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iTray, or should that be ashPod?

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OldTimer Seriously Crusin Dubber

199 posts · joined May 2009 ·

#786569
Has anybody had a go at putting an old (say second generation) iPod in their ashtray?

Yep you did read that right, in their ashtray.

I saw some forum (since forgotten where) where a guy has put his 2nd Gen iPod into his ashtray - unfortunately he didn't go into any details how it's hooked up, or in fact what it is hooked up to. There are a couple of photos showing the finished product (which I happened to save and are displayed below), but they really don't help.

Any ideas how to go about this? I'm especially interested about how he got it hinging down. I've got an old iPod, and I quite fancy the whole "stealth" idea around this project.

Any ideas?



air is cool, but air-cooled is cooler!
1967 Aussie Built Type 1 1915 Deluxe

vicelore Officially Full-On Dubber

254 posts · joined Feb 2010 ·

#786656
Looks pretty cool.. pity you have to use a apple product.. haha..

Cheers Vice..
Currently driving my 1st VW.. 67 type 3 1600..And loving it..

zocstar Officially Full-On Dubber

279 posts · joined May 2010 ·

#786665
That's what I am gunna/want to do, but with my iPhone.
'69 Squareback

71-BEETLE-SEDAN AKA Josh

1,058 posts · joined Mar 2009 ·

#786688
Its a pity the guy that did thaa is in norway or sweeden or one of those countries.

OldTimer Seriously Crusin Dubber

199 posts · joined May 2009 ·

#786900
Been surfin' (the digital kind) and came across this product below.

Using this product, I was thinking that I'd put my old iPod in the ashtray, connect it to the aux connector on the back of a "front end" hidden in the glovebox. That way the system will be really steathy.
Now for a clever way to hide the speakers . . .

According to their blurb,
"The iSimple® PolyWire™ can be installed in almost any vehicle, regardless of whether it has a factory or aftermarket radio, and delivers outstanding iPod / iPhone audio playback while keeping your iPod or iPhone battery fully charged".
  1. Your choice of two installation configurations
  2. CD-quality music from your iPod or iPhone
  3. Browse your music directly from the iPod or iPhone
  4. Battery charging for all iPod / iPhone models
  5. Optional secondary 3.5mm input (aftermarket installations only)
Oh yeah, the price is (US)$49.95 - not bad at todays exchange rate!

For those interested, the site URL is http://isimplesolutions.com/ipod-adapter/PolyWire.asp


air is cool, but air-cooled is cooler!
1967 Aussie Built Type 1 1915 Deluxe

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#786902
all good if you have a 3rd gen or later ipod. the early ones have firewire instead of the plug you see on this one.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

OldTimer Seriously Crusin Dubber

199 posts · joined May 2009 ·

#786908
Interesting . . . thank's for pointing that out. 😊

Their site doesn't mention what generation iPod's are supported (well not that I could find anyway) - but I'll email and ask before spending my "hard earned".

Their site does say the following though . . .

Q: What types of portable media devices can you use with the headphone-style jack that comes with the iSimple PolyWire?
A: You can connect almost any type of portable audio device with a 3.5mm headphone-style input. This includes, but is not limited to, mp3 players, GPS systems, portable satellite receivers, hand-held video game systems or even laptop computers.

I'm guessing the quality through the 3.5mm jack wouldn't be as good as the RCA's.

So Barls, do you know of any other interfaces?
air is cool, but air-cooled is cooler!
1967 Aussie Built Type 1 1915 Deluxe

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#786912
the earlier ones will connect through the 3.5mm jack but you wont be able to charge off it.
for the money you would be better off going down to ether dick smiths or jaycar and buying a 3.5mm to rya lead. would cost 15 bucks at the most for an early ipod.
ive got a brick ie 2nd gen myself and have been looking at something similar. currently using a radio transmitter.
you will get a decent quality through the 3.5mm but it will only be as good as your system.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

OldTimer Seriously Crusin Dubber

199 posts · joined May 2009 ·

#786922
Thanks again Barls, you're the proverbial mine of information.

Just had a look at the different generations on the Apple site, (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1353), and discovered that mine (a 60GB iPod Color) is in-fact a 4th generation iPod.

So looks like the Polywire will do me just fine after all.
air is cool, but air-cooled is cooler!
1967 Aussie Built Type 1 1915 Deluxe

zocstar Officially Full-On Dubber

279 posts · joined May 2010 ·

#800437
I finally had 5 mins to waste. It's not wired up yet.....

'69 Squareback

DubCrazy Custom Title Time!

1,295 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·

#800445
just buy a Head unit that has a usb in the rear. mines connected through that and the ipod lives in the glovebox and the head unit give full controls. its months since i have even looked at mine and the last time was just to update some music..



steff......................
Life with out a v-dub is no life at all!!!!!

zocstar Officially Full-On Dubber

279 posts · joined May 2010 ·

#800449
The dock is just EBay china stuff for 3$ and the stereo had a cable with it. Drilled a hole in the back of ashtray holder, and the dock is spaced and just stuck in. I did need to trim the black ashtray lid.
'69 Squareback

Paulc1964au Custom Title Time!

1,627 posts · joined Mar 2010 ·

#800456
zocstar wrote:The dock is just EBay china stuff for 3$ and the stereo had a cable with it. Drilled a hole in the back of ashtray holder, and the dock is spaced and just stuck in. I did need to trim the black ashtray lid.
thanks just bought a dock on ebay
/url]Streetwise Aircooled Volkswagens
My 69 Bug

OldTimer Seriously Crusin Dubber

199 posts · joined May 2009 ·

#817652
So. I bought a iPhone Dock on eBay ($3.00), a Polywire as described above ($36.45), and a RetroSound Frontend ($324.32).
Will post pix when I get around to fitting them - sometime in January 2011 is the plan.

Old Timer
air is cool, but air-cooled is cooler!
1967 Aussie Built Type 1 1915 Deluxe

Gangel Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Oct 2010 ·

#819118
hey mate, i love the setup with the old gen iPod. I currently run my iphone via the front 3.5mm jack on front and i want to clean it up a bit so im thinking ur on the right track with the ipod.

Trying to figure how to get the look that you ahve with the ipod sitting there as we as having it plugged in at the bottom for power...!??

Btw how did u hinge the ashtray. Wiked idea.

BTW (number 2) where did u get the sweeeeet speedo?

I ahve a convertible herbie, with coloured interior so id love to get a blue or red new speedo!

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#819122
Gangel wrote:hey mate, i love the setup with the old gen iPod. I currently run my iphone via the front 3.5mm jack on front and i want to clean it up a bit so im thinking ur on the right track with the ipod.

Trying to figure how to get the look that you ahve with the ipod sitting there as we as having it plugged in at the bottom for power...!??

Btw how did u hinge the ashtray. Wiked idea.

BTW (number 2) where did u get the sweeeeet speedo?

I ahve a convertible herbie, with coloured interior so id love to get a blue or red new speedo!
dude read through the thread again. he wants to do something like this, so the pics arent his car.
if you want something custom try talking to dylan the dubber on here.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

Gangel Commited Dubber

64 posts · joined Oct 2010 ·

#820135
ahhh sorry, i misunderstood what was meant in the thread :S

Thanks anyway ill source dylan out

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#820145
That speedo is just a stock one with the center and surround painted red