Yeah, I need to know too.

 

I made hiding that wire my project for the weekend and I just finished! It turned out excellent, thanks for the links and suggestions all.

I updated my blog post with some new pics... check it out!

http://bunkerhollow.com/blogs/matt/a...ssan-350z.aspx

 

^^ Nice job and very good write-up. Your pictures show the process well, and your instructions are concise but thorough.

--Spike

 

I did something similar to this but I bought one of those 12 volt splitters (1 into 2) and plugged it in. I also maneuvered the thing through the back of the flip cover and then had the two sockets come out the back side. That way I have essentially the same thing as you guys but... everything is tucked up behind the dash, the socket door cover is closed, and I have a second open socket for future use back there too.

 

I have a Nuvi 660 and mounted it the same way as Henry. It looks decent but I think your set-up is ideal... nice job! How easy is it to install the external antenna? Can you remove your GPS from your cubby to use in another vehicle?

 

Mine, the 250W, doesn't have any external antenna. I was concerned the reception might not be good, but I get 4-5 bars always. Surprisingly, being concealed in the cubby hasn't had any affect on the reception.

It's very easy to remove, it pops right out. If I had another vehicle, I would need to buy another charger since mine is now wired behind the console and can't be removed.

 

Good stuff mddubs...I just purchased a Garmin Nuvi 660 and plan to follow your instructions for my '03 Enthusiast.

As for those earlier haters...well one is apparently a female (Jen350Z) from Canada and has a pink Giants shirt in her profile (need I say more). The other guy questioning your mod (06Black350z) has a "bone stock" Z, and the last guy, SRTtoZ....well, let's just leave it at SRT...Go Mopar!?!?!

Don't sweat them...they shouldn't even be driving a Z according to their profiles. Thanks for the post - I’ll let you know how my gps mod goes….

 

Yeah, forget them. Let me know how your install goes. I see you're from Philly, I grew up in Doylestown, heard of it?

 

Well done

 

I like the TomTom One XL S. It has bluetooth to manage phones.

 

This thread made me think of how I could install my Garmin 260W. A trip to the hobby store for some kit wood and black felt and about $8 later...this is what i came up with:

 

I just ordered Garmin Nuvi 760 and the smaller ball mount from streetpilot i3... now my question is, what wire is the ignition switched power line that I will plug female power receptacle into?

Also, to the people that had their portable GPS units both on dash and in the upper cubby... how is the viewing angle in the cubby? Is it a lot worse than on the dash?

 

Hello Spike! Welcome in man, I was just about to PM you about this

 

Is your plan to create a “hard-wire” connection to your portable GPS device?

If so simply connect to a red wire off the car’s ACC (the red ACC power line to your car’s H/u is a good choice).If you hardwire the device, keep its plug in-line since that will maintain the direct voltage at the level as to the manufacturer’s specifications (and that might be anywhere from 9.5v to 12v). You should also keep the device’s inline fuse in place as an extra measure of safety to protect your investment.



The viewing angle of the upper/forward cubby is much better and safer than the double-din slot. That’s why your instrument pods is positioned above the upper/forward cubby. There is an informal agreement among manufacturers to provide a less-than 20 degree diversion for viewing a GPS screen. The upper/forward cubby in the Z meets that specification. Viewing the double-din position in the Z requires a 45 degree diversion.

--Spike

 

Thank you Spike!!!

I am installing Alpine 9887 single din cd player with metra dash kit in the place of the OEM cd player and even if I wasn't... I would never mount my GPS that low. I already wired up my metra harness to the alpine's harness so I might just cut into the 12volt wire and attach both the alpine and gps's to the metra harness that goes into the car. If I don't want to deal with cutting into head unit's harness... is there any other ACC power line anywhere in there behind the console?

Also, after reading the reviews for Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._hashrec_01_01 I am kind of thinking of just getting one of those and putting it on my dash

 

^^ Oops... now I get what you were asking (viewing angle on top of the dash compared to the upper/forward cubby). My answer is I've done both, and either is very good.

As to connecting to a power source for the GPS device, I would go with whatever power line is easiest. I tapped into the harness, but picking up any ACC line is OK.

--Spike

 

Nice fit for your cubby. What mount did you use with this tom tom?

 

Nice write up! Will be trying this soon.

 

Mounted a Garmin Nuvi 1490t (1490 with the FM traffic receiver incorporated into the cord) in my 2006 350Z GT cubby the other day. This is a 5" model with bluetooth, etc. I too used the Streetpilot suction cup attached to a dashboard disc. The Nuvi's bracket needs some shaving of a couple millimeters, which is easily accomplished with a Dremel. Otherwise, it only requires removing the rubber mat from the cubby and drilling a small hole in the side of one of the black plastic screw covers. The cover does close, and there is room to angle the screen toward the driver (or passenger), which is what I did. I fished mine through and plugged it into the cigerette lighter below the dash, but hardwiring it in would be pretty simple- I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Best of all, no paneling actually had to be removed. I did have to pop the bottom of the passenger dash to give me room to grab the fish tape & wire, but otherwise it all goes through that little screw cap on the right side of the cubby. It's cake with a fish tape, but I'm sure any stiff wire (think hanger) would work well.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that it recieves 5-bars (full) signal strength when mounted in this location.

 

wouldnt have the lid problem with an 03 Z