In dash MP3 holder

I like taking my MP3 player in the car, especially on long trips.  The problem is there isn't really a good place for it and I don't especially like it laying on the dash on the rubber mat that it came with.  I've tried a couple of those holders but just haven't found one that suits me.  Either the player doesn't fit or there isn't a good mounting system.  I've seen one that I like but can't find it in the stores.

I bought one the other day and I acutally liked the way the player fit in it. Problem was it had 3 different mounting systems. 2 of them were the vent clip type and that's not what I want. The other was a "T" shaped piece of metal with double backed adhesive, but I didn't want to stick it on the dash and there wasn't really anyplace else for it.

There is a recessed place in the dash of the car, and what I really wanted was something that would fit that hole and have a place to mount the MP3 player on the front of it between the AC vents.

I just thought that would be the best place.  Passenger and driver could both see it plainly, and it would be convenient enough that you actually might be able to work it some while driving without having to hold it, and still keep your eyes on the road because you dind't have to look down, but there wasn't anything I could find that even came close to doing what I wanted.  Plus I wanted something that wasn't permanent, and wouldn't damage the dash, yet fit tightly enough that it wouldn't vibrate, move around or fall out...like something that was under tension like a spring.

So I started looking around to see if I could find anything that might...

And I found this stuff:

Which looked like it had some potential.

So I made a few changes.

(p.s. springs are tricky to weld as they tend to burn up pretty easily and require a lower setting and this is not something I learned from the book)

and came up with the (above) which fit the hole (below)

Which left somehow getting the bracket attached.  Double sided, padded tape was an option, and I thought I had some but I couldn't find it and didn't want to buy something I thought I had.  Velcro was another option but again I thought I had some.....

Anyway the bracket came apart and after some thoughtful drilling and some black paint...

there was this:

Which all translates into this:

and this:

I think that's just what I had in mind when I started, and that is a good thing.