Modding aftermarket bezel for nav system

[jhunter9918]

Im hopping this thread doesnt get crapped on but i recently purchased a 2010 HL Base and this issue has been bugging me.

I am interested in getting an after market nav system and it looks like the best one is the Rosen in regards to looks on the dash. But i have previous experience with Pioneer and Kenwood In dash gps nav units and love them.

I truly would love to go for one of them and dont necessarily need an exact factory look but the after market bezels from pictures i have seen are absolutley horrible. The flat expansive empty real estate on either side coupled with the strange looking half moons on the ends really take away from the clean flowing look of the Highlander dash.

Does any one know of any other bezels that look different or has anyone actually modded one of these bezels in some way to make it look a little more..um..nicer?

Please let me know - and if you think i am making a big deal about this for nothing, i would love to see some other pictures or links to pics of installations with 7" screens that look decent.

A huge thanks in advance.

[jimmied]

I will be moving along shortly with fiberglassing in an aftermarket touch screen (kenwood at this point) and will mold in the factory knobs or possibly some small digital guages of some type. I was waiting to see how our cars were going to shake up with my wife with her lease ending before i moved along with this.

Just find an excellent installer with lots of experience with fiberglassing and teh sky is the limit.

[KDHL]

Jimmied - let's ask your installer to do a mass fiberglassing the bezels for the HL to use the aftermarket Nav HU.. such as Kenwood, Pioneer etc. instead of stick with OEM aftermarket Nav HU.

I really think this will be a big hit on the market.

I will definitely interest to buy one.

[jhunter9918]

Originally Posted by jimmied

I will be moving along shortly with fiberglassing in an aftermarket touch screen (kenwood at this point) and will mold in the factory knobs or possibly some small digital guages of some type. I was waiting to see how our cars were going to shake up with my wife with her lease ending before i moved along with this.

Just find an excellent installer with lots of experience with fiberglassing and teh sky is the limit.

Awesome! Thank God i am not the only one that is thinking about this?

Two questions -
First - how much do you think the installer will charge for modding -a guesstimate would be great.

Second - I am interested in what gauge you are planning to put in.

Thanks so much for your input!

[KDHL]

I don't know why Toyota decided to do those FAT ugly buttons and knobs on the radio unit. I know I'm getting old.... but I do not need that big fat knobs.

[jhunter9918]

Originally Posted by KDHL

I don't know why Toyota decided to do those FAT ugly buttons and knobs on the radio unit. I know I'm getting old.... but I do not need that big fat knobs.

I know right!

You should see the knobs and buttons on the new 4 Runner. They are massive. I have been told that the big buttons and knobs are made so they are easy to use with winter gloves on - which may be true - but if im wearing winter gloves while driving i think i would have to take my toyota in to service the heater.

Maybe the toyota engineers are smart enough that they made their center dash in such a shape to discourage after market mods. Those sneaky guys.

jimmied's idea of getting an installer of modding the aftermarket bezel is brilliant but im curious what costs are associated with it and what gauges he would plan to install.

[jhunter9918]

I have been looking into this during the week and trying to find some gauges that would work well. But the gauges that i have been finding are more more street racing than anything useful that i would need except for maybe a clock.

I was even looking for some outside temperature gauges possible but didnt see anything great or clean looking.

Then i started looking for some buttons or switches that could be placed on the bezel - maybe a switch for fog lights etc... I found some nice looking vandal proof aluminum/brass buttons - but they are usually used for stuff like elevators - they have some nice illuminated ring models but it maybe a little overkill.

Does anyone know where to find some nice clean automobile buttons and switches? Maybe something that looks like a nice clean brushed metal or even maybe a button that looks like the engine push button start ( black button with the chrome rim). I prefer to not but them in mass bulk - dont need 1000 of them

Your wisdom will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[jimmied]

Originally Posted by jhunter9918

Awesome! Thank God i am not the only one that is thinking about this?

Two questions -
First - how much do you think the installer will charge for modding -a guesstimate would be great.

Second - I am interested in what gauge you are planning to put in.

Thanks so much for your input!

He is not charging me. He is a good friend of mine. His cars are used as demos at times for JL Audio along the east coast. He has done the installer challenge at sema. Its nice to have friends with great skills. It helps I also ran one of the premier shops in south jersey for a few years in my late teens, early twenties. Lots of contacts.

So far we have a spare toyota radio and he has taken it apart and sees no issues using the buttons except there will just be knobs (maybe other stuff) and the aftermarket radio. I have not even looked yet at guages but am thinking a scanguage might be able to be fiberglassed in below the radio and any other digital guage might work jsut have to decide what i want to fit really. There is plenty of space we can play with. Once everything is fitted, we can fiberglass, sand, paint(or cover) and finish it all up.

[jimmied]

as far as the guages, I would probably use digital motorcycle guages since they can purchased in mini sizes with chrome trim and all. check out dakota digital or even auto guage web sites. Just google automobile guages. There is plenty out there, just needs to be somewhat price friendly. I figure a compass and maybe a volt meter will do. Maybe a temp or oil guage. Volt meter might jump around too much for my liking.

[jhunter9918]

Originally Posted by jimmied

as far as the guages, I would probably use digital motorcycle guages since they can purchased in mini sizes with chrome trim and all. check out dakota digital or even auto guage web sites. Just google automobile guages. There is plenty out there, just needs to be somewhat price friendly. I figure a compass and maybe a volt meter will do. Maybe a temp or oil guage. Volt meter might jump around too much for my liking.

The idea of using motorcycle gauges is genius. But I'm probably looking for something simple like an outside temperature gauge. You were right about the Dakota Digital gauges - they are beautiful but a little on the pricey side.

I am still looking to find somewhere where i can get some simple auto motive buttons like these

http://l.yimg.com/dv/izp/aston_marti..._gearshift.jpg

Yes i know its a pic of an Aston martin but its the pushbuttons im looking for

A penny for anyones thoughts?

[fullrider27]

haha good luck getting those aston martin buttons. i'm sure u could make a custom one that looks exactly the same or get someone to do it for you

[jhunter9918]

Originally Posted by fullrider27

haha good luck getting those aston martin buttons. i'm sure u could make a custom one that looks exactly the same or get someone to do it for you

Lol! I knew i would get flak for using the Aston Martin button pic.

How about something a little less crazy

http://mediap04.toyota.ca/media/coro...nt_smarter.jpg

This kind of button without the print on it.

Like i said before, there are some heavy duty vandal proof buttons that have a nice metal finish (used for things like elevators) but i feel like someone out there has to know where i can buy these kinds of auto buttons somewhere.

i also saw a company in the UK that made automobile rocker switches that the best description i can give is that it looks like the scroll wheel on logitechs MX revolution mouse.

Of course now i cant even find that UK website. Go figure.

[naturoses]

Originally Posted by jimmied

as far as the guages, I would probably use digital motorcycle guages since they can purchased in mini sizes with chrome trim and all. check out dakota digital or even auto guage web sites. Just google automobile guages. There is plenty out there, just needs to be somewhat price friendly. I figure a compass and maybe a volt meter will do. Maybe a temp or oil guage. Volt meter might jump around too much for my liking.

Are they any updates or developments on this idea?. Please let us know. Love to hear this mod. Thanks

[jimmied]

still sitting in boxes, had a real busy summer but will get around to it pretty soon. will update when done on here and start a new thread with everything in it.

[areamike]

Just thought I would chime in. I have a 2010 with the built-in factory NAV and I hate it. Do yourself a favor and just get a Garmin or TOM TOM or similar. The built-in Navs are crap, IMO. I will never buy another vehicle with built-in Navigation.

WE took our Garmin on a trip to Madison, WI the other day and it plotted better routes than the built-in Toyota NAV. Every time I followed the Garmin, the Toyota NAV kept telling me to do a legal U-turn ASAP. I just shut the darn thing off and relied on my Garmin which is much more versatile. Including, the passenger can use the Garmin to find POI's or change route while driving. Can't do that with the built in NAV(unless you know all the voice commands..good luck with that). With an aftermarket NAV system you may be able to bypass the no-use while you drive feature....