After purchasing a Pioneer Avic F500BT for my wife's new 2009 Camry we struggled with the thought of just leaving the unit on the suction mount intended for the dashboard. So, I thought, we have the cubby space by the shifter that we never use. I decided to make a custom install piece that would require NO drilling of any sort into the interior trim itself. I wanted to ensure that if we ever got rid of the car that the interior trim would remain intact.
My idea is centered on the fact that two trim pieces that flank both sides of the cubby do not totally meet perfectly with the base trim. What I mean by this is that you can place a piece of plexiglass in the gap between the bottom side of the vertical side pieces and the gray trim that makes up the shifter plate (the pictures will make this much clearer, I promise).
I started by prying the two vertical pieces of as is described in other parts of this forum. I then made a template from cardboard of the space in between the two vertical trim pieces. The key here is to make sure that you make the template wide enough that the sides rest under where the vertical trim pieces would rest. I then went to home depot and bought the thinnest plexiglass I could find (0.093 inches I believe for $3.50ish) and cut a piece with my scroll saw using a fine toothed blade.
This picture really shows the plexiglass base piece. Once you snap the two vertical pieces back on you'll notice that they sit snuggly enough on top of the plexiglass to hold it in place. Since the inside of the cubby slopes down I had to use some extra plexiglass and some tapered pieces of wood to prevent the plexiglass from bending when I applied pressure to the GPS screen
I ended up having to buy a 2.5 inch screw and some washers to tighten this up since I messed up the original knobs that the unit came with.
I then fashined a base made from wood that would accept the cradle that is meant to hold the Avic F500BT. This proved to be the most challenging part as I had to get it just the right size so that it would sit at the angle that I wanted yet allow for me recess the unit back far enough as to not be hit by the shifter when in "park. Once I figured out the placement of the base I marked it and attached it to the plexiglass with four small screws....and voila! I had a custom GPS holder that wasn't as clearly visible from the outside world as one that was mounted on the windshield.
Just a note: I did have to remove the cubby door before I did this project as it would not allow the unit to sit back far enough. I did hardwire the unit to the Camry. The instructions for doing come with the Avic F500BT. I bought the unit BRAND NEW from 6ave.com for $200 (with an online coupon)!!!! Visit Avic411.com and do a search for AvicF500BT and you'll probably find the same coupon I used.
Another note: You can use the suction cup on the plexiglass once you install it as above. In fact, thats why I originally intended. In fact, I tried the suction cup on the shifter trim itself until I realized it was like 1/32 of an inch too small resulting in a loss of suction. The caveat here is that although the resultant piece of plexiglass does allow you to use the originial suction mount that the unit comes with there is a slight curvature to the this part of the car. Result= gradual loss of suction (roughly 3 hours).
Sorry that my pictures aren't that clear. Feel free to PM me if you need anymore specifics on my DIY.
Disclaimer: I assume no responsibility for your compeltion of this DIY. Please be aware that this project does result in the placement of the navigation unit in a non-ideal location when it comes to driving. It does require that you take your eyes off of the road to mess with. I bought this unit mainly for its bluetooth and mp3/DiVX properties so I hardly use the GPS function and thus, rarely have to look down. Following these instructions, the DIYer assumes all liability/responsiblity from potential distraction or any subsequent bodily or physical injury that could ensue. This DIY is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to suggest that anyone should attempt this project. The user assumes ALL responsibility for any resultant damages that may occur as a result, actual or potential, of completing this project. Perform this DIY at your own risk!