I also played around with putting in an Android nexus 7 instead of the mini... It does a better job with OBD2 gauges and monitoring vs. the Apple (Android has Rev app for $5 and a $20 bluetooth OBD2 dongle), but I like most things better on the iPad device. And no Harry's Lap Timer on Android!

 

very cool wanted to do something like that with my track/race car was really interested how you wired it to a amp and then volume control. Plus for the race car it would add very little weight

 

I looked at several different options, but ultimately decided that just buying a single-din head unit with USB inputs and Apple compatibility worked best. I'll be relocating the head unit to the upper slot in the lower front console, with the HVAC controls going to the lower slot in the lower front console. I guess if you did a GT3 lower console delete, that isn't going to work!

I opted for a Pioneer 9500 which also has HD radio, bluetooth phone, color-match lighting, etc, but any of the pioneer head units with USB work well. I looked at quite a few, not all do a good job interfacing and charging the mini, but a $100 2500 or a $250 9500 will do great.

If you want to skip the head unit, you'll still need an amp so I don't think you'll have much weight savings, but you could go:

• iPad -> headphone out -> Amp in. Volume control would have to be on the iPad, sound quality would be so-so.
• iPad -> iStreamer (usb DAC), -> Amp. Better sound quality, still no rotary volume control.
• iPad -> iStreamer -> Audiocontrol 3.2 preamp -> amp. Great sound, rotary volume control, but I'm not sure it would be any better than just using the pioneer receiver for the USB charging / DAC / Pre-amp functions.

I really liked the idea of completely eliminating a conventional head unit, but it was far more expensive and complicated to 'go lean' than just buy the Pioneer.

 

actually i have had mine apart. the front face slides to the right and pops off leaving the rest of the cupholder intact.

i have a functioning cupholder ill sell but need 200 shipped for it. these things are close to 600$ new!

 

Did you have to unscrew anything to slide the front face off?

 

I think I still have that cupholder somewhere...

 

no the facepiece slides to the right and pops off

 

I need one of the large cupholders not the thin style, it stopped retracting and had to use a tooth pick jammed into the gear to keep it retracted making it useless.
Pm me if anyone has the older school cupholders collecting dust in there garage. My car is an '01 996tt

 

i saw a couple of the larger units on ebay for a decent price

 

Thanks for the info.but the only one not $200 is in Israel.
Kinda far, and $200 isn't quite worth it for me as I only need one side.