I originally posted this solution on a lexus site but here it is again:
(Thank you Sound Man crew for giving me the inspiration for this install.)
So, I picked up a 2004 GX price adjusted for current fuel prices for an incredible price. My wife couldn't believe that the truck was so "affordable." Well, since the second week I owned the vehicle I was not happy with the sound system. It is the non-nav unit. The sound was okay but the fact that I couldn't directly connect my ipod to the stereo was a real bummer. I researched this issue for months and surprisingly there is very little info on the web about stereo upgrades for the GX. I went back and forth with either replacing everything with an Alpine 910 to control it all to integrating an Audison Bit 1.
Finally, I decided on the JL Cleansweep and the summing device so that I could keep the dash stock looking and to avoid the price of the alpine unit plus the Beatsonic dash kit. $1300 just for the source unit and dash kit????? No way!
The entire installation took me around 20 hours soldering and heat shrinking the majority of connections. The only connections that weren't were the high level out of the factory amp to the summing device. I am running a JL XD700/5 driving a set of Morel Maximo components in the front and an Alpine 8" Type R sub. I bridged the amp on the fronts and left the rears disconnected. My baby likes to sleep on drives.
The cleanssweep does what it is advertised to do. It does it very well, actually. After about 3 weeks of living with an ipod and pandora I wanted more. I wanted Nav and a "huge" display and I happened to have an iPad laying around so I had to figure out a way to integrate the tablet into the dash but didn't want to cut bondo and paint anything. Soundman Car Audio out in California was the catalyst for this desire. I already installed the Scosche Hi amperage ipad cable with switchable video out so I knew that this was a mod I eventually would do.
Again, searching the internet for ideas to mount the ipad yielded in nothing for the GX. I thought this over while I aid in bed, while I drove, while ate, while I showered, etc. etc. Then it dawned on me. I never use my cassette player and the slot was in a very good location for a mount so all I had to do was fashion something that would slide into the tape slot. I was in the kitchen and decided to use a cutting board that I happened to be using. It looked to be the same thickness as a cassette tape, rigid enough to support the ipad and easy enough to cut and drill.
So here is my ipad installation (which can be removed to hide all traces when parked for extended periods and to keep valets' grubby fingers off of my property.)
I realize that there are way more elegant ways to mount an ipad in a vehicle but I took into consideration the time and cost involved in custom fabricating a dash piece to integrate the pad semi permanently. I do prefer that look but I wanted to be able to hide the majority of the fact that there may be an ipad in the car and to be able to sell the vehicle without much more effort to convert the dash back to stock appearance.
All in all, I am pleased with the installation but am not pleased with the SQ. Fine tuning the sound is my next step but with thte current setup it seems to be very limited in adjustability. Oh, and by the way, the Dual GPS receiver pairs witht he non 3g ipad very well and is very accurate. I am also able to tether the ipad to my iphone while running the Dual at the same time. So, to all non-3g ipad owners, don't fret, you can get GPS nav in your vehicle.
