Something I like about as much as cars is music. In my highchair I listened to grandma's kitchen radio in the mornings in the early 60s and learned the words to songs by the Beatles & Beach Boys. As a young lad of 11 I witnessed the birth of music festivals, being in the thick of the Monterey Pop Festival. At my wedding reception at the dawn of the Reagan era a cover band played Fleetwood Mac songs. Many milestones marked by the popular music at the time.

One hobby I have is music collecting - I once had over 4,000 record albums and never thought that I could ever see some of the obscure stuff on a CD. I've digitized many of the songs from the albums, giving myself my own CD of some wacked old album by Hoyt Axton for my enjoyment.

I bought the first MP3 player that was released - the Diamond Rio. Thing held 12 songs, I was in heaven. Then it was a Creative Zen Jukebox, a 60g iPod and now a 64g iPod touch. All the other vehicles in my fleet were family cars, and that means there's always an extra cup holder to drop the music player in. Firebird has one cup holder. And it's not in the best place (my son the future $1500 Firebird owner commented on the lack of cup holders. I told him the 'bird is a car to drive, if you want to sip lattes while on the road go get a @#% minivan)

So here is the illustrated solution to carrying an iPod safely & cheap.

I've gotten used to the steering wheel controls and really only use the head unit as an amplifier for the iPod so replacing it with a $600 JVC Chameleon is not in the cards. What this decision leaves me with is where to carry the tethered iPod while on the road in my 90 minute commutes. I want to be able to disconnect the thing and toss it in my laptop bag, and like to have it in a case of some sort. I hate things stuck to the windshield, and those disc things stuck to the dash are a flag to any crackhead that is breaking into cars for quickly fenced items.

What's that leave?

Can ride in the shift boot - but one fast downshift can either crunch the iPod or not let you shift.

Got that coin holder, but it sits in the way of gearshift

That old cup holder again see same complaint above

Baked in the sun? No

Speed or playlist, hmm I'm trying to decide

Uhh - no.

This is what it's been for awhile. Riding on the passenger seat. Sometimes it falls off the side into console canyon.

See, I want to be able to pick it up, change the list or pause without reaching or detaching or unplugging. When you can't buy what you need, roll your own - as Hoyt Axton says

If you don't like the way they make 'em in the city
Cause they taste too strong the dang paper ain't pretty
Roll your own roll your own
You'll leave the ready rolls behind when you finally find a roll your own.

I found this Panavise mount made for F-body cars (link to Amazon)

It attaches to a headunit bolt under the trim and presents the iPod at a good angle.

Looks simple to do and it really is. Pop the trim off - start at a corner

Tools for the job: Phillips screwdriver and a nut driver or socket. Take off the screw - 9/32 is the size.

 - reattach with the mount.

Extra strength from an included real sharp pointed screw. It will cut it's own hole in the plastic with some firm twisting of the screwdriver or drill motor.

Put trim back on and you are done.

I rode with this like it is for awhile. iPod at the time was a classic one in a leather case with a belt clip. I just clipped it onto the Panavise. See, most iPod mounts do not accommodate a cased iPod.

I did have my sights on this, for it bolted right to the Panavise mount and held an iPod in a case. But it was too dorky for me. I also upgraded to an iPod Touch, so lets add the horizontal/vertical option, and a new case with no clip.

Back to rolling my own. I picked up this for $5

It's one damn strong® magnet and a metal button, both with damn strong® adhesive.

And a silicone case from Incipio for $10. The case included a clear screen protector. Meh, does my car have clear seat covers? Don't throw it away, it comes into use later.

Stick the damn strong® magnet to the Panavise

That little clip thing swivels out to accommodate other devices that have belt clips - say like an old iPod in a case?

At first I thought the iPod was ferrous and would be attracted to the magnet. Wrong I was. To make the Touch in a skin attracted to a magnet I needed to put the metal button on it. It did not stick to the silicone skin worth a darn. I took that screen protector that came with the case, stuck the button to it and tucked it inside the case. Ingredients: the Incipio case, the Cellet metal button and that clear screen protector that came with the case.
 

Step one. Stick the metal button to the screen protector and put it in the case. Button is between case & screen protector. If I didn't have the screen protector I would have cut an iPod sized piece of plastic from the Cellet's packaging.

Step two. Put iPod in the case

Now the iPod in the case sticks to the damn strong® magnet.

It rides vertical

Or Horizontal

Free download - Jim Mills - I Want A Woman Who Can Mow

This has held on over bumpy roads, all speeds and is easy to pick up and put back. The magnet is strong enough to hold when touching the screen to mute or skip songs after you get used to it. The "all black" scheme makes it blend in with the dash, and when it's not in the car it's not all mech-dorky.

I like it.

2012 - I have since sold the Firebird. I have the mount for sale up on Amazon for half of retail cost

Panavise Custom InDash Mount for Pontiac Firebird, TransAm '93-02