Ipod (and Cell phone) mounting solution for less than 5 bucks(or 3 pounds 50)

[Lucinda]

I mounted my ipod in my MINI without drilling by using a brass lid support you can find in any hardware store.


What you need:

A Stanley lid support (or something like it) You can get this at any hardware store.
http://www.stanleyhardware.com/defau...TNUMBER=801525

A screw the same width as the torx screw in the support column in your mini dash, but 1/4 inch longer (5mm for my friends across the pond.) I seem to remember the box marked ?10? which has something to do with the diameter. I?m pretty sure the length was 1 1/4.

A dozen or so small washers--these need to fit in the recessed hole the above screw occupies.

A thumbscrew, a 1/4 inch in diameter and a half inch in length, and a matching nut.

A drill that I promise will go nowhere near that beautiful car in your garage.

I?ve used a transpod that I modified to take a auxilliary cable in this picture. You could use a piece of wood with velcro.

Directions:

1. Drill out the point on the lid support where the two pieces of metal are joined.

2. Mount the ipod cradle, phone cradle, or piece of wood with Velcro to the smaller piece of metal. There are two convenient screw holes in the metal piece that you can attach things with.

3. Use the thumbscrew and nut to rejoin the two pieces of metal together, using the same holes you drilled out in step 1.

4. In your MINI, remove the Knee Bolster. Here are the instructions taken from the D.I.Y. section
How to remove the knee bolster
The knee bolster is anchored at the top and hinged on the bottom.
To remove it:
Grab the top edge with both hands.
Pull down sharply keeping the pressure toward the direction of the door in order to prevent the bolster from scratching the downtube when it comes free.
Rotate downward and pull out.


5. Remove the top torx screw on the Dash downtube.

6. Mount the whole shebang using the longer screw and the washers to fill in the recessed space. Notice that the support props up against part of the dash and holds whole thing in place.

6. Send me a check because you like this five dollar solution so much, you have to thank someone.

[Lucinda]

A picture of the attached support and the original hardware. Note that I painted everything grey, but the original support was brass.

[Lucinda]

I'm sure you can adapt this for a phone or PDA.

[Lucinda]

The whole back structure is hidden by the Knee Bolster when you replace it.

[duncanbanana]

Whats that you have your Ipod in ? Is it a Transpod? If so what is the cable plugging into? Is it something you ahve doen yourself or bought?

[OctaneGuy]

Hi Lucinda-

nice tip! Thanks!!

[Lucinda]

That is a transpod that I've gutted and installed a mini jack in. I understand that the same company is going to issue one with an aux output soon, though.

[duncanbanana]

Cool is it easily done to add the mini jack co i have the transpod as well ?

[Lucinda]

It's pretty easy... Just drill a 1/4 inch hole in the box and connect the wires coming from the 1/8 mini to a female mini jack from radio shack.

The charge function no longer works...The box itself is empty except for the wires I've installed. The transpod is now an expensive cradle, nothing else.

[duncanbanana]

Ive just taken mine apart itlooks like if you just unplug the lead going to the jack and if you put it to a minijack the charger will still work .Any thoughs?

[Lucinda]

I tried to do that, but I got a lot of interference from the charger. Very, Very noisy. Then I tried to disable the FM transmitter part of the circuit board and keep the charger working, but messed it up so the charger didn't work anymore. I then threw up my hands and tossed the whole circuit board.
You might be able to do better, but clearly I'm not the one to give advice.

[duncanbanana]

ok thanx anyway ill have to try it and see what happens

[lastblink182fan]

this is one of the cleanest installs i have ever seen, if its as easy as u describe u might just see that 5 dollar check

[MyWiniCooper]

Thats also a 2nd gen ipod right?

Also, since its gutted out, does that mean the iPod isnt charging?

[OctaneGuy]

You might be interested this as an alternate way to install in the same location. I used suction cups instead which means it's removable on a moments notice. I use it for a Danger Sidekick II which is a phone/email/web/camera device.

Because this phone has a speaker phone built in, when an incoming call comes in, I just press the answer button and the speaker phone ON button on top, and I can hear the caller loud and clear. No need to put on an earphone, or remove it.

This mount was a modified universal cell phone holder, and I utilized 3 screw on suction cups.


CLOSED

OPEN




Full Details on my Sidekick II here
http://www.littlemini.us/technical/csk/index.asp