Part 2: Interior
Head unit
(Some of this info may not be useful at all to those outside of Japan, as non-JDM cars have a built-in system that uses a completely different faceplate which cannot accommodate head units like the one pictured here. However I'm writing it all down anyway in case I forget what I did haha)
![Car Speedometer Motor vehicle Automotive design Vehicle]()
![Automotive lighting Automotive design Plant Motor vehicle Steering wheel]()
![Automotive tire Hood Automotive design Tread Wood]()
Door inserts
![Vehicle Car Automotive design Motor vehicle Purple]()
![Automotive design Vehicle door Motor vehicle Armrest Tints and shades]()
![Tire Wheel Land vehicle Vehicle Sky]()
Other additions
![Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Automotive design Hood]()
![Gear shift Motor vehicle Vehicle Automotive design Car]()
![Automotive design Automotive exterior Air gun Vehicle Bumper]()
![Hood Automotive design Automotive lighting Tints and shades Automotive exterior]()
Head unit
(Some of this info may not be useful at all to those outside of Japan, as non-JDM cars have a built-in system that uses a completely different faceplate which cannot accommodate head units like the one pictured here. However I'm writing it all down anyway in case I forget what I did haha)
- I'm running a Joying JY-TQ160N4G 9 inch Android head unit. The unit itself is pretty solid - It has a Rockchip CPU which is relatively decent, and 4GB of RAM. Speed/responsiveness is definitely not on par with a flagship smartphone, but works well in 95% of applications.
- It's using the AGAMA car launcher, which is a semi-customizable home screen that allows me to pick colours, materials, designs and text, and I can set what all the buttons do. I can also set themes for day/night; so during the day it's themed red and at night it switches to purple to match the various LEDS I have in the cabin and doors (see 1st and 2nd images).
- By default JDM cars don't get the fancy integrated TPMS, and all the online/remote start/control stuff that USDM variants do. There is an option to add some of this functionality back (the remote start?) by buying specific Toyota-exclusive navigation units, but they're exorbitantly expensive (USD$1000+), and kind of suck nuts. They're also entirely in Japanese, which is fine, but I don't prefer it.
- The benefit of an Android head unit is that I can pretty much have any app I want on here. I've got Spotify with downloaded playlists, various navigation apps, a browser, Gmail, Youtube etc.
- The head unit has a pretty spectacular audio DSP (digital signal processor) which gives a LOT of flexibility in how music sounds. Using built in virtualization and a super detailed EQ this thing sounds pretty great even on stock speakers. However, they're still stock speakers so...
- Speakers have been swapped out for a Pioneer Carrozzeria set. Door and dash speakers were replaced with TS-C1736S-2 (17cm + mid satellites) and rears were replaced with TS-F1040-2 (2-way 10cm). These definitely made a big improvement to overall sound resolution and reproduction. Apologies, no photos of these.
- Continuing down low, I added a (Pioneer) TS-WX130DA slim subwoofer in the boot of the car (AKA "freedom trunk"). I used a foam cutter to cut a friction-fit space for the sub to sit in the foam baffle thing that's found there. Then cut "reflex" holes to allow air to escape when the sub is in action - helps cut down on "bass farts". It's not the loudest thing. Routing the wiring all the way up to the head unit was the biggest ball ache. Am sure there is a way to somehow pinch a signal going to the amp in the rear, but I did this all a year ago when parts, adapters and knowledge was far and few between.
- I added sound deadening to the doors, rear quarter-panels and rear wheel arches. I decided against sound deadening the boot, as tests showed it reduced too much sound from the exhaust. Sorry, not pictured.
Door inserts
- Covered the usually black pleather door inserts with purple alcantara adhesive sheet.
- Probably the biggest overall visual change to the interior of the car and am super happy with how they turned out.
- I followed this thread for all the how-to's. It was definitely harder than expected, but worth it overall.
Other additions
- Handbrake knob swapped from gross chrome to sweet adonized purple.
- Shift knob replaced with a TOM's carbon shift knob. Huge improvement - it's slightly lighter than the stock knob, feels much better in hand, and won't be so susceptible to sweat in the hot summer months.
- I eliminated the gap in the center console "doors" using some wind-blocking adhesive tape (I think it's usually used for covering gaps in doors and windows). I have an LED light in that center console area and the light spill was getting obnoxious.
- Speaking of... I added colour-configurable LED USB lights to the glove box and center console (see photo above for the effect). They're set to purple, but can do any other colour. Glove box has a 12v cigarette outlet, so I just got one of those small USB adapters, then plonked the light on to that.
- I 3D printed a custom garage door remote holder for my center console box (see the rectangle just above the USB light in the pic below)
- I covered those annoying child restraint covers on the rear window-sill with black alcantara adhesive sheet. If it's sunny out, those plastic covers reflect really hard in your rear vision mirror. They're practically invisible now.
- Not pictured, but I've also installed a 360degree drive recorder. I wasn't a fan of having a separate camera in the rear window of the car (or anywhere else that doesn't look "stock") so figured a 360 cam would do the trick. In Japan I really only need the drive recorder to corroborate my story if I got in to an accident. It doesn't need a zillion megapixels or the ability to see license plates from 15km away nor see right in to ones soul. Just "this happened, that happened, now I'm sad".
