I have done a touchscreen overlay to my last car, a Maserati QP, and while I wait for delivery of my just purchased '08 FS, I thinking of installing same system. I did a search and found many Bentleys with this upgrade, but nobody here. If anyone has seen one done like this, I want to know how it compares to factory NAV?

Upgrade works as follows:

Use of a Kenwood Carportal, which is essentially like a stand alone a/v hub in shape of small black box mounted anywhere in car hidden away. Many options from DVD player, Garmin based NAV, Bluetooth unit, rear camera, multiple touchscreens, etc can all hook up to this hub.

Basically what I did to my Quattroporte was to take the touchscreen apart, and take the clear touchscreen film off the Kenwood touchscreen, extend the wires, and stick physically over factory screen. It's basically like putting a clear sticker over your factory screen and there is not cutting or messing with anything factory and can be taken back off in future.

Next step is to feed the video feed from Kenwwod hub to factory screen. My QP had a TV tuner input. and the company NAV-TV makes an adapter that plugs into factory inputs as if it was the factory tuner. Once I can feed the video in to factory screen, I just need to select TV to bring up the Kenwood system which now works as a touchscreen in dash.

Now that the Kenwood hub in now feeds video to factory screen which is now a touchscreen, we can start adding goodies that just plug into Kenwood hub. First I added a DVD player in the pocket under the steering wheel which is also a CD player and can watch movies on front screen. I also added the Navigation unit which is made by Garmin, updated by SD memory card, and is now touchscreen navigation on front monitor. I added a Bluetooth module that connects to my iPhone 5 automatically when I get into car and can even dial from my front touchscreen.

The great part about this system is that it's not too expensive the hub and all the different parts ( NAV, Bluetooth, iPod cable, satellite radio, rear camera, etc) are all moderately priced. I paid like $1k for all the Kenwood parts and then the NAV-TV module that lets you add video to a factory system using factory plugs, cost about $600. They are all car specific since they use factory plugs and plug right into factory radio, the one for '08 FS is $649.


On the sound side of install, the Kenwood hub has a built in amplifier and you can use that or leave it off factory amp, OR you can go further and add a nice sound quality amplifier and change out speakers. I went with a single Audison 6 channel amplifier which is pretty small in size, but large in quality and power. I changed the front speakers for 3 way separates, 6.5" mid bass in doors, 4" midrange in dash, and 1" tweeters inside air vents for best sound imaging. The dash and door speakers were swapped out with same size and tweeters hidden so everything looks factory. In back door I swapped out 6.5" 2 way separates, also basically same size as what was in doors, so everything looks just like factory. Finally I had a subwoofer box built in spare tire well with a JL audio W7.

That's basically my system and what I am probably going to also do to my FS. As for the people that worry about chopping up factory wires and voiding warranties etc., let me explain how i did my install.

First, everything was powered on a separate power wire from battery to a circuit breaker. So basically you can flip open that breaker, and everything aftermarket is shut down. The only wires touched in any way was the switched power wire that used the cigarette lighter, which gets power only when car is on, and at the factory amplifier, they tapped the input wires from factory radio to turn them into an RCA feed that feeds factory sound to Kenwood Hub.

One of the options on the Kenwood control menu is factory input.so 95% of the time, I had the Kenwood on factory input selected and just used it like it was the stock system with nothing changed, yet have a 1000% improvement with sound.


Here are a few of modules I used:

http://www.navtv.com/product/43/bnt-kit.html

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113KOSV...ortal&skipvs=T

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113BT30...KCA-BT300.html

 

Great! Was looking for something like this to handle the backup cam. Thx

 

I believe if you just want backup video camera, you just use the Nav TV unit. It can be tapped to reverse wire to trigger camera to pop on automatically. You wouldn't need any of the additional items I mentioned. To be sure, I would use link to go to NAV-TV site and call tech help and ask them. If the car doesn't have a selectable video input, the installer just adds a small switch to switch from NAV TV unit between video inputs hooked up to Nav TV module and back to factory video.

I think the NaV TV said it came with two inputs, so you could use 1 for backup camera and the second for a DVD player or maybe a NAV Unit? Garmin makes a NAV unit with RCA video output that can plug right into inputs and controlled with wireless remote.

Just some ideas. I would recommend calling a high end stereo shop with previous a Bentley install experience or tech support at NavTV to get some solid answers.

 

Thanks for the info.

Found this picture online...I guess its exactly the same as your current setup?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cartune...n/photostream/

How hard was it to remove the centre piece to install the wiring as the veneer covers looks quite brittle. I would like to install a reverse cam and use the second input for my in-car cam.

I emailed NavTV and they confirm if you require reverse camera the only part you need to buy is their BNT KIT plus a camera of coz. There is some wiring you have to carry out such as 12v and splicing into reverse signal to activate camera.

Thanks

 

Just want to clarify that the above work was dome to my current Maserati QP, as the FS I am trading it in for will not arrive till next week. That said, this is a very common technique to upgrade factory systems and endless cars have been done the same way with the touchscreen part put over factory screen using NAVTv to feed video to factory screen using factory plug in connections and using Kenwood Car portals to add multiple options such as DVD, a garmin based navigation, Bluetooth, etc.

The reason for this thread is that I did a search to see if any Bentleys have been done with similiar system and found pictures of a couple different ones, but no detailed descriptions. I was hoping to find someone on this board that had it done so I could ask some of the detailed questions such as how hard was the front disassembly, or where the factory amp is located etc. I did find a shop that had pictures of one they did today so I was going to give them a call tomorrow.

@jc_33
I have used NAVTV units in my last 4 cars to send video to factory dashboard screen and they make a high quality item. No matter how complex or simple you go with your install, whether just adding a backup camera or entire system, the NavTv module is necessary, so emailing them and getting info is great first step.
Also, the picture you found is exactly what a finished system looks like. The touchscreen overlay has the exact satin finish as factory screen so it looks exactly the same as before. Also, in your picture is the Kenwood menu used to switch between different components.i would usually select "factory", which means the sound played is from factory radio, turn of Kenwood video feed, so that sound and picture is all factory as if the car were completely stock.

 

Here is the store I was going to call for details as they did a full install on a FS. Here is a link to their page with multiple pics of car:

http://www.soundsensationsauto.com/BlackFlyingSpur-195

 

Misunderstood your original post as I thought u already had the work done.

The only DIY I've done on the GT is install a blackbox camera by removing the front dome light and routing rear camera cable via headliner.

The GT is hand made and every piece is so well put together its quite hard to remove trim panels as you can easily break something if your not careful. I have instructions to remove the veneer panels to remove the stereo but not look into how I can route parking camera to bumper.

If you need workshop files on part removal let me know and I will email them to you.

 

That part removal info would be great. I bought the service manual files for my QP and Ferrari and they were a huge help. If you could email them to me, my address is aal3723@***.net.i would assume that even though your manuals are for a GT, the flyimg spur should be about the same.

As for your wire for your camera, I have never seen it run through headliner, they usually go under dash, into kick panels, along door sills, under back seat into trunk, along side of trunk and out somewhere in back of trunk behind bumper.

 

The wire is for the blackbox camera which is mounted behind the rearview mirror and gets power from front dome light. Running the wire under the centre leather section is quickest as rear camera is mounted at top of rear windscreen. Posted up a thread before at below link.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...-blackbox.html

PM me your vin so I can enter it into the workshop dvd to ensure u get the right files as it also contains FS manual. I would run the rear parking camera wire whichever route does not require taking too many panels off. God forbid that you should develop rattles in your FS!

 

Here's another option:

I have a 2005 CGT and just installed an aftermarket nav and phone upgrade complete with a back-up cam. The installer used a Garmin black box system. It hijacks the screen with the push of a button and provides a typical Garmin Nav system on the factory screen. Control is done with a small RF remote. The box also has inputs for XM satelite radio and real time traffic along with an input for the rear camera that comes on whenever the shift lever is in reverse. The only problem with the real time traffic is you have to access a different screen to see the traffic jams. However, it does announce all traffic issues on the road you are travelling. There is also an input for a 3mm cord that can connect to an iPod or iPhone for music. I have not used the iPod connection but the installer showed me how it works. The Garmin and XM features require separate antennas that the installer hid them above the headliner at the top of the rear window where there is no IR glass coating. Signal strength is excellent.

For my iPhone he installed a Motorola system that uses Bluetooth to connect my phone to the factory sound system. The system turns off the radio when a call comes in and announces the number. Unfortunately it cannot access the phonebook in my phone but does store 20 numbers that can be accessed verbally. I can access the phone book through my phone and when I hit "call" on the phone the car system takes over.

Very handy despite the short comings. Total install was about $3000. Worth it in my opinion.

 

Do you know exactly the pieces used in your system? I assume a NavTV device to plug into factory radio and display video. Do you have the garmin Nav that had the RGB output that uses RCA's to connect to the NavTV input? I assume the Bluetooth device is one of the DICE ones from audiovox that plugs by factory cd changer? Just curious which devices you used to help decide what to buy.

As mentioned earlier, I had a ton of stuff in my Quattroporte from converting factory screen to touchscreen, DVD, nav, Bluetooth, etc. at the same time, when I think back on what I used, 99% of the time I had the factory radio selected and used it like a factory radio, except it had a super high sound quality amp and speakers hooked up to it for great sound. Further, the few times I used navigation, I actually used my ipad because I had already found info on destination prior to leaving. I did use my Bluetooth over phone all the time.

Because of that, I was considering getting a device like an audison bit one, or JL clean sweep that can take the factory radio high level input, and convert it to a high quality input, then get aftermarket amp and speakers with a subwoofer in trunk. Basically just do an upgrade to sound system that would put the naim stereo to shame, get the Bluetooth module, and leave it be. I may also add the Nav tV device and a DVD player so I can also play video from DVD or and iPod on front atV by flipping a switch to toggle between factory input and NavTV inputs.

 

The Bluetooth phone system is a Motorola IHF 1000.

http://direct.motorola.com/ENG/carki...L&language=ENG

Mounted this in the front ashtray.


The Garmin unit is the GVN 53.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=10573

Supports XM radio, XM traffic and a rear view camera (the most useful piece of the system). You will also need the RF remote control and the XM antenna, both sold separately.

 

Thanks for the informative discussion. What is involved in installing a backup-cam? Do the installer has to drill a hole at the back of the car?

 

On the CGT the installer drilled a small hole where the wires go through the bumper cover. My camera is mounted right above the license plate. The camera is surface mounted on the bumper cover. Very small, less than an inch cubic. Hardly noticeable.

 

Thanks JJV104