Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Just for info, I wanted sat nav in the car but not stuck to the screen or balanced on top of the dash. My solution was to buy a small cheap Garmin unit and a spare ash tray for the dashboard. I fitted a USB socket behind the dash in front of the heater, cut the bottom out of the ashtray housing to run the power cable through and removed the front from the tray. I drilled a hole for the power cable in the tray front and secured the sat nav to the front with super strong double sided tape. I then bought some super strong small flat bar magnets about 3mm thick and used these to secure the tray front panel/sat nav assembly to the ashtray holder that is screwed into the dash. If I want it to look original all I need to do is pull off the satnav and magnets, tuck the cable out of the way and put the original ashtray back in the holder.

That looks very neat. I?ve not been a fan of the stuck on the windscreen approach but with 1 sat nav and 3 cars needs must. My only concern with having it lower down would be the change in eye line needed to see it - particularly at complicated junctions, but then I usually have the sound on mine turned down.

in my +2 I did something similar but with a stereo........
basically and iPod....and it fitted in the ashtray..........so nothing visible on the dash
got some full range but small speakers and fixed the speakers under the rear seats
ran the wires under the centre consol

I did the same with a pure dab radio. The radio has a magnet on the back which attaches to another on a pillar fitted in the ash tray. When the radio is removed, the wires are folded into the ash tray, and the pillar magnet holds the original lid in place so everything is hidden and looks original.

The radio works very well, and does not suffer from interference from the engine. It is connected to a small amp by the steering column.

David

Great idea.

Thank you

Richard Hawkins