I have a Garmin Sat-Nav which can be attached to either the windscreen by its sucker mount – or to a flat polished disc stuck to the dashboard with a special adhesive pad.
On both my Audi A3 and A4 the dashboards are curved and it is not possible to mount the sat-nav on them – hence I had to use the windscreen mount. I didn’t like doing this because the sat-nav was then too far away for easy use so I decided the make an adaptor to mount it on the dashboard.
Ingredients
A plastic tube about 6 cm inside diameter (cut from plastic bottle)
A tin of Plastic Padding (Epoxy body filler)
Some polythene (heavy gauge poly bag)
Adhesive tape
Blue tack
The Garmin polished metal disc
Paint to match the dashboard
Epoxy glue
Patience and dexterity
After deciding the exact position you require to mount the sat-nav – carefully cut one end of the plastic tube to the exact profile of the dashboard. This is to make a mould in which you will pour plastic padding.
Now cut the tube as close as possible to the curved end – this will set the thickness of the adaptor
Attach the polythene to the dashboard (using sticky tape) to cover the area where the adaptor is to be mounted. Stretch the polythene really tight so that it will not move. Fold up and double back the ends of the sticky tape so that it can be removed very quickly. You will see why in a minute as you read on.
Place the plastic tubular mould in its required location and hold it firmly in place with blue tack round its full external circumference.
Mix the required amount of plastic padding and fill the mould to the top – make sure there no air pockets and that you get the top surface as level as possible. The material will start to cure and will gradually get warm. Keep testing the top surface and before it gets too hot, yet firm, quickly release the polythene and remove the adaptor from the dashboard before it gets too hot and damages the dashboard surface.
Leave to fully cure for an hour or so and remove the plastic tubular mould.
Now fettle any loose bits from the bottom edges where the plastic padding has found its way under the mould – before placing a sheet of emery on a flat surface and “sanding” the top surface of the adaptor to get it dead flat.
Paint the outside diameter with your paint – stipple it on - to try and replicate the surface of the dashboard. Leave to dry overnight.
Using epoxy glue – attach the Garmin polished metal disc, Attach the Garmin adhesive pad to the bottom surface and mount on your dashboard.
Simples……………….
