Kuda Phonebase Products

[1990LS400]

I never cared for having my phone mounted on a metal bracket to the right of the radio on either my 90 or 00 LS. It made it difficult for the front seat passenger to access some radio and HVAC controls and it could have been caused injury in the event of a crash. A "Kuda Phonebase" seems like a far better solution for my phone and one might also be a good mounting point for MP3 players and PDA based navigation systems.

I was not expecting much for my approximately $70 (including shipping) but was pleasantly surprised with the design, quality, fit and that the Kuda's ivory leather almost perfectly matched the upholstery of my 00 LS. Kuda has mounts for many Lexus models and model years and in various colors. This thread is not meant to be a promotion for Kuda's products - I am just very happy with how well this product works. Kuda is at: http://www.kuda-phonebase.com/home.htm

About installation... The installation instructions are fairly sketchy. It is very important that the metal tab on the mount be very pressed very firmly into place between the radio and trim panel while the mounting screw is screwed into place. I suggest making this a two person job -- one person presses (hard!) the mount in place and the other installs the retaining screw. Mounting requires that a screw be screwed into the vinyl trim on the transmission tunnel and it is important to drive the screw exactly straight into the transmission tunnel trim and not to drive the screw at an angle. The resulting hole is small and could be easily patched should the Kuda mount ever be removed. Rather that use the self tapping screw that came with the mount, to ensure a rock solid fit, I chose to drill a small hole and use a similar size small screw bolt and nut.

There is a semi hidden slot at the bottom of the mount through which wires for the phone or other electronic devices can be routed. On my 00 LS400, the wires could be routed into the console and hidden behind the Kuda mount by sliding the wires between the lower and upper center console panels - just to the right of the CD button.

Tolerances are tight. The glovebox and CD doors have about 1/8 inch clearance with the Kuda mount so be sure to "test open and close" these two doors before driving the mounting screw! Forward travel of the front passenger seat is not impeded. Please note that, as of today, the photo of the LS400 phonebase mount on the Kuda website is not accurate.

It is not necessary to remove the radio and HVAC controls although it is likely that the wood console cover will have to be popped off to install most electronic devices in the LS400. Here is the first of three photos of the installation.

[1990LS400]

Photo 2 of the Kuda mount in my 2000 LS400

[1990LS400]

Photo 3 of the Kuda phonebase in my 2000 LS400

[SW03ES]

I know, aren't they nice? Much nicer than an ugly profit metal mount.

[SKperformance]

now that looks very nice

[blake918]

I put a Kuda in a while back since I copy everything Jim does with his carphone! LOL I really like the way it looks! B)

If any of you are really, really big on the small details, the Kuda is not a 100% fit--although it is very, very close. I think it's because it fits first and second gen LSs. Notice the very small gap below the CD button: