Workshop 12

Brainiac MK2 350Z Plastics

Name: Brainiac MK2 350Z Plastics
Brand: Workshop 12
SKU: MK2-350Z-Kit-Only-02-05-S6
Price: 219.0 USD
Availability: InStock

$219.00 USD

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DO YOU SUPPORT IPADS?

Nope! Workshop 12 uses Samsung Android tablets specifically for their ability to charge and use USB accessories at the same time. To be honest, iPads don't typically work well for customizations when integrating into a vehicle. Click here for more details

CAN YOU SUPPORT MY XYZ TABLET?

Short answer... No. Long answer... Our kits are designed to hold an affordable tablet that fits within the bounds of the inner workings of the vehicle's dashboard. There's much less room back there than one might think.

We try to choose tablets that have the best balance of vehicle fit, performance and affordability. As we evolve our products, we consider adding new variants to meet market demands and tablet availability. Click here for more details

DOES THE SYSTEM SUPPORT AFTERMARKET AMPLIFIERS AND SUBWOOFERS?

Kenwood Electronics - Yes
The Kenwood has a pre-out connection that can be sent to your subwoofer amplifier.

MK1.7 Electronics - Yes
We have many customers with aftermarket amplifier and subwoofer setups. For the MK1.7 Electronics you can check out our guide to see how everything connects together for an aftermarket amplifier and subwoofer setup.

CAN I USE BLUETOOTH TO STREAM MUSIC FROM MY PHONE

Kenwood Electronics - Yes

The Kenwood KMM-BT228U supports up to 5 active Bluetooth connections.

MK1.7 Electronics - No
A tablet does not support the host A2DP Bluetooth profile required unlike a common aftermarket head unit which has it by default. However, you can typically achieve a similar result. This can be done by using a paired internet connection or an accessory app and/or USB dongle.

CAN I USE BLUETOOTH HANDS FREE FROM MY PHONE?

Kenwood Electronics - Yes

The Kenwood has hands free phone functionality and includes a wired cabin microphone.

MK1.7 Electronics - No
A tablet does not support the host Bluetooth hands-free profile required unlike a common aftermarket head unit which has it by default. However, we have had various people achieving success with hands free by using either an Apple CarPlay or Android Auto USB dongle.

WILL THE 3D PRINTED PARTS MELT IN MY CAR?

Nope! Workshop 12 uses PETG plastics for behind the dash support material that are heat resistant and any surfaces directly exposed to sunlight are manufactured in Nylon which is heatproof to 163C/325F. Most stories of people having 3D prints melt/warp inside vehicles are using PLA as a printing material. As a reference vehicles sitting in the sun for over an hour in Arizona have dashboard surface temperatures reaching 157F on average.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE PLASTICS?

Workshop 12 manufactures some of the plastics for the kit in-house and outsources some of the driver exposed plastics manufacturing to Shapeways.

CAN I STILL USE THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS?

Kenwood Electronics - Yes
The Kenwood has steering wheel support with use of an Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Controller.

MK1.7 Electronics - Yes
There's a product called the RcJoyCon CPJexc that allows you to map steering wheel controls to Android commands. These can typically be found on ebay for purchase.

CAN I USE A REVERSE CAMERA?

Yes! There is a product called EasyCap USB dongle, which converts S-Video to USB. You can find the EasyCap dongle here. The EasyCap dongle simply connects into one of the four USB ports on our MK1 Companion or MK1.7 Electronics. You can download the app on the Play Store and view the footage.

DOES ANDROID AUTO WORK WITH THE TABLET?

Yes: There are app options for those wanting to connect their Android phone to the tablet using Android Auto for streaming music or hands-free calling from their Android phone. One such example is Headunit Reloaded which allows for either a WiFi connection or a USB connection (Workshop 12 has not yet verified this).

DOES APPLE CARPLAY WORK WITH THE TABLET?

Yes: There are various Apple CarPlay USB dongles out there that are being used by community members that allow you to connect your iPhone to the tablet using a USB cable just like you would in an OEM equipped Apple Car Play vehicle. This allows you to play music or hands free call from your phone on the tablet.

We have a video demonstration of this dongle on our YouTube Channel

DO I NEED TO PAINT THE TABLET HOLDER PLASTICS?

For some kits: Some of the Brainiac plastics come in raw unfinished 3D printed plastic that require sanding and painting. Others are plastic injection molded and pre-painted. Your kit details will specify if it requires sanding and painting. We have posted a tutorial on how to prep and paint your Brainiac plastics.

WILL THE SYSTEM WORK WITH THE NISSAN BOSE AUDIO SYSTEM?

Yes: The Kenwood and our MK1.7 Electronics will work with both BOSE equipped and NON-BOSE Nissan models.

CAN I INSTALL BRAINIAC INTO MY FACTORY NAVIGATION EQUIPPED 370Z?

There is a way: The Brainiac plastics fit both the OEM navigation and non-navigation models. However, the OEM navigation equipped vehicles need to be swapped over to use the non-navigation climate control module.

CAN I INSTALL BRAINIAC INTO MY FACTORY NAVIGATION EQUIPPED 350Z?

There is a way: The Brainiac plastics fit the non-navigation model center waterfall console (piece that has the 3 gauges). The OEM navigation equipped 350z's have a little lip/hood at the top of where the non-navigation cubby opening is. This lip/hood gets in the way of the Brainiac plastics. By installing a non-navigation center waterfall trim piece, the 350z kit can be used. More information can be found here.

CAN I INSTALL BRAINIAC INTO MY FRS/BRZ/86 WITH MANUAL CLIMATE CONTROLS (NON DUAL-ZONE)?

No: The Brainiac plastics will technically fit in these models, however there is no way to manage climate control as our kit is designed to manage the dual-zone climate control circuitry. We will be considering a solution for the manual climate control after we successfully launch the dual-zone model.

CAN I USE ANY ANDROID APP?

Yes: Brainiac plastics use a standard Samsung tablet that allows you to install any Android app that you like. We highly recommend our Brainiac home screen launcher for gesture based controls and convenience features as our plastic kits cover the Samsung hardware buttons.

DOES IT HAVE AM/FM RADIO?

Kenwood Electronics - No
Currently there isn't a way to control the AM/FM radio of the Kenwood receiver when it is tucked in the dashboard. We are working on a possible solution, but are making no promises :)

MK1.7 Electronics - No
There isn't built in AM/FM radio support. You may be able to achieve this with a USB accessory and app combination.

HOW DO I CONNECT THE TABLET TO THE INTERNET?

There are two ways: (1) Connect the tablet to a WiFi hotspot device (your phone or an external hotspot device) (2) Purchase the variant of the tablet that has a built in 4G connection.

IF THE CAR GETS SUPER HOT DOES THE TABLET QUIT?

Yes: There's only so much we can do here as a tablet has limitations. If the tablet gets super hot it will go into a suspended mode until it cools down. The reason why it does this is because it does not want to charge/use a super hot battery.

The MK2 plastics are designed to allow you to remove the tablet from the vehicle. If parked in extreme temperatures for a prolonged period of time you may want to consider moving the tablet from the dash to someplace cooler.

CAN I DISPLAY ODBII INFORMATION ON THE TABLET?

Yes: Feel free to connect a Bluetooth or USB OBDII dongle to your tablet and use apps such as Torque to view ODBII information. You can purchase the OBDII scanner here.

CAN I CHARGE THE TABLET AND ALSO USE USB ACCESSORIES?

Yes: Our MK1 Tablet Companion and the MK1.7 Electronics allows for charging your tablet and 4 USB connections.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TABLET RUNS OUT OF BATTERY?

If the tablet runs out of battery and shuts down, then it will need to be recharged before turning it back on. The MK2 plastics are designed to allow you to gain access to, or remove, the tablet from the vehicle to re-charge.

HOW CAN THE TABLET'S SCREEN TURN OFF/ON WITH THE CAR'S IGNITION?

Yes: I highly recommend following our tablet power settings guide. This will have the tablet go into sleep mode and preserve its battery when the vehicle is not running.

WHERE DO I FIND THE BRAINIAC SOFTWARE?

You can find our Brainiac launcher app on Google Play.

MK1.7 Electronics vs MK2 Electronics by Kenwood?

1. MK1.7 Electronics.

The MK1.7 Electronics are for users who are looking for a simple plug and play solution for their vehicles.

The MK1.7 Electronics comes with a 2 channel 100 watt amplifier. It also has the MK1 Companion kit built in. These electronics do not come with hands free calling, Bluetooth, radio, or an equalizer to fine tune your sound. There are ways around this buy purchasing Bluetooth dongles with a mic for hands free calling or downloading apps from the Google Play Store for radio and audio tunning.

2. MK2 Electronics by Kenwood:

The MK2 Electronics by Kenwood is a single din Plug-and-Play head unit that gets tucked behind your Brainiac plastics for great audio, tablet charging and multiple Bluetooth device support. You control the MK2 Electronics by Kenwood from your tablet via the Kenwood Remote App. The MK2 Electronics does not come with the MK1 Companion.

The MK1 Companion Kit completes your MK2 Electronics by giving you the ability of using any USB accessories and keeping your tablet charged all at the same time. Unfortunately a tablet won't let you charge and use any USB accessories at the same time. This is when the MK1 companion kit comes to play. You can connect many different accessories like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto dongles, USB android reverse camera or simply plug in a USB drive to watch movies or listen to music.

What is the MK1.7 Electronics and what's included?

The MK1.7 Electronics contains everything you need to simply unplug your existing car stereo and plug in your tablet.

What's in the box:

MK1.7 Electronics installation wiring diagram
100W 2-channel amplifier
Factory stereo harness plug(s)
1 X 3.5mm right angle headphone to RCA cable
4 X Port USB hub for accessories
1 X Tablet USB-C charge and data cable
1 X USB auxiliary charge port
1 X Electrical Noise Filter
1 X Ground Loop Isolator for headphone audio
1 X Remote amp signal wire
1 X Grounding Cable

Notes:

The MK1.7 Electronics supports both BOSE and NON-BOSE equipped models.
Tablet is not included

Installing MK1.7 Electronics

The MK1.7 Electronics have been designed to be a plug-and-play kit for providing power, audio and USB accessory for your tablet installation.

Simply unplug your OEM stereo, and plug in the MK1.7 Electronics directly into your factory stereo harness.

What is the MK2 Electronics by Kenwood and what's included?

Pair your Brainiac plastics kit with the Plug-and-Play. MK2 Electronics by Kenwood tuck the MK2 Electronics behind your Brainiac plastics kit for great audio, tablet charging and multiple Bluetooth device support.

Don't forget to add the MK1 Companion kit to complete your MK2 Electronics.

Features:

Up to 5 connected Bluetooth devices (your tablet and phone)
Hands free calling (cabin microphone included)
Complete plug-and-play wiring harness (no splicing or soldering needed)
Head unit bench tested to ensure harness is functioning properly for your vehicle

What's in the box:

MK2 Electronics by Kenwood
Wiring harness pre-soldered & heat shrunk
Microphone w/ bracket (attached 10' cable terminated by a right-angle mono 3.5mm connector)
3ft USB-C low profile right angle charge cable

Notes:

The MK2 Electronics by Kenwood supports both BOSE and NON-BOSE equipped models.
Tablet is not included

NOTE: It is recommended you perform all volume and stereo adjustments prior to tucking it behind your Brainiac plastics

Do I need the MK1 Companion Kit?

The MK1 Companion kit is for owners who already have their own electronics (such as the MK2 Electronics) and would like to use additional USB accessories such as The CarLinkIt dongle for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto or using The EasyCap dongle to connect any Cameras.

NOTE: The Companion kit is not an amplifier and therefore will not power your speakers.

NOTE: Brainiac MK2 plastics are designed for the non-navigation version of the Nissan 350Z.

The "Cubby" style navigation configuration will work with our plastics. These models have the same pick-up/connection points as the standard dashboard.

The MK2 350z kit includes everything you need to securely hold one of the following tablets in your dashboard for a sleek OEM like look:

Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite 10.4" (2020/2022 Model P610,P615 / P613, P619)
Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd Gen)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1" (2019 models T510, T515, T517)

What's in the box:

1 X Front magnetic tablet surround for a clean look
1 X Tablet cradle and support structure to hold your tablet securely in place
Assembly Screws
Zipties for Cables

Notes:

Plastics kit does not include stereo electronics.
Passenger facing surfaces are painted and color matched to interior silver trim
Tablet is not included
For a quick visual reference to determine if you have the 02-05 or 06-08 style of dashboard please click here

Introducing MK2

We've been listening to lots of feedback and have now created a version that is painted with an interior trim color matched satin silver and produced as a Plastic Injection Molded face plate.

MK2 provides additional design updates complete with a sturdy magnetic face plate that allows for easy access to the tablet installed in your dashboard.

Installing Brainiac Plastics

We've pulled together a video to show the step-by-step process of installing the MK1 Brainiac plastics into your 350Z which is no more difficult than performing an aftermarket stereo installation.