This is going to be long because i want to be thorough in the event someone else wants to do it. I spent a long time finding as many different threads as i can showing different builds to find what did and didn't work.

i have a phone mount on my windshield that i use all the time for nav, torque, hangouts (video calls), rear view mirror to see my son in his car seat (front camera). I now work at GM in michigan and deal with the infotainment systems daily. It’s handy having all that stuff on a large screen, but I don’t care for the ‘reliability’, so why not go with one of the most customizable interfaces around.

I picked up a nexus 7 on ebay for $110 and another one on craigslist for $85. Both were mint. I was going to keep one for use and one permanent install, but my wife loved it so much she kept one and now I had to make it removable.

Here’s my current set up. Nothing fancy, just a sony head unit I’ve had for about 6 or 7 years. It has a USB port and that’s all I needed.



The simplest solution was to push the headset backwards or relocate to the glovebox, and then run an AUX cable from tablet to head unit or DAC to RCA to the back of the head unit. This would have been the cheapest and most straight forward, but then if I needed to do any changes with the stereo, I’d have to open the glovebox.

The inspirations for my specific build are these two build threads. The Subaru build gave the great idea of mounting a case to an Acrylic Double DIN dummy. This with magnets attached to where the Metra kit screws in, will allow me to make this very removable.

SUBARU BUILD

The BMW build had a user share a great way to create an amazing looking interface. I was looking at Ultra Car and whatnot, but they were ugly and very limited in customizing.

BMW E46 BUILD

Here’s a parts list of everything I picked up. I’m not including the tablet cost because that price will vary based on what tablet you get and where/how you get it. Obviously cost varies based on the quality of items you want. I don’t need fancy audio equipment, as long as it works and its not garbage, I’ll be fine, hence the cheap amp. Links to actual buys i made

Nexus 7 (running Timur USB Rom)
Metra Harness 70-7903 $4.98
Metra Double DIN 95-7504 $16.50
Hardcase $4.99
USB to 3.5mm 5V DC Cable $1.85
DC Buck Converter with USB Out $6.99
OTG Y Cable $4.00
Logitech USB Hub (I think I paid $5 about 7 years ago on a deal site)
Joycon EXR $42.00
Behringer UCA222 USB DAC $29.99
OBDII ELM327 Bluetooth Diagnostic Tool 16.99
^These you have to be careful for. I bought three for my dad and I and they all worked perfectly, my roommate bought one from another seller and it was a dud. The circuit board looked different and the sticker was upside down
Lexan 12x12x1/4 $9.99
Neodymium Magnet $1.30
Sound Storm Laboratories F4 400 amp $36.44
BOSS Wire Install Kit $16.27
RCA Cables (free, laying around the house)

TOTAL $192.29

All in all, not a bad deal for $300 given that most all in one in dashs (like cartoy.ca) are 600+

Optional
Bluetooth Keyboard for my wife to use the browser or netflix and whatnot while on long drives

Apps
Tablet Talk $2.99 lets me control texting and calling on my phone through my tablet
Tasker $2.99 and secure settings plugin (free)
Torque $4.72
Desktop Visualizer (for invisible widgets over my wallpaper "buttons")
ADW Launcher
UCCW Widget
Twisted Home Manager (switch between my two launchers which i use one for in-car, one for personal)
Multipicture Live wallpaper (have different pictures on different screens. This gives me the main car wallpaper with the buttons, and a clean version for other apps and when not in car)

Here's my out of car test run. instead of 2 power sources for the hub and for the charge section of the Y OTG cable, i'm putting a charging cable from the powered hub to the OTG and powering the hub off the buck converter.

Not shown are the RCA Cables between the DAC and Amp and the cable from the Buck to the USB Hub







Bluetooth tethering from my phone so i have data for Nav, google music browser and whatnot. I can also use local music via USB. Running the DAC to some speakers worked so as long as i hook up the amp properly that should work.

Right now i'm tinkering with the Joycon to get it working with my extra steering wheel (added cruise, so got another wheel) once that's working i'll be making it fit into the lexan housing then dropping in the cover with magnets. I've started working on Tasker profiles to make everything as automated and smooth as possible.

The idea is once i throw the phone in the car, an NFC tag on the phone holder will make the phone turn on bluetooth tethering and start tablet talk . once ignition goes on, GPS, bluetooth and tablet talk start up, then they'll autopair and get connected. Also, google play will start up where it left off and play automatically just like a regular car stereo. Turning off will airplane mode it, shut down Torque and tablet talk, pause google music and put it to deep sleep.
With the joycon giving me wheel controls, i want to set up all the buttons as short presses and long presses. IE short press source switches between Tune in and google music but a long press would open voice command so i can dial/nav/change music etc

speaking of which, is this for the nav controller for the OEM Nav system? this is between the shifter and cigarette lighter.
if so, i may by the controller (found online for $70) and reprogram those buttons too which will essentially become an iDrive controller



This weekend i'm going to kingston for homecoming but i'm hoping to have much of it done before then. More pictures will come as the build progresses.

If i can modulize this easily, my wife may let me do it to her Gen 2, but i'd probably make it simpler/cheaper and just move the stereo and run off AUX