FridgeFreezer Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Work in progress is mounting a stereo in the ambulance - thanks to eBay china we've got a very shallow stereo so no issues there. The ambulance has original switches and wiring in the tray which I'd rather not disturb so that rules out MUD / Raptor / TD5 style consoles: Aside from the stereo I'll probably bung a few USB-sockets and things in but I'm not after installing a million Carling switches. I'm planning on a basic sort of binnacle made from folded up aluminium or steel but always good to have some inspiration, tips, or just neat little touches... so, show me what you've done in yours! (and if possible, how you did it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Personally I think the neatest solution is the standard fit DIN mount as fitted to 300Tdi vehicles. As seen below. I have this and then replaced the cigarette lighter with a double-USB socket thingy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Have to say, those mounts do look very tidy when in place, saves a load of headaches. Put USB sockets elsewhere? or perhaps on the side at the back? i.e. do they really need to be in the front face of whatever you are fitting up? On an old car of mine I went to the point of fitting the USB socket thingy behind the dash and then just ran a micro USB lead out through a hole in the dash... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Unless you're using the centre seat area for climbing through to the back, you could use one of the MSS cubby boxes with the stereo in the front flap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Ooow Oooow here's mine! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 heres my interpretation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Mine: But I could mould just the centre bit. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Steve - I did think of yours but it's a bit large for the job at hand (we don't need that much space & that many switches & gauges) and we're trying to keep the ambulance sort-of-original looking. Ross - we are indeed using the centre seat area for clambering from front to back, we don't have anything there at the moment. James / Bowie - Agree that is neater but those housings seem to be £50+ and put the stereo at an angle (presumably for clearance) that we don't need (there eblag stereo has no CD mechanism so is ~100mm deep) I think Mikey has it closest to the size/shape I'm envisaging at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I'm looking for ideas too. Despite my best efforts the radio in our LaSalle headlining keeps getting wet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 The angle the mount sits at seems to work for me, at 6ft it makes easy to read and reach. I guess it helps with viewing angle too. See what you are saying though, £50 is rather steep! Is most original though, and I know this is important to the forum director of authenticity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Details of mine are here: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=87876 Still havent added the additional guages and switches i had planned though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I'm pretty sure I have a standard DIN mount similar to what James has in his pic languishing in the spare dash parts shelf....I will have a look later on when home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon119 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I used one of these in my old landy, http://www.mudstuff.co.uk/products/audio-accessories/din-mounting-tray.html Not as neat as the original 300tdi era moldings but a £7 it did it's job. I also preferred having the display of the head unit at an angle, was much easier to read. Unlike my current one which is mounted with the display vertical in a Mud center console. HTH Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I bought a tiny Chinese motorbike one - came with usb and sd card slots, and was so small that I cut slots in the plastic dash panel and mounted it straight to the existing dash bracketry. Which meant I kept a neat simple appearance and still had most of the space. Here it is during fitting: I swapped the cig lighter for a double USB, tidied the wiring up and I though it looked fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I used one of these in my old landy, http://www.mudstuff.co.uk/products/audio-accessories/din-mounting-tray.html Not as neat as the original 300tdi era moldings but a £7 it did it's job. I also preferred having the display of the head unit at an angle, was much easier to read. Unlike my current one which is mounted with the display vertical in a Mud center console. HTH Simon That's something definitely worth thinking about... my old one in the middle of the TD5 console was an arse to read during the day, and slightly better at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil3728 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 What about in the roof, might be a little more elaborate then you were planning. Something along the lines of the Mud roof console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Alternatively.... stick an audio amp somewhere behind the dash, phone mount in a charging cradle, and plug your phone in via the headphone socket when you drive, access to radio and whatever music you have on your phone. No need for these old fashioned 'stereos' any more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 That's probably the truth of it ! Are there dock and amp packages available ? Alternatively.... stick an audio amp somewhere behind the dash, phone mount in a charging cradle, and plug your phone in via the headphone socket when you drive, access to radio and whatever music you have on your phone. No need for these old fashioned 'stereos' any more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktdi Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 You can get universal din mounts on ebay for about £15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I have no idea, just seems like a good idea! Most car audio amps will take a headphone level output quite happily into the RCA inputs. For a dock, you may want one either totally specific to you phone, I used desktop cradles in the past for mounting directly on top of the dash, something like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dedicated-Dock-Cradle-Desktop-Charger-Stand-with-OTG-Spare-Battery-for-LG-G4-/221933885975?hash=item33ac4a5a17:g:u8MAAOSwT5tWPO~C Or in my audi, where I use a bluetooth stereo to do exactly the same, (except radio, which I never listen to anyways) I just use a generic phone mount for a car, fixed to the dash, I have a power cord nearby to plug it in. Then pick your amp(s), and your speakers. Side benefit is when you are using phone to navigate, you get to hear the instructions through proper speakers, rather than the crackly little thing on the back of the phone. On android, it works very nicely even when playing music, as it drops the level of the music and does the announcement over it, and then brings the music back in -so no having to turn the stereo down for fear of missing an instruction. Sorry, poss a bit OT, but something I have been mulling over for about a year or so. *edit* and here's a good use for the hole in the dash, if I didn;t already have 3 gauges right under it anyways! : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/52mm-2-Universal-Triple-3-Gauge-Pod-Mount-Single-DIN-Radio-Stereo-Bracket-/171509868628?hash=item27eec8e854:g:1qcAAOSwF1dURieD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Yeah this is veering a bit off course now - I'd like to stick with mounting an actual car stereo (you know, like what I've already got one of) in the centre of a Defender dashboard. Mounting it on the ceiling is a no-no unless you've got arms like Mr Tickle, the ambulance ceiling is not reachable by hand unless you stand up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Any thoughts on my old set up ? Would that not work with your radio / aesthetic ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Fridge, if you'd like a genuine Tdi era radio mount as James suggests, I have one that you can have FOC. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Anderzander - yours is certainly minimal but I think it might not pass the necessary approval Mo - thanks for the offer but I think it wouldn't be quite right for what I want, and given how much they sell for on ebay I couldn't take it for nothing. I was really looking for stuff very close to Discomikey's one, a small-ish inset panel to give enough room for the stereo and a couple of charger sockets down the side plates for phones/cameras etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 It wouldn't be for nothing fridge, it would have been a favour returned for bringing the parts washer to Billing for me about 10 years ago. ? And I wouldn't dream of tucking somebody up for £50 for it, it cost me £7 new genuine in 2002 IIRC ? MO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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