MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Well, I think I'm probably going to get bonered on this, but I installed a GPS in place of the vents......vents, vents, we don't need no stinkin' vents, it's an open air car.......although I still have to finish the wiring for it. So, I guess if I'm out somewhere and the car breaks down, at least I won't be lost.......
Well......since you asked. I think it's a good idea cause the vents don't work for shit anyway. The installation looks very good, but personally I don't care for the wood grain bezel. If it matched your steering wheel it might look better. I think black would be be better or perhaps some carbon fiber.
Cheers!
Nice and I thought of this too but an external antenna is a must when the set is mounted there and I didn't find a GPS jet, that will fit to the opening of the face level vents and has a port for plugging in a patch antenna.
That's actually an awesome idea for the non-purists. I have a tomtom that turns on the top, otherwise I might try that.
I really like that installation. Maybe stain the wood a little darker like the steering wheel. All in all, a very tidy arrangement.
I like GPS systems. They augment/complement the use of maps quite nicely. I use both to great effect.
Twice people have used those to find my place & ended up on the other side of the river ??? At least geting lost in an MGB can be fun.:thumbsup:
I have been thinking about doing this for awhile now. I am glad you posted this. I really like it. :thumbup:
Agreed with all the above. I've looked at those in-dash units with the flip-up face, but the standard radio console location is too low, and it would like like crap in the vent location. What you've done is just right.
Now about that wood-grain surround.... ;)
I like it! Makes me wonder if this I should do this. Confused as to why it requires the relocation of the shift knob, though.
I would be concerned about theft....and the damage to the dash that would follow....you've provided some nice eye-candy to those who are so inclined.
I use my GPS as an alternative speedometer as well. It doesn't swing as much as the needle(s) in my cars. :)
Ron, I like it! I would be a bit concerned about the theft temptation aspect of it though. However, as has been said, may I also opine on the matter of the surround color. A vinyl covering to match the rest of the dash or a wood that is more in tune of the steering wheel would go a long way towards the overall look of the setup. Does it function OK in that environment and can you hear the voice prompts adequately? I am a huge fan of GPS's in general although some of them are really garish in their feature content but the plain jane units that have good announcement software are great.
Jim B.
If I get lost I 'll call AAA and have them tow me to my destination !
Maybe a removable cover held in place with velcro or magnets with an old map light on the surface just to hide it when it's not in use?
I like it a lot - might have to copy you.
For a while I was thinking of putting this in that spot, then I realized this aint NASCAR
We have a map pocket.
GPS units are known to be horendously wrong at times.
It's kind of like having a radio or CD in the MG. Why? That Vroom Vroom is music to me
I sometimes like getting lost in my MG as long as I have plenty of gas I guess I'm good to go.
Regarding your installation looks great but as others I agree I would worry about somebody stealing or damaging the dash trying to remove it. as a matter of fact most scumbag thieves would probably cut a hole in the top rather than open the door. I would wrap it the wood with vinyl though.
let us know how well it works in that location, then they can finish beating you up for the wood bezel, which i 'd guess is part of the prototyping, right? great idea! those vents are just for pretty anyway, unless you have a/c, right?
john
Thanks guys, I thought I was going to get more ripped for doing this. About the wood, the stain I bought was supposed to match the steering wheel, but as it is it matches the rest of the wood I applied to the gauge cluster and to the centre console, so maybe it doesn't look so bad. I can always change it once i get my car back together. As for the relocation of the shift knob, I think that I will probably put it back in it's original location when I get the rest of the carpeting in. Someone asked what I did with the hoses, well I angled them towards the driver's and passenger's compartments for extra air (???). I temporarily hooked up the GPS last night to check it's operation and being in the garage, it found me right away, although for some reason it shows me on the next street (the GPS in my Trailblazer does the same) and I could hear everything that was said. Of course the garage is a lot quieter than an open car moving down the road, so that test will have to wait until I am mobile. The nice thing is, with it hooked up to the ignition circuit, when I turn on the key, the GPS fires right up and when I turn the car off, it shuts down about 15 seconds later. I also thought about the theft factor. I thought about somehow cutting the vents to fit over the GPS so that it looks stock, but then on reconsideration, I made it so that it can be removed when not in the car. That way I can always use it on foot as well. The unit I bought was a refurb and only cost me 90 bucks so losing it isnt' a huge deal, although the damage to the dash would be. But in the end, I guess it still is a work in progress. Oh, and the install is completely reversible so that if I ever wanted to get rid of the GPS I can just reinsert the vents and all is well.
Chris,
Why are you worried about theft?From what I've heard Canadians
are much too polite to ever do that kind of thing.
- Doug
The trouble I find with GPS units is that (1) the sun makes it impossible to see the screen and (2) you should be keeping your eye on the road...dammit!
You could install a shade hood around theat one in the dash to minimize (1) and turn it towards the passenger seat to minimize (2) <G>
A lot of Canadians keep one of their sled dogs in the car to deter people from reaching in.:thumbsup:
Looks like a smashing set-up you've got going there...though there's never a better replacement than a good 'ole fashioned paper map! ;)
I've been thinking about putting an analog clock in the same location a la Chrysler 300. Has anyone done this?
I am putting a GPS tracking device in one of my cars (home made set up). You can mount the antenna on the dash. Being small and black it would just look like a small bubble which would probably look ok. As far as the sun, you could bend a metal visor pretty easily. I have done that before for truck/semi mounted message display units.
A much more elegant and clever solution than a suction cup, but also a bit too permanent.
The GPS is a hand held unit, does not require an external antenna. I also made it removable.
I think that installion is way cool. I, too, use a GPS when I travel and I find it neat to be able to ask for the location of close by motels, restaurants, etc. Have you ever jumped off the road into a strange town and ended up in a flea bag motel only to find that there is a class operation just around the corner?
I enjoy using the GPS in conjunction with a map. Recently I took it on a train trip and it was neat to watch the progress of the train across the states we were in during the night. I also carry a GPS when flying my balloon, not to find out where I am but to observe ground speed and distance flown.
GPS must be used in conjunction with common sense as they are sometimes wrong. A few cases here in the west where peple followed GPS instructions on to secondary roads and into deep and impassable snow.
Mike
I was thinking about putting a screen on another car which could be used to display anything from GPS, to a backup camera, to auxilary gauges, testing values, etc.
Back in the dawn of time, I installed a '73 dash in my 1970 MGB. Since the vents wern't used there was this big hole in the dash. Being a technogeek, I installed a trip computer/cruise control from JC Whitney and a graphic equalizer/power booster for the radio. They were a perfect fit and looked pretty cool, to my geeky eyes. The trip computer worked pretty well, showing fuel mileage and all that sort of thing. Never did get around to hooking up the cruise control though.
Both units were stolen from the car while it was parked in front of my house. Luckily the thieves didn't cut the top, as I'd left the doors unlocked.
My room mate, who had been chiding me for leaving the doors of my car unlocked wasn't so lucky as the thieves broke the window of his Porsche to steal the stereo out of it.
The moral of this story, is do whatever the heck you want, but be aware that there are nimnos out there that make a hobby of stealing stuff.
btw. The trip computer was very useful when driving cross country back in 1980 with a 10 gallon fuel tank. In the wilder areas of New Mexico and Arizona many of the gas stations closed after 10 pm.
I have a cheap unit from China that has a 7" screen (large for an aftermarket) that is just perfect for building in or temp mounting. I am using a bracket that mounts it just below the dash vents ('77) on the front of the dash. Used it around here and it seems real good (hey, it knows where my house is which is more than I can say for my friends). Drive from ABQ to Toronto for MG2010 will be first real test. Everything built in, just needs the cigarette lighter conection for power. Day and night brightness controls and very amusing voice guidence.
Ron, how is it fixed in the opening - a bracket from the back? While I'm at it, can you give me a blow blow re-cap of how you did it so I can copy it?
Drive on ~
No bracket, just a press fit, for now. I'm doing some soul searching in regards to the theft aspect of it, as so many have mentioned. I'm not totally sure I'm going to leave it as it is. I have a couple of other ideas bouncing around in my head (lots of room to bounce). I just thought that I'd get some feed-back before I do anything permanent. Here's the blow-by-blow so far: Measure the opening, measure the GPS, using 1/4" oak veneered plywood (or whatever you fancy), layout the design and cut the hole for the GPS a tad smaller than the GPS itself (top and bottom only, the sides - full width), then cut the 'bracket' out and round the corners to fit the opening in the dash (at this point, test fit and make adjustments accordingly). Then make a 3/4 'box' (two sides and a bottom) the thickness of the GPS to fit around same and glue it to the back of the 'bracket' so that the GPS is free to move in and out of the opening at the top. At this point I placed two rubber cabinet door buffers (you know, those little things they glue to the inside of kitchen cabinet doors so the doors don't go BANG when they close, yea, those things) to the bottom and spaced them so that when I push down on the GPS it slips out at the top (now you can use anything that is springy, use your imagination). Also put a bar across the back from one side to the other behind the GPS, so that it won't fall down (I didn't use a full back because my speaker is at the back and I didn't want to cover it, but I could have used a full cover and just put a hole where the speaker is as well). Depending on where your power connection is, you may have to modify the assembly accoringly. Once you're happy with the outcome, sand, stain, apply and enjoy.
For grins, on a trip today I held my GPS up to that location. Flat could not see the screen. Sun wasn't that strong (overcast) but what was there was enough to wash out my big (5" screen) Magellan.
Before you go to a lot of effort, you might try velcroing the thing in that spot and spend some time on the road with the top down.
FWIW
I just had a vision of how you could do this. Does anyone have a coffee mug holder in a vehicle with a "lid" that you can press-down on to release? I have one in a 99 Honda Accord (my daily driver) and leaves a small ledge when in the open position. Where I'm going with this is that maybe something similar (a GPS cover with a retracting lid) would be useful in that it would cover the unit from would-be thieves while not in use and would also provide a ledge/sunlight blocker - at least for top-down sun, while still allowing you access to the interface.
Does this make sense? I'm sorry if it doesn't!
Thanks Ron - dont let the nattering nabobs of negativity (as Spiro Agnew used to say before he went to jail) discourage you.
I was planning on doing just that, Mac, thanks for the re-inforcement. And, Casey, you were checking out the bounces in my head, weren't you? That's actually one of the notions I had bouncing around my head, another is recessing the whole unit far enough to still be able to see it, but have room for some sort of cover (I'm still tossing around the idea of cutting the vents down to fit over it)
heck, it's YOUR car......if YOU like it, who cares what we think??
I care for I am CANADIAN, lol. But really, checking with others on this forum might garner something that I hadn't thought of. There are lots of others asking for opinions about a miriad of things. It's always nice to get other's thoughts, for one cannot think of everything. Sometimes people's input may influence you in a direction that is actually beneficial to what you had originally. So, yes, I do care what you think, positive or negative, doesn't matter.
Not sure if this is a repeat, but how about a cover similar to a lateral filing cabinet - the one where you lift the door up and then it slides inside. Although if the vents can be cut down, and maybe flipped up with a bracket, that would be the coolest
Thanks John, I'm even thinking of something along the lines of the old style roll desks that had a cover that rolled down and locked in the front.
That is exactly what I have in mind to do with my own GT (that is, when I finally get one). This will be my own "poor man's Aston Martin"....silver birch and all. The plan is to use the old center speaker grill, which will no longer serve a purpose with door speakers, and create a spring pulled roll-top that goes back into the dash and locks back down when pulled shut. The face will have a texture similar to that of the original speaker grill with surrounding chrome/stainless strips. Basically the same as 007's DB5. It's clean, doesn't stick out in a classic and wont advertise for potential thieves. Plus, I think Q would approve.
