularmount.com/accs.a2.jpg), but I was hoping to find people with experience of such things before I plump for it. The shipping is quite steep, so I don't want to get the decision wrong. Is there a particular reason you chose the window mount?

 

Cheers.

[Vulcan Grey]

I suppose you could convert the dash to a double din, and run the Pioneer App Radio II with the iPhone or Android.  The Evora guys really seem to like it over the original Alpine unit.

 

Dual Din conversion

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EGuides/EModifications/stereo.html

 

Pioneer App Radio II in Evora

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f170/app-radio-dashcommand-gopoint-bluetooth-obdii-117814/

[karmavore]

I went with a suction mount because I couldn't imagine how I could mount a phone and it not be in the way and not destroy the leather.  

[rizla603104]

In my S3 I used one of those brackets that squeezes down the side of the stereo aperture. I then bolted a brodit iphone holder to the bracket. Looked really good - and no unsightly holes!

[Techspy]

I suppose you could convert the dash to a double din, and run the Pioneer App Radio II with the iPhone or Android.  The Evora guys really seem to like it over the original Alpine unit.

 

Dual Din conversion

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EGuides/EModifications/stereo.html

 

Pioneer App Radio II in Evora

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f170/app-radio-dashcommand-gopoint-bluetooth-obdii-117814/

 

Thats my S4 double din conversion from years ago. I actually just bought her back and will be upgrading the head unit and rear subs. I have done quite a few mods to this S4, and installed many stereo systems, and I must say that is one of the cleanest and most enyoyable mods/installs I have done. well worth it IMHO.

[TimSportsTourer]

Thanks, Techspy. In fact, I have done the job, but been so stupidly busy I haven't had time to take a photo to post.

 

I used one of these: http://www.cellularmount.com/accs.a2.jpg

 

I took off the instrument binnacle (as shown elsewhere on here), and bent this to fit nicely. It is screwed to the bottom edge inboard of the binnacle, where you can't see the screws at all, and I used a Cellular Mount phone holder on its end. It's quite neat, and it holds the phone left of the binnacle, above the radio, where it can see the sky to use the TomTom app, and I can see it.

 

The radio that was in the car when I bought it was a Kenwood with a CD player in the dash, and a 10-CD changer in the boot. I got a widget on eBay to allow me to connect two external things, and now it has the external disk as well as an Aux in. The Aux In comes from a kenwood/iphone wire, also from eBay. It charges the phone, and outputs music (so I can use the phone as an iPod) and nav instructions. It's not perfect, but it's good enough, and it wasn't worth it to me to rip it all out and replace it for relatively small benefits. It's neat, though. The cable appears from back of the binnacle to the phone, and it's not a complete mess at all. One day, I might buy a pass-through Brodit holder so I don't have to plug the phone in manually, but that can wait till I upgrade the phone, I think.

 

Ironically, the one thing that doesn't work with this arrangement is using the phone as a phone. But that's OK, because I never talk and drive anyway. Useful to note, though, if you are considering it. I'll try to snatch a photo at the weekend, and post it up.

 

Thanks for all your help, everyone!