Stick mp3 player to base cubby shell?

CharlieFoxtro · 05-06-2010, 07:49 PM

ZSPEED;

I just drilled a hole in the lower right corner of the cubby with the largest drill bit I have (1/2-inch) using a hand-operated drill. I probably then reamed the hole to clean it up and enlarge it a bit. See my post from 3/29/10 above for my description of how I fished the GPS power cord into the cubby. Sticking a long thin rod (I used a plastic venitian blind adjustment rod, but a wooden dowel or something similar would do). Just poke it through the drilled hole down and forward toward the transmission hump while gently pulling the trim above the transmission hump away from the carpet so that your fish rod can get out between the carpet and trim. I removed some of the trim around the the console when I was trying to figure how I was going to get the power cord up to the cubby (and make sure that I wouldn't be drilling into anything behind it), but I don't think you'll find it necessary to remove anything. Needless to say, just exercise caution when drilling to make sure you don't push the drill-bit in any further than you need to (especially if you are going to use a power drill)!

I think you'll find that drilling the hole and fishing the power cord up to the cubby is really pretty easy. The thing I found most frustrating was shaping the foam for a good fit. Note that you'll need to cut a channel for the power cord and space for the plug where it plugs into the back of the GPS unit (or wherever it plugs into your GPS). My GPS unit's speaker is at back side of the unit and I carved an air space in the foam there. I initially left a gap in the foam-core board trim around the unit for sound but found that it wasn't really necessary. Sound level and clarity is just fine with the foam-core covering the speaker airspace.

Hey, you might even come up with something better than florist's foam for mounting a GPS unit in the cubby. See USNA94's post from 3/26/10 above for what he did. If I remember correctly, months ago I saw a post where someone had constructed a bracket or brackets in metal for mounting a GPS or something similar. I didn't go that way because it meant several drill holes in the cubby and I don't have the tools, materials or skill to work metal like that. Once you figure out how you want to mount your GPS, fishing the power cord up to the cubby is the easy part. If you're afraid you won't be able to finish it cleanly, don't be. You'll do it in stages. Make the mount first. When you're happy with it, drill and fish. After you've got the power cord to the cubby, get the 12 VDC extension cord and tap either at the fuse box or at the passenger's accessory outlet like I did. I too am leery about getting in over my head or modifying the car so that it's no longer exactly like it came from the factory. In this case, I figure the worst I did was drill a hole in the back of the cubby and I could always throw a rubber plug into it. I chose florist's foam because I wouldn't be doing anything that couldn't be undone. It took me a couple of tries to get it shaped, but succeed or fail, the only clean-up is done with a vacuum cleaner.

ZSPEED · 05-07-2010, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlieFoxtro

ZSPEED;

I just drilled a hole in the lower right corner of the cubby with the largest drill bit I have (1/2-inch) using a hand-operated drill. I probably then reamed the hole to clean it up and enlarge it a bit. See my post from 3/29/10 above for my description of how I fished the GPS power cord into the cubby. Sticking a long thin rod (I used a plastic venitian blind adjustment rod, but a wooden dowel or something similar would do). Just poke it through the drilled hole down and forward toward the transmission hump while gently pulling the trim above the transmission hump away from the carpet so that your fish rod can get out between the carpet and trim. I removed some of the trim around the the console when I was trying to figure how I was going to get the power cord up to the cubby (and make sure that I wouldn't be drilling into anything behind it), but I don't think you'll find it necessary to remove anything. Needless to say, just exercise caution when drilling to make sure you don't push the drill-bit in any further than you need to (especially if you are going to use a power drill)!

I think you'll find that drilling the hole and fishing the power cord up to the cubby is really pretty easy. The thing I found most frustrating was shaping the foam for a good fit. Note that you'll need to cut a channel for the power cord and space for the plug where it plugs into the back of the GPS unit (or wherever it plugs into your GPS). My GPS unit's speaker is at back side of the unit and I carved an air space in the foam there. I initially left a gap in the foam-core board trim around the unit for sound but found that it wasn't really necessary. Sound level and clarity is just fine with the foam-core covering the speaker airspace.

Hey, you might even come up with something better than florist's foam for mounting a GPS unit in the cubby. See USNA94's post from 3/26/10 above for what he did. If I remember correctly, months ago I saw a post where someone had constructed a bracket or brackets in metal for mounting a GPS or something similar. I didn't go that way because it meant several drill holes in the cubby and I don't have the tools, materials or skill to work metal like that. Once you figure out how you want to mount your GPS, fishing the power cord up to the cubby is the easy part. If you're afraid you won't be able to finish it cleanly, don't be. You'll do it in stages. Make the mount first. When you're happy with it, drill and fish. After you've got the power cord to the cubby, get the 12 VDC extension cord and tap either at the fuse box or at the passenger's accessory outlet like I did. I too am leery about getting in over my head or modifying the car so that it's no longer exactly like it came from the factory. In this case, I figure the worst I did was drill a hole in the back of the cubby and I could always throw a rubber plug into it. I chose florist's foam because I wouldn't be doing anything that couldn't be undone. It took me a couple of tries to get it shaped, but succeed or fail, the only clean-up is done with a vacuum cleaner.

Charlie, thanks man!

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05-06-2010, 07:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
CharlieFoxtro Base Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 24 Drives: 09 Nissan 370Z BS M6 Rep Power: 17	ZSPEED; I just drilled a hole in the lower right corner of the cubby with the largest drill bit I have (1/2-inch) using a hand-operated drill. I probably then reamed the hole to clean it up and enlarge it a bit. See my post from 3/29/10 above for my description of how I fished the GPS power cord into the cubby. Sticking a long thin rod (I used a plastic venitian blind adjustment rod, but a wooden dowel or something similar would do). Just poke it through the drilled hole down and forward toward the transmission hump while gently pulling the trim above the transmission hump away from the carpet so that your fish rod can get out between the carpet and trim. I removed some of the trim around the the console when I was trying to figure how I was going to get the power cord up to the cubby (and make sure that I wouldn't be drilling into anything behind it), but I don't think you'll find it necessary to remove anything. Needless to say, just exercise caution when drilling to make sure you don't push the drill-bit in any further than you need to (especially if you are going to use a power drill)! I think you'll find that drilling the hole and fishing the power cord up to the cubby is really pretty easy. The thing I found most frustrating was shaping the foam for a good fit. Note that you'll need to cut a channel for the power cord and space for the plug where it plugs into the back of the GPS unit (or wherever it plugs into your GPS). My GPS unit's speaker is at back side of the unit and I carved an air space in the foam there. I initially left a gap in the foam-core board trim around the unit for sound but found that it wasn't really necessary. Sound level and clarity is just fine with the foam-core covering the speaker airspace. Hey, you might even come up with something better than florist's foam for mounting a GPS unit in the cubby. See USNA94's post from 3/26/10 above for what he did. If I remember correctly, months ago I saw a post where someone had constructed a bracket or brackets in metal for mounting a GPS or something similar. I didn't go that way because it meant several drill holes in the cubby and I don't have the tools, materials or skill to work metal like that. Once you figure out how you want to mount your GPS, fishing the power cord up to the cubby is the easy part. If you're afraid you won't be able to finish it cleanly, don't be. You'll do it in stages. Make the mount first. When you're happy with it, drill and fish. After you've got the power cord to the cubby, get the 12 VDC extension cord and tap either at the fuse box or at the passenger's accessory outlet like I did. I too am leery about getting in over my head or modifying the car so that it's no longer exactly like it came from the factory. In this case, I figure the worst I did was drill a hole in the back of the cubby and I could always throw a rubber plug into it. I chose florist's foam because I wouldn't be doing anything that couldn't be undone. It took me a couple of tries to get it shaped, but succeed or fail, the only clean-up is done with a vacuum cleaner.