You an get the JDM climate controls and just chop up your original trim, like is done to keep the rosewood:



That'll knock it down to about $150 instead of $300 for trim.

Assuming you already have the iPad mini, you're still going to need some sort of amplifier. If you have the bose amp, you can use the PAC ROEM-NIS2 as an intermediary between the auxiliary jack and the bose amp and to give you the switched/constant power connections easily without chopping up the factory wiring. If you don't have the bose system, you'll just need a 4-channel amplifier to drive the factory speakers.

Steering wheel controls... to avoid dealing with the lightning connector I'd go with jacking into the headphone remote signal. Just set up a circuit that triggers the right signal on the headphone jack when it detects the correct voltage from the two steering wheel remote wires A/B: 0v - mode/power, 1.7v seek up/down, 3.3v volume up/down and 5v - nothing pressed).

Here's the problem though. After all that, you could just mount your smartphone somewhere visible and accessible, have access to all the same streaming audio options, map options, and whatever else you want, and by just installing a radio or auxiliary input adapter with A2DP bluetooth audio streaming, you get much of the same effect for a TON less asspain, particularly where the steering wheel control integration is concerned.

 

As far as the amp is concerned I do have a bose amp which means I can use the PAC ROEM, so that won't be a major issue (Plus I have a basic 2 channel amp laying around from a previous project, if I needed it).

For skipping songs I actually had a more complicated method in mind, My tablet (Nexus 7) Runs on android which allows for external hardware interfacing, meaning I could essentially use the steering controls and connect them to the USB and write a program for it to skip songs(Problem with this is, it makes my tablet not removable). However your method is much simpler (I must admit I overlooked it since typically the headphones I buy don't have controls on them) but I have to look into whether or not those same voltage signals can't be sent over the pogo pins which the dock uses. I don't see why it wouldn't but you never know.

I'll probably buy a spare trim piece and cut it up to see how it turns out (I have a feeling the sharp edges from the cuts will make it look cheap). If it all goes well I might consider investing into the project otherwise I'll just cut my losses and invest in a double din kit and go with an available double din

 

Something I've mentioned elsewhere, but keep in mind that the nexus 7's screen (2012 edition anyway) is completely un-readable in the landscape orientation with polarized glasses on.

For the trim piece, I believe you shouldn't have any problems with cutting if you have any skills with a vector-based graphics program. Most trophy shops that do laser engraving can cut through it with computer precision to the opening you want. The edges will be absolutely smooth. I've got a piece of ABS plastic that I had them cut an opening for my phone that I will be mounting in place of the factory nav screen one of these days. It's pretty simple, just design some 2D line-art of the opening, take it to the shop and make sure they do it nice and centered on the part.

You might actually have a much easier time if you just mount a small single-din radio with AVRCP and A2DP. They're available for well under $100 and would give you steering wheel controls without wiring to the nexus7.

 

This is what I'm looking to do. Do you think a local audio car shop can install one of these in my G35?

 

Yes but expensive.

 

Depends what you want the shop to do. Any shop can remove the factory radio, put in the JDM DDin (~$350 parts, $100 labor) kit, mount the tablet ($20-50 parts, $100-400 labor, depending on complexity) and run the 3.5mm jack to an amplifier. A more proper install, I believe, would also include making a custom interface, like is possible using the Tasker app, to make it slightly more safe and usable by a driver while the vehicle is being driven.

I really wish that Pandora and other apps would specifically make a car mode, with high visibility fonts and big, chunky touch areas.

 

I would like to do this with a nexus 7, could anyone help me out with a list of parts? Should i use a smaller radio in the ash tray like they did in the video? or should I get rid of the radio head all together. If i get rid of the radio head could I keep my steering wheel controls?

 

Steering wheel controls aren't going to control the tablet without some serious magic in wiring without a radio. With a radio installed, the bluetooth AVRCP protocol can control the skip/pause functions on the tablet.

With the nexus 7, I'd add some sort of dock that uses the POGO pins on the side so you get charging while still making it easily removable.
Use a cheap single din bluetooth radio with both A2DP (audio streaming) and AVRCP (audio/video remote control). You'll need the usual wiring harness/adapter, antenna adapter and steering wheel adapter as any double din install to connect it to the factory speakers and power. If you're going for a stealth install, leaving the trim radio in place, you won't need the trim kit, but you'll have to get creative in placing the radio somewhere you can see the display.
You'll need a charging method, so hard-wire in a cigarette lighter socket USB charger behind the dash that puts out enough energy to keep your tablet charged, connect that to the dock behind the center console stack.

So short list:
Tablet
Tablet dock
Cigarette lighter-to-USB charger
Radio
Antenna adapter
PAC ROEM-NIS2 (factory bose audio) or Metra 70-7550 (base audio)
Metra ASWC-1
JDM climate controls -OR- extending the wires to the new radio and finding a creative location for the new radio so the old radio can stay and power the OEM climate controls

 

It's really cool you do this for us. Thanks Wrathernaut.

 

Thanks man, I will look into this more now that i have a list, I'm very excited to be a new G owner

 

Is there any radio you would recommend? I really like the small one in place of the ash tray, but I cannot find one that small.

 

Just make sure it's got bluetooth audio streaming and supports steering wheel controls. Extend the harness wires and install it anywhere you want... even in the trunk.

 

If I get the metra dash kit do i need to get JDM climate controls? If so could you give me a reference to the exact thing I need?

Thanks for all your help, I have pretty much everything I'm going to need in my amazon cart.

metra kit for reference:

EDIT: I'm also looking into using wireless charging because the nexus 2013 doens't have pogo pins. Any specific dock you would recommend? if not thats alright i wil try to do something different so i can use wireless charging.

 

No, you don't need both.

Wireless charging... good luck with it. I found it generated too much heat while the phone was running, so the phone disabled charging after about 5 minutes. That was with my Nexus 4, perhaps the larger size of the Nexus 7 will allow the heat to dissipate better.

If you get a Qi-compatible charger that charges at a decent rate, remove the actual charging plate from it and just mount it behind a thin piece of ABS plastic in the right spot, you can do it that way. Otherwise, you may need to go with the slightly less cool (but less heat generating and cheaper) method of a USB charging plug.

 

Finished! Overall it went well. The only issue I had and still have is the steering wheel controls are not all working correctly. I will have to manually set them to what they are suppose to do.

Thanks again for all your help! If you have any pointers on how to make it better let me know, I will be getting some touch up paint this weekend to fix some of the marks I made while installing it.

Also I did this all with a drill so dont make fun of the bad plastic cuts to much lol