Car PC

[f1anatic]

I am gonna try and make this the most authoritative Car PC thread on Legacy GT forums; linking to past attempts and other threads as well as offering advice on how to do one for yourself.

Obviously don't expect my work to be on par with either West Coast Customs or Unique Autosport...Heck not even Car Boutique of Schaumburg, IL but it is reasonable to say I came across most hurdles and since I have done most work myself - I have gained some knowledge. What I have done is neither the best and I hope nor the worst job one could do and like most people, I worked on a budget.

First - if you want in car navigation - the easiest and cheapest way is to get an aftermarket portable navigation: Garmin; Lowrance i-way; Tom-Tom - there's so many of them that you lose track of all those names. Some have big hard drives that allow you to store music, movies; they're portable and easily moved from car to car and certainly is theft-proof since they can be removed from sight whenever you park the car. Maps are easily uphgradeable...and I have not even scratched the surface for the list of advantages. Some disadvantages include usually listening to music/navigation thru an FM transmitter which is a pain in urban areas; small HD; small screen among others.

But what if you are a music buff and have 10 gb of music ? Or perhaps you spend a lot of time in the car that you probably want more from your car - perhaps ability to play DVDs (DANGEROUS) to your kid while driving; watch TV or need a back-up camera ? Perhaps you want to monitor some car parameters? Or you simply hate cables and things hanging from the windshield (which is illegal anyways in some states) ? What then ?

There are always a number of aftermarket manufacturers of extremely good navigation/car entertainment packages: Pioneer; Kenwood; Eclipse; Alpine and many of us have gone that route. They cost about 2000 dollars when done and certainly do the job better than anything else you will ever be able to squeeze in a car.

The alternative to aftermarket navi solutions is building a Car PC which has several advantages:
1) highly customizable (choice software, hardware)
2) ever improvable
3) cheaper to build
4) bling factor ? Think that Windows XP logo in the middle of your dash

I chose a Car PC because I wanted to try some unique features (navi, multimedia, TV, camera, OBD-2) that would have been pretty expensive to implement using the aftermarket infoteinment options available.

There are a few websites as well as a few threads that one should become familiar with, before attempting such a project.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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VENDORS
www.mp3car.com (http://www.mp3car.com/) The mothership: will have EVERYTHING from the knowledge database to the hardware and software to purchase.
www.newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com/) For most computer cables, USB hubs, adaptors and everything else in between.
www.xenarc.com (http://www.xenarc.com) Makers of the Xenarc Monitors
www.mini-box.com (http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl;jsessionid=ac112b1f1f43f9396af1e8ca4a46b21790 0af383dfa2.e3eTaxiNaN0Te34NaheQc34Sbx90?sc=8&category=101) Car PC Automotive Computing Solutions
www.logicsupply.com (http://www.logicsupply.com) Another great store for your micro computing needs (cases, drives).
www.gnetcanada.com (http://www.gnetcanada.com/lcd-7-in-dash-vga-touch-screen.asp) 7 inch motorized VGA in dash display
www.globalsources.com (http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/In-dash-car/p/sm/1002731230.htm)In-dash Panasonic Car LCD Monitor
www.autonode.com (http://autonode.com/xdpi107b.html) 7" 1-DIN In-Dash Motorized VGA LCD Monitor
www.digitalww.com (http://www.digitalww.com/store/proddetail.asp?prod=DWW700M) Yet another 7 inch in dash monitor
www.usglobalsat.com (http://www.usglobalsat.com/category.asp?catid=13) USB GPS units
www.tigerdirect.com (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=1919&msg=1937598) USB touchpad controllers (also available from Newegg)
www.3dconexion.com (http://www.3dconnexion.com/products/3a1d.php) Neat Space Navigator controller (to replace the mouse/touchpad) for your Car PC - similar to the I-DRIVE (BMW) or MMI (AUDI) controllers (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826154009)
www.ccstick.com (http://zoran-horvat.de/ccStick/) Neat controller like AUDI's MMC or BMW's M-drive button for your Car PC
www.rallitek.com (http://www.rallitek.com/inparebr.html) JDM, AVO, Rallitek (call it what you want) Clock Relocation Kit for the 05-06 LGTs

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2005+ Subaru Legacy GT Car PC Projects

Stage3Legacy's install - MP3Car.com Forums (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=73485&highlight=subaru+legacy)

JiMb0's install - Subaru Legacy Forums (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46829&highlight=carputer)

foobark's install - Subaru Legacy Forums (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17966)

NSFW's install - Subaru Legacy Forums (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1992851&postcount=2)

Seberry's install


Bezel (http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/400638837lHBGTW?start=0)

f1anatic's install


This is my thread and I cry if I want to. My install spans quite a few posts.
The full condensed story posted elsewhere on MP3CAR.com
(http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/show-off-your-project/96961-2005-jdm-spaceship-subaru-legacy-gt-install.html)
This is my alternative to the Rallitek/AVO clock relocation kit for the 2005-2006 Legacy GT (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51533)
My command center: touchpad, radar detector remote ctrl and start-up/shut-down (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1000103&postcount=140)
My laptop hack - modding the OEM powerbutton (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=984678&postcount=79)
Screen fabrication - intermediary steps (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=950779&postcount=5)
Overcoming hurdles of screen removal once installed (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=964327&postcount=54)
The screen mods - final pictures with everything assembled (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=993459&postcount=90)
Generic Before Picture (http://images.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0502_03z+2005_subaru_legacy_gt+dashboard_view. jpg)
The source of inspiration (http://mysite.verizon.net/legacygt/image/Picture_015s.JPG)


BMac1203's install


Bezel & Trunk Enclosure (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1088298&postcount=414)

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3 Solutions for an AUX input for the 2005-2006 Subaru Legacy GT


Buy a 2007+ unit. It will fit. It will play MP3s. It will have an AUX-IN (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50364)
mvigneau's Aux-In Solution for 05/06 (Soldering Req) - No Silent CD (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71387)
jazzymt's Plug 'n' Play Aux-In mod for 2005/06 radios - With Silent CD (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18504)


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Budget: $,$$$

f1anatic's cost breakdown: $1,000

Xenarc 700 TSV touchscreen monitor $400
Toshiba Staellite 3005 (with bad monitor) 1 GHz, 512 Mb RAM; 60 Gb hard drive $0
BU-353 GPS receiver $80
Front end Software: Centrafuse build 4.5 (c) 2006 $120
Navigation: iGuidance v.3 North America (c) 2006 $0
plenty of USB cables; one long VGA cable; 2 USB Hubs $50
Serial to USB adapter (for OBD-2)
Hauppauge USB TV tuner $0
Carnetix smart startup-shutdown controller $100
Tactrix Open Port for engine monitoring $120
Jazzy MT aux input to the OEM headunit $80
Adesso USB touchpad $50

If the cost is $0 it means I already had the unit or the software purchased prior to starting the CarPC project.

NSFW's cost breakdown $1,500
My cost breakdown, to the best of my recollection:

$500 laptop
$400 screen
$250 bezel fabrication
$40 120v inverter (will toss this and use a 12v power supply some day)
$35 auto-on module
$50 (?) for a very long VGA cable (10ft or 12ft I forgot)
$130 for iGuidance software w/ USB GPS
$80 Tactrix OpenPort 1.3 OBD2 cable (no longer available, the 2.0 cable is $130ish)
Plus a couple of USB hubs ($15ish each) and a couple USB extension cables

I am not using the CarPC for music yet, only for GPS and engine monitoring.

You need to budget about 1300 dollars.
- Screen $400
- Computer $500
- Power Inverter $100
- GPS $100
- Software (front end & navigation - together or separately) $200

The prices are just to form an idea. At the time of print (29 December 2008) you can buy a BU-353 GPS from MP3CAR.com for $55 (http://store.mp3car.com/BU_353_Weather_proof_GPS_Receiver_p/gps-002.htm)
dollars. The screen that most of us have: Xenarc 700TSV is nowadays $365 (http://store.mp3car.com/Xenarc_700TSV_7_TFT_LCD_Touchscreen_Monitor_p/mon-004.htm) and the Carnetix Power Inverter precisely $100 (http://store.mp3car.com/Carnetix_CNX_P1900_DC_DC_Regulator_p/pwr-010.htm). Most of us have an older laptop somewhere around or can get either a new one like this EEEPC can be had for as little as 220 dollars on Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2034940772%2050001315&bop=And&Order=PRICE) but you surely can go overboard and spend a lot more. Navigation and front end software is another choice: there is the free Road Runner or the elegant, OEM-like Centrafuse which can be had from 125-250 dollars (http://store.mp3car.com/category_s/23.htm).

As you can see there is a lot of room for savings or spending when building a CarPC. You can easily overspend but you can certainly do it for 600 dollars. Listed above is just the price of the parts - tools and or custom labor performed by others is a different matter.
I wish you Great Success !
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Miscellaneous Threads here on LGT forums

Factory fit bolt in aftermarket screen, carputer, navi, video - Subaru Legacy Forums (http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31607&highlight=car)

The I just want to see pix of installs thread... - Subaru Legacy Forums (http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26426&highlight=carputer)

Dual HVAC, Double Din, XM, Back up Camera Finally Finished - Subaru Legacy Forums (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?p=874674#post874674)

How to remove the factory radio - PDF (http://www.trabbic.com/legacy/radio%20install.pdf)

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I will update this TOC as time allows.



About my system

Xenarc 700 TSV touchscreen monitor
Toshiba Staellite 3005 (with bad monitor) 1 GHz, 512 Mb RAM; 60 Gb hard drive
BU-353 GPS receiver
Front end Software: Centrafuse build 4.5 (c) 2006
Navigation: iGuidance v.3 North America (c) 2006
plenty of USB cables
Serial to USB adapter (for OBD-2)
Hauppauge USB TV tuner
Carnetix smart startup-shutdown controller
Jazzy MT aux input to the OEM headunit
Adesso USB touchpad with programmable buttons


I would like to thank all my forerunners in this field for inspiration and advice: Sebbery; Prelude/Stage3legacy ; Darkforx1; my Father who has lent me his tools and often a helping hand; the helpful people at MP3car.com.

[Legacy05GT]

Here are some specs of my CarPC:

DWW-700M motorized indash touchscreen
Via EN15000G mobo
MS-ATX power supply
Ampie/VoomPC case
1GB DDR2 ram
BU-353 GPS rec
O/S: XP sp2 n'lited
FE: Centrafuse
Nav: Microsoft Mappoint
Sound: Turtlebeach Roadie USB
Gamepad: Logitech wireless gamepad
OBDII: Tactrix cable
DVD: Slotload DVD-RW USB 2.0
Internet: Connection via Blackberry device (t-mobile service)

[HungHing88]

hey guys:

just a question, i would like to build a car pc in my ride, right now i have the kenwood ddx-7015, kenwood gna-510 navigation and the kenwood i-pod interface thing.

Just wondering what other stuff would i need to build the PC. any input would help??

peace
JP

[f1anatic]

FABRICATION

With regards to the fabrication of the clock relocation bracket for the 2005-2006 Legacy GT cars; I have discussed it here:
My alternative to the $ 200 relocation kit: peer critique plz. - Subaru Legacy Forums (http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51533)
Simply put it; I found the 200 dollar AVO bracket to be too expensive to be worth it. It depends from person to person but to me; my end result (UNPAINTED as of 15 Jan 2007) is acceptable.

With regards to the screen, the cubby on our cars is 6.5 inches long and the space between the HVAC ducts is something like 7 inches. The Xenarc monitor is something like 7.3 inches long so I ended up cutting the monitor's edges and upper corners to make it fit. This is the solution adopted by Prelude (see the MP3car link) but Sebbery decided to mount just the screen and the circuit board - fabricating a new bezel by himself. This way one does not cut thru the housing of the monitor. Regardless; the warranty on my 400 dollar Xenarc touchscreen lasted about 4 hours.

I must mention at this time that there are a number of other monitors such as Lilliput that are much cheaper but perhaps not as good as well as several in-dash monitors such as the Xenarc 700 IDT which is a mechanical flip-out screen - similar to most aftermarket navi screens. Unfortunately, the housing is about 8 inches long and there are plenty of hurdles in making that fit inside our dash. You may read at your leisure about it on the www.mp3car.com website. There are a few other in dash monitors available both 1 DIN and 2 DIN but for any in dash solution you will need the AVI 1 DIN/2DIN kit and will end up cutting in the dashboard. For some people it worked great using other "bulky" units (fweasel)...others like me were discouraged.

[f1anatic]

Here are my pictures but I will edit at a later time; to include Prelude's pictures - to make for a complete walk-thru. Mine just complement his.

The full set of installation pictures by Prelude are available here:
2005 Subaru Legacy GT install - MP3Car.com Forums (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=73485&highlight=subaru+legacy)

As you can see; I had to cut the edges off the housing of the monitor. I also had to cut the upper left/right hand corners; to be able to "lift" the monitor - and have access at the front panel buttons (these functions are also available thru the remote control)

I have modest goals in mind. The picture showing the screen already installed in the car represents my targeted end-result: Prelude's install (although he has since revised it).

[HungHing88]

my screen setup is the same as yours, but i just need some pointers as to what kind of hard drive and other parts to get??

Also, would it work with the kenwood screen that i have already in my car...

peace

[f1anatic]

It will most likely NOT work. I doubt the kenwood is touchscreen enabled thru a USB cable (as my Xenarc).

Keep reading as I will add to it. Since I use a laptop - I had to buy a 60Gb hardrive 2.5 inch format. But I believe if you build your own car computer you will need a different type of HD - still a 2.5 inch format. Look it up on the www.mp3.com website.

[darkfox1]

awesome collection of links and info. I'll see if I can't add a few things.

As a mention of hardware specifics..

The carPC/carputer/mp3car market has improved quite a bit in the last 3-4 years. As such theres a lot of stuff thats a TON easier now than before.

The two biggest factors in having a carputer would be heat and power.. Of course if you live in the south you know the interior of your car can get pretty warm in the summer months..

Because of these 2 factors, the miniITX motherboard platform is probablly your best bet with this kind of applciation. It is for the most part a normal motherboard, the I being that its an integrated CPU. This keeps heat and power down from other boards such as Matx that I have seen some other people use.

Another advantage would be that mITX boards are very small (about a 6"x6" square) and can be fit about anywhere if you have the proper airflow.

The easist thing to do obviously is to use an mITX case however (I'll dig through my bookmarks and link to this stuff in a sec) such as the "ampie" that mp3car sells (its also sold by another name elsewhere but I cant locate the website) This case, like most of the mITX cases is made of machined aluminum and has a very easy slide in/out design for the component board.

Ok.. I guess thats all I have on systemboards..

power..

You CAN run a simple a/c DV converter and run a small psu or laptop if you want.. but.. this is kind of the old way of doing things.. the best way to get clean power to your carputer obviously is to run a direct DC/DC psu. I run an M1-ATX. It offers standard power on/off like a caraudio amp, but also has a jumper setting on the psu itself to soft power your system in 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 minutes, and on up.. I was disappointed it did not have a 15 minutes because Ithought that would be best.. but 30 works fine too.

The M1-ATX is only about 90w, but when you use an mITX form factor motherboard, its generally more than enough power. The exception being if you run a 3.5" harddrive, cdrom, and lots of usb options, you may need to go with something larger.. or a usb hub thats powered to take the load off the psu.

I wired mine through a relay switch directly to the battery with accessroy on the ignition. Baiscally, if the relay is on, when the car starts the pc will boot. Once you turn the ignition off, the pc will keep running until the preset jumper time, then soft power the system down. The 5v rail will continue to run so usb devices will still have lights and whatnot on them, but the PC will not be on. The power consumption on just the 5v rail is relativley low and isn't a problem for long stays, but its best to power the system down yourself and hit the relay before going in at night or any time the car will sit for days just to make sure you can leave when it comes time to do so.

When talknig about wiring the legacy.. theres no real easy way to get wiring into the cabin.. the grommets are all ill placed it seems for under hood and cabin routing. What I wound up doing for my direct battery run was running through the grommet thats about... 8-10" above the turbo on the passenger side. This comes through behind the a/c system.. but fishing it in with a coat hanger proved that it would eventually show itself in the floorboard. I then routed it under the carpet into the kick panel and down the door jamb like any other wiring.

Some of this is redundant.. especially considering the kind of person to do this kind of thing generally knows this already, having done their own audio installs n whatnot in the past, but if this is going to be a complete post, then I figured I'd add what I can.

Placement...

You saw in the links in the 1st post some legacy installs and some PC placement ideas. I originally had mine mounted to the back of the center fold down armrest trunk thing.. it was the perfect size for the carputer and made working on it very easy. The bad thing about it was short of screwing into the arm rest.. there was no easy way to mount it.. using velcro proved to.. well.. beat my harddrive to death.. I later moved it in place of the spare tire well foam tool bag thing.. I traced the foam tool cup on some ply wood, and went over it with the saw, belt sander etc. until it fit. I then put some wood on the sides of it so that it would support the floor. I drilled holes in it, ran screws in from the bottom and put peices of rubber hose between the computer and the board on the screws for shock mounting. This.. plus the spare tire.. seems to hold it well in the hole. I had planned to paint mine but I got carried away and before I knew it it was in the trunk working heh. The good thing about this is.. no trunk space wasted! no visible carputer to steal! it snot under the seat so detailers and the dealer wont bump it with a vaccume or passengers kick it. the bad thing about it is its a small enclosed space that can easily turn into stale air.. and that the mufflers are on either side of the well, making it hotter than the rest of the trunk. I compensated this by getting 2 small fans from newegg.com.. they each do about 11cfm and make no audible noise when the car is running. (small vibrating noise when the cars off)

Dash and Screen..

Ah yes, by far the most frustrating difficult and important peice of your carputer.. the part that makes the difference between "uh.. you did that yourself didnt you?" and "WOW! you did that yourself?!" unfortunatley.. with the perhaps permanent hiatus of my project for a bolt in solution for this.. as far as I know there are currently no projects going on for any buyable drop in kits for the screen. This leaves you with a few options:

1. fiberglass. If you're good at fiberglass, you already know you can make anything with enough time and patience. The easiest way to do fiberglassing would be to start with the factory non-navi cubby trim. This is because theres less cutting to do (just 1 small bar in the gap) and theres alerady a botom lip. You may find it best to build up the other lips in this bezel to sit the screen back some for visibility. Also, all the bezels position things at a very slight angle towards the driver, so.. that should work out well too.

2. Navi bezel and custom brackets. This is what I was trying to do.. an unmodified navigation bezel with a drop in bracket kit that fits your aftermarket screen. You'd just take apart your 700ts/tsv, drop itin, and assemble it then push it in your dash.. But.. we wont go into that. Using the navi bezel you quickly learn things are tight behind the cubby and between the a/c vents for your 7" screen. The benefits of the factory navi bezel is that its already formed, theres no paint matching or excessive fiberglassing work, this is really a better choice for those of you who dont want to go the fiberglass'd look. Benefits aside however, there is a slight disadvantage in that the factory navi bezel is ~6.5x3.75 and the screens viewable area generally is 6.5x4. This means you have a small amount of vertical cutoff that is the exact size of the taskbar in windwos XP @ 800x600 on a Xenarc 700tsv. this means if you watch anime or something thats sub'd, you will only get half the words, you may not know how much health you have in doom etc. But.. you can adjust this of course within your touchscreen software (such as roadrunner.. adjust your skin.ini to fit the new visible area) and you're on your way.

The biggest impact on your install about this viewable area however is not just what you can see.. its how you mount the screen. In our first design of the drop in kit, we basically burned out one of the screens touch controllers. If you put pressure in a rectangle around the touchable areas of the screen, it overwhelms the touch controller and smokes it. so. if you plan to use this method it is MANDATORY that the screen only have pressure in the mounting brackets on the outer edges of the screen where xenarc held it in their case. You can probablly just build a shelf.. and stand the screen off with small rubber bumpers on each of the 4 corners so your pressure comes from the housing and not the bezel.

3. fold out screen. I have seen this done in a few places.. I didn't really like the idea because of having to cut your cubby support bracket to clear a deep radio, and the look of the dash winds up looking like you have 2 radios. This method does work probablly the easiest out of the 3 however. As it is my understanding, you buy the cubby to din converter, chop out the supoprt bar in the back of the cubby, put in your brackets and buy a simple fold out VGA touchscreen (mp3car has one) and there ya go.. This is imo the easiest.. but least custom route to go.

theres other ways of doing this I'm sure, if you're doing a carputer project imo you already have some creative juices flowing and we'd all love to see what you come up with.

Screens..

I thought I should have a whole section to this.

You'll read a lot of opinions and information on mp3car about screens, but basically there are 2 major brands.. Xenarc and Liliput.

Some people have argued that Xenarc has a better picture functions and are more reliable, but the overall conclusion I have come to is that they are about equal in reliability. I went with Xenarc on my project and was designing the drop in kit based on one just.. because.. I didn't really have a reason other than I already had one, and it seemed most other people did too heh.

The Xenarc screens currently are not transreflective. This means that you wont be able to see it very well during the day.. you can compensate for this by offsetting the screen into the dash deeper whenyou do your install, window tint.. keepnig the moonroof cover closed, and using light colors in your daytime interface skin... Liliput does not make a transreflective screen either, however mp3car does.. The screen they use is based off of a liliput 627 (iirc, this is w/o looking) and is slightly larger than the xenarc in its physical dimensions. The transreflective upgrade makes a CONSIDERABLE difference (check out their store and watch the video) during the day for visibility. One of the things I really wanted to do was switch to a transreflective screen in my car.

The Xenarc screens run about $400 new for the TSV, I think 350? for the TS. The Liliputs dont seem to go as high, hovering around the $350 range. The transreflective screen.. is $679.. its considerablly more expensive, for considerablly more visibility.. I should warn you now that this carputer project can VERY quickly eat money if you dont keep a tight leash on your imagination and "gottahaveit" factor.

OK, link time

www.mp3car.com mentioned several times.. an endless knowledge base of anything and everything you may want to do with your carputer from the practical to the outrageous, you wont ever need to post in the forums there if you are good with your search parameters (and they dont like to reply to repeats.. speaking from experience :P)

http://www.mini-box.com/ A great looking place with some cool ITX parts, motherboards, cases, looks like from visiting the site just now they're actually selling LCD boards now too.

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=93 Link to the Roadrunner faq in mp3car. This will contain the download links and any question you may have about the software. Theres other software including mediacar, but iirc roadrunner is open source and therefore a lot more customizeable.

I think thats all I can add, I'm out of links..

oh yea.. heres one more

www.avoturboworld.com sells the information center relocation bracket.If you have non-navi and you're going carputer, you need this. In 05s you also need a wire harness fix (I'm sorry, we're sold out of them!!! :( :( :( ) as the 05s have an extra 2 wires that power the airbag light. Without the wires the airbag light stays on in your dash.. we're not clear on what it'd do in an accident. 06s.. you dont need to worry about the harness.

The info center relocation bracket is designed for RHD cars, so you will need to take a dremel to it It's fairly easy to do, just line it up,I used a whiteout pen to make markings where I needed to dermel to and just went to town, the whole process only took about 30 minutes.

One last thing..

www.subaruparts.com part # 66060AG07A this is the 06 navigation trim bezel. part # 66060AG05A is the 05/06 cubby bezel. Both of them include the a/c vents.

Hope this helps, happy modding!

[TSi+WRX]

My small contribution - integrated Valentine 1 radar-detector, "V1 Virtual Display" software:

http://www.exitzer0.com/

:)

[f1anatic]

With regards to the clock relocation kit.

There is NO need to splice the wires. I found out that if you just "delete" the plastic push-pin bracket that currently holds the clock/trip meter assembly attached to one of the walls under the dash, you are able to extend it enough downwards to make it reach the new location. I am not sure now if you are able to make it work with the AVO relocation kit since I mounted mine at a different angle. I believe either way you will have to cut thru a certain plastic tab to accomodate the harness. I have a few pictures but they are at home. Will attach it later to this thread.

Bottom line, I was able to do move the clock/info meter
http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=935062&postcount=1
without cutting ANY wires; using the original harness. I did cut thru the aforementioned plastic bracket though - which seems less detrimental than say cutting the dashboard support pillars as in the case of the AVO single DIN. To be more precise: I carved a portion of it - the bracket is still there and I did not affect the structural rigidity of that "assembly" - I just took away a portion of it to practice this passage for the harness. It will be more clear when I post the pictures.


With regards to the mounting of the PC and the power source: I wholeheartedly concur with Darkfox1. I chose teh Carnetix DC-DC smart controller with similar features as the M1/M2-ATX unit that he described. I am a firm believer in as many safety nets as possible. I would NOT recmmend wiring your computer or monitor directly to the battery ... and not even the cigarette lighter - even if that is fused at the car and fused at the cig lighter itself. This being said, my power source is "fused", connecting to the cig lighter (the dashboard one) with another fused thingie...and the cig lighter source itself is fused in the main fuse panel. I hope I would rather burn a few fuses than a 400 dollar touchscreen.

I will attach my power source unit in the trunk, hanging from one of the screws under the 3rd brake light. The source itself
http://store.mp3car.com/photos/PWR-010-2T.jpg
is ventilated by a fan and will have the entire trunk space around it filled with air, to ensure adequate cooling. And the more powerful (more wattage) it has: the cooler it will work.

I will mount the laptop in a little custom plastic box: will attach a 12v fan to complement its existing cooling capacity and dampen vibrations with some foam. I will attach to the back wall of the trunk with velcro (at least this is the current thought). Obviously a built in pC is better but the laptop was available to me free: it is a pre-assembled package and I find having a battery an advantage since I can be sure the computer will shut down nicely even if I just yank the key out of the ignition. Sure the battery will only hold charge for like 15 min but that is plenty of time for the software to turn off the computer / or make it hibernate.

With regards to the screen, obviously one of the reasons I chose to modify the original housing is to prevent excessive tap force being applied to the screen and burning the controller. As I said - and look to the pictures again - I just shaved the edges off the housing - the rest of the components will fit right in and the entire housing will be assembled back with the OEM screws. Takes some accurate measuring and a steady hand at using the Dremmel (do not try after a night of heavy partying) but nothing too dramatic that one cannot handle.

[f1anatic]

I was looking at replacement controllers
http://www.logitech.com/lang/images/0/13815.jpg
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2769,CONTENTID=12771

but 1 lb ? No way !

[f1anatic]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.asp?Image=26%2D152%2D010%2D02%2Ejpg%2C26 %2D152%2D010%2D03%2Ejpg%2C26%2D152%2D010%2D04%2Ejp g%2C26%2D152%2D010%2D05%2Ejpg%2C26%2D152%2D010%2D0 6%2Ejpg&CurImage=26%2D152%2D010%2D02%2Ejpg&Description=ADESSO+GP%2D415U+Black+4+button+%2B+4+ programmable+hotlinks+Buttons+USB+Wired+Glidepoint +Touchpad+%2D+Retail
this is what I have right now
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/26-152-010-02.JPG

[sebberry]

Hey F1, great thread!

When I put in my Sirius receiver I took out my screen and put my cubby back temporarily while I overhaul my carputer setup.

I will post up some pics as the project progresses, but essentially I am ditching the laptop in the trunk in favor or a Single Board Computer that has an embedded Celeron 600, 512 MB ram, audio, etc... all on a motherboard about the size of a 4x6" sheet of photo paper.

I am in the process of designing a case out of Lexan (Polycarbonate sheet) that I will then make and install under one of the seats.

I think this will make for a much cleaner, albeit slower than my laptop install.

[darkfox1]

oh yea, the fuses, I kind of left that off sorry. I have mine fused at the battery, just before the relay, and back by the carputer, fusing is a good idea and I certainly agree, you would much rather blow a fuse than a touchscreen. heh, btw.. your xenarc cig. lighter plug has a fuse in it.. but the a/c adapter does not.. if you use the a/c adapter at all for the screen and something is wrong.. it will fry the screen. I'm speaking from experience there :P

sebbery, is that still an ITX mobo? I haven't seen any that small, I'd like to see pics of that that would be very cool. I have heard that plexi is not a very good material for cases by the way it handles heat, but I dont recall any technical explanation on that one.

oh yea, for keyboard and mouse I got a small all in one RF keyboard called a "scorpion" apparently.. its a rebadged no name into another no name lol, but it has a full feature keyboard with an analog stick like a psx controller has to use for mouse pointer. It works very well if you just cant get your fingers on something on the screen. but you need to keep the receiver close to the keyboard or you get a lot of interferance (from my experience) I got it from www.pcalchemy.com he sells a lot of them there, mostly for HTPCs I think.

[AKLGT]

awesome thread! I think I'm going to get rid of my current set up and just start all over again from scratch. the screen, PC, all of it.

Have you seen the new Toshiba 7" units? or the Sony's?? I may have to bring my bezel into Best Buy and see how it'd fit...

[f1anatic]

I have some trouble getting the OBD-2 feature to work with Centrafuse. I use the Cobb AP with a serial-to-usb converter. The solution is good enough for TARI DataLogger (it works). Nighthawk and I tried for 1 hour to make it work tonight and to no avail.

Display Name - OBDII
COM PORT - COM4 (for me, the same port used by the Tari Racing Software)
BAUD RATE - 9600 (we tried the lowest, the highest - did not work)
OBDII DEVICE - ELM 320,322,323 or ELM 327 (which one; tried both did not work).

In the end, all it did say was connecting. But it was saying that for far too long, with engine running...so I know it did not work. Advice needed. Thanks.

[sebberry]

Ok, the photo is of the motherboard next to a 4"x6" sheet of photo paper, and the drawing is what I have come up with for a case. I hope I have made it small enough to squeeze under the passenger seat. The hard drive goes under the motherboard.

Here is a link to the MB: http://www.advantech.com/products/Model_Detail.asp?model_id=1-1TGZQW&BU=ACG&PD=

[drcaveman]

Ok, the photo is of the motherboard next to a 4"x6" sheet of photo paper, and the drawing is what I have come up with a case. I hope I have made it small enough to squeeze under the passenger seat.

Here is a link to the MB: http://www.advantech.com/products/Model_Detail.asp?model_id=1-1TGZQW&BU=ACG&PD=


Did you use Solidworks

[sebberry]

Yes, only took me about 6 hours... I had never used the program before, did the first couple of tutorials and then designed that :)

EDIT... hmmm.. just got me thinking.. since the lexan sheet is .093" thick, I have used some fairly precice measurements in this drawing...

I have a feeling that somehow hacking it up with a jigsaw and dremel isn't going to produce quite the result I expected.

[NSFW]

Awesome thread.

Sebbery, you can get acrylic laser-cut to your specs pretty cheaply from www.pololu.com - that only gets you 2D panels, but with some tabs and slots you can build boxes with panels that fit together like a 3D jigsaw puzzle, and clamp it all together with standoffs between two opposing panels. It's a neat fabrication technique, I've built a couple of non-car-related projects this way.

[f1anatic]

Seberry...how are you gonna cope with the heat ? Are you going to put a fan somewhere ?

[sebberry]

Seberry...how are you gonna cope with the heat ? Are you going to put a fan somewhere ?

Liquid nitrogen :)


J/K...

Yeh, I haven't finished the drawing, so there will be a fan somewhere.

[bmc]

Moving my project to this thread
Original - http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52304

Man this is tough for a newb. Always a flaw to sand out or fill in. I'm pretty sure I need some real fine grit sand paper now to help get that real smooth finish.

Sebberry, what paint did you use? I saw it in a post somewhere but can't find it now.

Progress:
Epoxy
30637
Sanding Bondo
30638
Primer with screen and buttons inserted.
30639

[f1anatic]

Lol I was about to ask: what paint to use ?

I think FWEASEL once mentioned in qa thread about some graphite something color.

[fweasel]

Lol I was about to ask: what paint to use ?

I think FWEASEL once mentioned in qa thread about some graphite something color.
My installer used a texture base and then dyed the bezel with a color who's name means nothing really. It was mixed to match the OEM trim.

[bmc]

Has anyone used that texture base in a can? That would hide alot and probably be a good idea for me.

I'm pretty sure sebbery used a color out of a can that he said matched well.

[fweasel]

Has anyone used that texture base in a can? That would hide alot and probably be a good idea for me.

I'm pretty sure sebbery used a color out of a can that he said matched well.
Worse case scenario, sand it off if you don't like it. But you're exactly right, the texture hides alot and gets rid of some goofy shadows that imperfect contours can cause. It also helps the bezel match the rest of the OEM trim. Those pieces are covered in that goofy rubberized stuff and it looks different than a well sanded glass/bondo job. The texture really helped my bezel look more OEM rather than really good.

[bmc]

Settled, I'm trying it. I'll start looking for a can of something that kind of matches. Thanks.

Do you have a picture that you could post of yours?

Nevermind, found your post with pics. Looks good.

[sebberry]

I actually used a can of rubberized bumper spray for the base coat for the textured look, let it dry, sanded, another coat, let it dry, sanded... then a coat of grey ish dupli-color paint to finish. It came out quite well.. not perfect but it almost looks like it belongs there :D

And now that I think about it, I should have fabbed the buttons into mine too... I hooked up the IR sensor to use the remote, and you guessed it.. misplaced the remote :(

[bmc]

Thanks sebberry, I'll try the bumper spray and duplicolor.

Intially I didn't want the buttons but knew that I would need them for the same reason. I don't think it looks as nice or OEM with them there but will be easier for me in the long run.

[prelude]

Great thread!
I have purchased the DSATX DC-DC power supply and upgrade my sound card from an old PCI Sound Blaster Live! to SB X-Fi XtremeMusic.
I am extremely happy with these two upgrades, a nice and juicy power supply with shut down controller gives you the worry free car pc experience that requires no extra switch to worry about, just use your ignition and your car pc “embedded” into your dash became one of OEM equipments. (not really, but people don't know your car may think so!)
The sound card upgrade gives more details to the music, sounds much better!
I will try to post some recent works on my carpc and post some pictures.

[vwremglx]

Nice work.

I added a CarPC to my Legacy within about of month of purchase last spring. It's my second time installing a car PC. It came out pretty good, but it's overkill for what I need. I took it out and now just use my ipod with a drive-n-play and the gps on my WM5 phone. I'll probably throw it all back in once the weather warms up, it's fun to play with.

Here are some picts from my screen install using the same xenarc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vwremglx/sets/72057594081021697/

[FishingFiend]

This is a great idea, but I'm puzzled why more people don't hack a macmini into their cars? Some cars can have the slot load in the dash!

[f1anatic]

Wow the thread is picking up pace.

I will make a call again for all of you that have made OBD-2 work with a CarPC to share their knowledge.

(Thank you Legacy05GT; let me know how it goes as that is the ONLY thing I still have issues with)

With regards to the paint, as of yet I am undecided if I want to paint just the inside of the bezel flat black or try to match the color. Otherwise, I have since added Bondo in a a few key places and have drilled a few more holes in the back of the Xenarc housing (for cooling purposes). I wanted to put a mini-fan there but it is probably overkill. I probably increased the open/cooling surface area by 300% at least - should be enough.

[noam]

Just wanted to add in some comments from my install...

Mounting the computer...

My method was to remove my backseat and attach some plywood to the frame sandwiched between the backseat (which is just foam) and the fabric you see in the trunk. This allowed me to attach the computer to something solid but still keep it vertical and out of the way.

Running power...

I was lazy and didn't pull power directly from the battery. I just piggybacked on some existing circuits. Just make sure you choose a good one (I chose the radio as it had a large circuit and not much draw on it). I haven't had a problem yet in ~ a year of use.

I have a master on/off switch mounted in my center console (next to the 12V power port) which cuts the always-on power feed from the computer. I use the M1ATX for my power controller.

For powering the screen, I pull a power feed from the computer back up to the front of the car. This ensures I'm getting a conditioned power stream into the display. I've had it both ways and it does make a difference.

Keyboard...

I bought an expensive keyboard/mouse combo that can fit in the glove compartment for those times I need to actually use a keyboard. I have a spare USB plug sitting inside the shifter trim. In my old car I actually did a flush mount USB port, but I haven't had the energy to do it yet.

Software...

I'm using the beta version of Centrafuse and iGuidance for my navigation. I'm very happy with the combination.

I can't think of anything else that hasn't already been mentioned...

[f1anatic]

For those of us using Centrafuse front end software: (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=996700#post996700)


f1anatic -

I looked into the Accessport devices, and while they do support the OBD-II, I can't find anything that says they use the ELM chip to do it. If this is the case, then no, we do not yet support that device. It's a similar device to the VAG-COM I believe, which has OBD-II but is implemented using a different processor. We currently only support the ELM chipsets. A good device we can recommend is the ElmScan 327, which supports all versions of OBD-II plus the new CANBUS protocol. It can be found here: www.scantool.net (http://www.scantool.net/)

hth
reagan
__________________
Flux Media
www.centrafuse.com (http://www.centrafuse.com/)

LINK (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=996700&postcount=2)
So I believe that Accessport cable may NOT be used as an OBD-2 reader device for a Car PC, probably irrespective of the front end.

[noam]

So I believe that Accessport cable may NOT be used as an OBD-2 reader device for a Car PC, probably irrespective of the front end.No... The fact that centrafuse only supports the ELM chipset doesn't mean others don't support other chipsets.

[NSFW]

Someone has reported success with using the AP cable to do logging with Enginuity (just not flashing), so built-in support for the display/logging via the AP cable is technically do-able. If you run Enginuity on your car PC, you're set; otherwise it's a question of whether or not your front-end vendor chooses to support the AP.

[bmc]

Some more progress. I just need to find a good color and something to make texture. This is what it looks like primed anyway.

Bezel Primed
30816

Mounted LCD
30817

All put together (The flash blows..)
30818

RoadRunner (Again the flash blows..)
30819

[noam]

Looks nice.

[fweasel]

bmc, the bezel looks amazing! A good color match and a little texture will push it over the edge.:icon_bigg

[Fat Charlie]

Subaru doesn't sell spray cans of interior paint? It'd be a crime for such a good looking fab job to wind up looking "almost" right.

[BMac1203]

Way off topic, anyone know the part # of the stock bezel (with the clock radio etc) Looking to do the fabwork as well...

[sebberry]

Does anyone have any details about how much space is available under the driver and passenger seats (power, limited)...

I want to install the carputer under the driver seat and keep the passenger side open for the oem sub if I decide to get that one of these days...

[sebberry]

Way off topic, anyone know the part # of the stock bezel (with the clock radio etc) Looking to do the fabwork as well...

Not off topic at all! :)

I think this is what you are looking for, but the price seems considerably lower than what I paid over a year ago when I got mine, so check with the dealer

http://www.subaruparts.com/cart/?pn=66204AG01A

[f1anatic]

Fabulous work bmc
I got a little more work left to do since I figured the way I attached the monitor to the bezel made the antire assembly WAY TOO RIGID and if I ever need to work there again; I will have a world of trouble. I am surprised none of you gave it any thought - how easy will it be to extract the entire assembly once you have it in place ? It is not easy to remove the OEM one to start with; now with less flexing - I bet it will be a struggle.

Otherwise - fab work. Groovy results BUT something about that Red Road Runner skin is wrong. Maybe your car is red but to me it looks wrong. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so do not worry about my last statement.

Sebb - not that much space. Apparently Weasel fit a box under that seat but I know my laptop will not fit.

Anyone found any skinny VGA cables somewhere ? I ordered one on Newegg and I got one back that I could easily pull a car out of a ditch with it: thick like my finger. I am at my wiring stage and I am pretty concerned with how I am going to hide everything arfound the car. Any advice ? I am so not pulling out the carpetting to hide underneath.

[darkfox1]

I was trying desperatley not to post at work, but.. I failed :( thats awesome work! I agree, painting it however is going to be hard.

I tell you something I thought of tho a while back..

I had this idea when I started my carputer project that I'd make the bezel out of fiberglass.. then go to a screen printing place (iirc.. www.exoticwooddash.com (http://www.exoticwooddash.com)) dont shoot me if thats spam or a wrong url or whatevefr cos I didn't verify it at all and is totally from memory.

anyway.. what I was gonna do was take the trim off my shifter, the 2 sides of the radio/ac, the fiberglass'd bezel, the 2 side a/c vents, and the 4 small woodgrain/silver peices on the doors, and have them all screen printed in a matching woodgrain/marble/carbon fiber/aluminum look finish. This would GUARANTEE that it matches everything else in your car.. because you re-did everything else in the car. The problem I ran into was cost, this was going to run close to $500 iirc, more for me cos I was buying replacement parts for trim instead of using my stockers. the biggest problem however was the fact that you cannot buy just tghe small trim peices on the doors.. butthe whole door panel itself.

Take that for what you will, but its an idea of mine that i'd like to share incase anyone feels compelled.

Another thing would be to buy a stick on wood dash kit for the stock cubby that trims the outside of it.. and paint the insdie a flat black.

sorry.. wrong link

try these guys it says "custom dipping"

http://www.bitrim.com/euroleft.htm

its not the one I had talked to.. but theres lots of palces that do it, just dig around on google for a while with "custom wood dash" or "wood dash dipping" or something and you should be able to find a couple.

[one69chev]

^^^not post at work, how else are u gonna get thru the day?

by actually doing work, man i gotta try that...my productivity level would skyrocket...

and to F1, nice work as always, i am impressed by your ingenuity......

[f1anatic]

^^^not post at work, how else are u gonna get thru the day?

by actually doing work, man i gotta try that...my productivity level would skyrocket...

and to F1, nice work as always, i am impressed by your ingenuity......

+ 3. Thank you Sir. Certainly you are quite right with regards to the first 2 counts.

[BMac1203]

Anyone found any skinny VGA cables somewhere ? I ordered one on Newegg and I got one back that I could easily pull a car out of a ditch with it: thick like my finger. I am at my wiring stage and I am pretty concerned with how I am going to hide everything arfound the car. Any advice ? I am so not pulling out the carpetting to hide underneath.

We need an electrical engineer here. Does anyone know what is the minimum gauge wire you need to carry video and audio signals? If you don't need Monster Cables to carry the source, why not get some connectors and wire and make the cables yourself? I was thinking of this myself...

[bmc]

Wow, thanks for the compliments everyone.

I agree that finding a color will make or break this. I think I've been to every store that sells paint in a can and I haven't found anything that I think will work. There is a website that you can submit a color code to and they will mix the paint. I'll have to find it. Is there a color code for our interior?

f1anatic - Agree, still trying to find the right skin. There seems to be only a few decent ones. Found this http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=93192 which has some cool features or maybe this if I can make a subaru logo http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=70502.

You also have a good point about removing that thing once it is mounted. The plastic epoxy has a lot of flex but the bondo doesn't.

[darkfox1]

I made a subaru logo based skin based on the one you have in the pic a while back.. I might still have it if you're interested.. I also have my current skin which needs some minor work but imo, makes a nice presentation if you could see it for the sunlight.. heh

it'd take me some time to dig them out, but if you're interested I'd be happy to share.

oh yea, and on the issue of cabling.. in a sedan, its no problem, pull the rear seat out, pull your console out.. the max under carpet pull is about 8".. its very easy to do, we used a stiff copper wire like you get for house wirting and taped the wires to the end for the short pull, you can't feel or see them under the carpet. for a wagon.. well my best guess would be the holes in the carpet around where the seat mounts or cutting a small hole under the seat? never looked in a wagon actually so I can't say.

man all this talk about this stuff makes me wanna get mine working.. but its just a money pit! I cant be dragged back into this project! lol

[AKLGT]

bmc, great idea w/ the bezel! i have mine done for now. it'll be a project i'll return to at a much later time i'm afraid. i actually busted it out on sat when i was doing the sti swap... needed the serial port for the AP.

[f1anatic]

At home I am bringing video signal to my PC via a CAT-5 network cable. Soldering the RCA (white, red, yellow) to the CAT-5 tiny wires is challenging to say the least...but once I did it, it was easy to just extend it using a network cable connector. But the VGA cable has so many pins...I am not sure...

I do not mind sharing my Subaru logs - they are not mine - but I painfully collected them thruout the years - and some of them can be used in Centrafuse as well. Just let me know if you want them - PM me your e-mail address in that case.

One the issue of attachment of the monitor inside the bezel and subsequently removing the bezel if say a cable is loose ? I engineered some little metal bracket which I can grab onto with a stiff metal wire and pull towards me. I would insert the wire thru the holes in the vents - perhaps a picture will explain it better. Also notice the extra cooling vents.

Obviously I am a little slow since I am spending so much time with the fabrication - but I am trying to make a complete job; making life easier for later.

[darkfox1]

One the issue of attachment of the monitor inside the bezel and subsequently removing the bezel if say a cable is loose ? I engineered some little metal bracket which I can grab onto with a stiff metal wire and pull towards me. I would insert the wire thru the holes in the vents - perhaps a picture will explain it better. Also notice the extra cooling vents.



that is a fantastic idea. You really dont want to have to pull this out any other way.. you could risk damaging it or your dash or both. When I dove into mine people said "it just pops out" I didn't beleive them at first.. then I broke my original cubby getting it out.. (the little ears that hold it on the top) , what you're doing sounds almost exactly like how ford holds their radios in... only.. different, just make sure you have a STRONG wire to hold onto, you dont want it bending.

[f1anatic]

I know a thing or two about Ford Taurus radios...

I am also "shaving" off 1mm of the 2.5-3mm off those little "ears". The way you pull it out in the OEM form assumes you can stick your hand inside the cubby and flex the bezel around a little. Now...it is both stiff and have no way of grabbing it - hence I had to find a solution to a certain future problem.

[sebberry]

Looking at the screen head on, you can pull it out by grabbing onto the portion of the vents that is closest to the screen. It pops out pretty easily. I was worried about pulling it out too, but it isn't much of a problem. I think it flexes more now that the cubby isn't in the bezel so it doesn't grab on as tightly. I do one end at a time.

[sebberry]

Darkfox, you tried to get the Ampie case under the passenger seat, right? I think I recall you saying that there was 1 or 2 mm too little clearance on the top? How much room was there to the sides and front and back of the case if you recall?

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding where to put the USB ports on my case (it is a seperate header on the MB with a cable, the ports aren't soldered right onto the board) and the power supply I want to use is bigger than I thought, so I either want to make the case bigger to accomodate that or use a seperate power supply, which I would rather not do.

I still want to know where you got those clock relocation kit harness pins for the extra wires I bought from you... I want to see if I can get some more and also the white connectors so I can integrate my video, USB and power into one easy to release connector instead of having seperate wires for everything.

The Molex mini-fit connectors all suck as they require much too much effort to snap in and out, the Subaru clock style ones are so much nicer.

[BMac1203]

Has anyone tried making their own case (ie one that will fit under the seat), out of acrylic or something? I'm thinking about it, it will be cheaper than a $75 case, and I can make it fit to my needs...

[darkfox1]

sebbery mentioned making one out of plexi/lexan. I have heard lexan is a poor substance for cases because its not good at letting the heat dissipate, but its easier to work with than other matierals. Depending on where you mount it.. you may not even need a case really, just some kick guards heh

sorry, I dont remember the seat fitment, I have power seats so it may not have been me, I can barley fit my hand under mine heh

iirc, on the information relocation kit, I think the company was sumitomo.. but its an american distributor. I dont know the name, but I'll ask someone who might rememeber it.

[BMac1203]

Yeah, i was thinkin plexi. Ive worked with it before, you just need extra fans. I have power seats as well, looking at mounting in the trunk.

[sebberry]

I just ordered this: http://www.opussolutions.com/index.php?p=product&id=26 to power my motherboard.

I was going to attempt to squeeze the PSU into the case for the MB, but I think it will be easier just to keep it seperate. I want to make the case as small as possible.

[BMac1203]

I decided to go with Plexi/Acrylic. Using a 60mm Stealth fan for cooling, I'll update soon.

On another note, where did you guys tap into for power, ground, accessories (the red/black/white wires from the PSU's). Please be descriptive or point me in the right direction. Thanks!

[darkfox1]

my power ran straight off the battery, and grounded to the chassis (ground loop may be an issue with this method, cant say for sure) and to feed accessory I tapped the cig lighter + in the dash for the one tha twas in the ashtray.. it only works when the car is on accessory so its the perfect place considering you're in that place like mad setting this all up anyway.

I had ground loop, and I played with all kinds of solutions, direct to battery, into power system, into chassis, I eventually had to use a ground loop isolator which fixed all the problems, but at a small cost of sound quality.. as to whether or not it was a noticable difference.. thats up to the listener I suppose as I didn't hear one.

[BMac1203]

Fair enough. Yeah, I got Jazzy's Aux-In "Pro Kit" that has the ground loop isolator, so I'll be running that. Is there anywhere that could be tapped inside the car for +12v power, so that I don't have to hassle with getting wires through the firewall? It's no biggie, had to do it with the boost gauge, but more time consuming. I saw someone use a fuse-tap on mp3car.com I think, but not really sure how that works...

[darkfox1]

oddly enough theres not a lot of CONSTANT power in the car, its very strange as I've rarely seen this. the only thing I know of that works when the car is off would be the horn, parklight switch and uh.... I think thats it. theres gotta be a hot in the column, but ya gotta ask if its worth it to pull off that, you may also be able to pull from a spare power outlet in the fuse panel but I dont know if one exists heh, sorry I'm not terriblly helpful on that one.

[BMac1203]

Not a problem, where'd you run your wires through the firewall?

[darkfox1]

oh theres yet another fun thing! lol supposedly theres something in the driver side but I was unable to find it.I wound up running the wires through a large grommet up above the turbo on the passenger side by the top of the wierwall. It comes into the cabin BEHIND the a/c ducts.. I was able to push the wire in far enough taped to a pre-bent coat hanger to force the wire to curve down to the point that I could grab it in the passenger floorboard and re-route it to where it needed to go. I ran it down under the console instead of in the door jamb.

[BMac1203]

That's the grommet I use to run my Boost line through, but then I took it out hah. The only issue I have with that grommet is that it's somewhat of an eyesore when the hood's popped; its difficult to disguise the wires.

[BMac1203]

Installing my CarPC tomorrow, any suggestions or pointers for me? Greatly appreciated...

PS. It's gonna be about 15-20 deg's outside :(

[sebberry]

Dress warmly :)

[BMac1203]

Hah thanks. Unfortunately I dont have the patience to wait a few months until it gets warmer. (Upstate NY)

[sebberry]

I have given up on my custom case for a while, maybe I will get around to it when I can find the right tools to make it with (I don't have a place I can have a tablesaw at :( )

I picked up a plastic enclosure at the local electronics store that I will use for now.

[f1anatic]

I am having trouble matching the paint....I will have to paint the entire bezel.
And I will do it flat black.
I am having weather related delays myself...we are expecting around 0 F meaning some -20C over the week-end.

[BMac1203]

I actually got my paint to match pretty much 100%. Ill take pics today. I also made some little innovations that some might find useful/to their liking.

[sebberry]

I am having trouble matching the paint....I will have to paint the entire bezel.
And I will do it flat black.
I am having weather related delays myself...we are expecting around 0 F meaning some -20C over the week-end.

I went to my local Canadian Tire (dunno what would be equivilant there) and got some dupli color spray paint. Also, some spray on bedliner for trucks will give it a nice texture. It won't match the dash, but it will hide any of the imperfections left behind from bondo or whatever you use to smoothen it all out. Believe me, when you paint any sculpting materials like bondo, any imperfection will show up, especially with a darker color.

Spraying on a texture of some sort will help to hide this, and make it look a bit better.

http://www.duplicolor.com/products/autospray.html

[sebberry]

Woo hoo! got my Opus power supply today...

Fvckers at UPS charged me $40 in brokerage fees! <Insert triple angry face>

[bmc]

I actually got my paint to match pretty much 100%. Ill take pics today. I also made some little innovations that some might find useful/to their liking.

What did you use?? I have been trying to find something that matches for some time now but haven't found anything. I bought some flat black and have been really close to just using that. Did you paint yours f1anatic?

I really haven't made any progress. We just had a baby girl last week :icon_bigg so needless to say I've been pretty busy. I don't think I would have done much anyway with this cold weather. The propane heater I have doesn't stand a chance heating up the garage when it is single digits.

[f1anatic]

Congrats on your baby.

It turns out that the bezel originally had some kind of varnish applied to it...and if you attempt to put primer over, the primer will dry out with creases and wrinkles. So this shit happened like 3 times already - I spray the primer I see the wrinkles...I let it dry, I sand it down, put Bondo, sand again...this cycle took quite a bit. Espec since we're dealing with insanely low temps here in Chicago and things don't dry out quite quickly. I made my decision to use a black paint that matches the bezel of my Xenarc (remember, I kept the Xenarc bezel in there, unlike you guys who wanted just the screen itself).

My greatest success comes in terms of wiring my laptop. I soldered a wire to the pulse/momentary switch on the laptop. It is not for those faint of heart...soldering required mad precision since the smallest mistake could disable the laptop/computer for good. Ran a wire to the outside (I made a knot so if by mistake I try pulling it, I will not break the solder), soldered to a stereo connector ...and another stereo connector will be soldered with a longish wire to a momentary switch inside the cabin. Now really all I have to do solder the rest of the wiring system and I am good to go... but these freezing times...freeze my advance...

[BMac1203]

First, HUGE congrats on your baby girl!

Second, oddly I didn't have any problems with wrinkling, and I didn't even pre-sand the parts that I didn't bondo before priming (and I primed it when it was 10 degrees out). My only problem was that my 3rd coat of primer actually FROZE instead of drying. So I had to sand and do it again.

And, I haven't matched the texture, but I have pretty much matched the color. Oddly, my color match came from Black sandable primer. I primed it with sandable gray primer, and then "painted" it with black primer (I say "painted", because I used primer).

I'll have to take some pics maybe today. I got the install done, and it looks OEM. Also, I wired my IR-Receiver for the remote inside the left vent. You can't see it and now you can still use the remote!

[TSi+WRX]

We just had a baby girl last week :icon_bigg so needless to say I've been pretty busy.

Just watching this thread. :)

Wanted to say congrats! :)

[fweasel]

It turns out that the bezel originally had some kind of varnish applied to it...and if you attempt to put primer over, the primer will dry out with creases and wrinkles.
Its more of a rubbery coating. My installer removed the vents from the bezel, sanded the rubber coating off, and then sprayed primer, texture and dye with no issues. This was of course after trying to apply primer to the stock bezel surface and getting the same ill-effects as you.

[BMac1203]

Hmm....that's really weird. Unless my primer was somehow a SuperPrimer and bonds to all surfaces. I just didn't have these issues.

[f1anatic]

I got a pretty close charcoal grey colour from Pep Boys to match it. I gave up on black.

Now I am working my magic with the mute button (radar detector); PC remote power on button and the touchpad controller ...and making it all fit nicely on the center console.

[BMac1203]

Good luck man!

[sebberry]

I had to sand the rubbery coating off too :(

I REALLY wanted to find something that would match that same coating. I'd love to keep it stock looking and feeling :(

[alphabit]

I know that some body shops when they have a hard time painting some surfaces they use dish soap to clean it first. (now if you already knew this please ignore)

[BMac1203]

It's true, dish soap is a cheap DIY version of the special "Oil and Grease Remover" that you can buy.

[alphabit]

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/bmwpc/ < -- Take a look at this might be useful for what you guys are doing.

[f1anatic]

:icon_mrgr
Funny Weasel...whatcha thinkin' ?

[rc0032]

:icon_mrgr
Funny Weasel...whatcha thinkin' ?
I cant wait to see this :wub:

I want one, how much

[f1anatic]

The fabrication is a "slut". A bitch wouldn't quite be indicative. But who knows...I may be talked into selling it.

I am yet to mount the PC in the car...but the hard shit is over. You should see the control panel that I am making...complete with on-off switch for the pc, laptop touchpad and radar detector mute button.

[rc0032]

Not how much to build one for me but how much for the components? I would like NAV and don’t need all of the other bells and whistles

[NSFW]

Looks great.

[fweasel]

:icon_mrgr
Admiral...whatcha thinkin' ?
Too much sheen on the bezel paint. Hit it with 0000 steel wool to knock a little glare off it. It will be distracting in the sunlight, IMO.

Fab work looks excellent, you've learned a thing or two since your info display relocation days.

[fweasel]

Not how much to build one for me but how much for the components? I would like NAV and don’t need all of the other bells and whistles
You don't want those worms, or the can they come in. Buy a Nuvi, schlap it in the cubby and walk away.

[f1anatic]

Too much sheen on the bezel paint. Hit it with 0000 steel wool to knock a little glare off it. It will be distracting in the sunlight, IMO.

Fab work looks excellent, you've learned a thing or two since your info display relocation days.

I thought you ultimately found my display relocation decent.

Yay Rich, it is a money pit, a time waster as much as it is a proof of automobile coolness. If you just want Navi, get an external unit.

[BMac1203]

I thought you ultimately found my display relocation decent.

Yay Rich, it is a money pit, a time waster as much as it is a proof of automobile coolness. If you just want Navi, get an external unit.

I think it depends on how much pre-planning you do. I spent about $850, and I'm pretty much 100% content.

I fabbed my bezel ahead of time, and instead of leaving the buttons on, I covered them up for a more OEM look, and I mounted the IR Receiver in the left air vent. So I have no buttons, but full function of the screen (point anywhere near the screen/air vent and bingo). My screen is auto-on, so I dont need buttons.

I fabbed a wire harness, 15' of all my USB, VGA, Audio (w/Ground loop terminator), Power, Ground, and Accessory. Zip-tied it all together, and ended up with a 15' plug and play wire harness.

Then I mounted all my components to a piece of plexi/acrylic using motherboard standoffs (because plexi can be static & conduct elec.).

All in all, I spent about $850 on parts. I spent 4-5 hours on fabricating and painting the bezel (was extremely happy with result). And I spent about 2.5 hours installing it in my car, including the JazzyMod Aux-In kit. It looks OEM, all wires are hidden and run under carpeting, etc. To me, I spent about 4 days on it, and I'm done....hah :icon_mrgr

[BMac1203]

And....will be offering pre-fabbed bezels for the Xenarc 7" and both Lilliput 619 and 629 7" Models soon.:icon_wink

[Meltdown07]

Looks killer F1!! Nice work again!

[darkfox1]

great work on the screen mount.Its important that someone carry the torch on a buy-n-bolt-in kit for this stuff to really bolster the project. If you make one, I would suggest contacting the guys at mp3car.com to see if you can work out a deal to sell through their site as well.

I'd also be interested ot know how close you got that paint to match your factory bezel finish. thats why I was trying to build an unmodified navi bezel screen bracket kit so that it would match factory.. because it was factory. But it was very very diffuclt.

[BMac1203]

Well, I got mine almost 100%, just working on getting the correct texture. I'm currently working on a "buy-n-bolt" kit that you speak of, for both the Lilliput and Xenarc Screens. I am also working on creating prefabbed wiring harnesses. I am also tweaking the fiberglass sub box install idea, to put the CarPC into an OEM-looking Carpeted enclosure that will fit into either the driver or passenger side wells in the trunk (user preference). This will keep the trunk tray open for use.

I'll keep you guys updated.

Now, I just need interest in this project, so that I know how far to go with it.

My install only took about 2.5 hours, due to the fact that I had prefabbed all my parts to fit (Clip in bezel, tap 2 wires, run wire harness to trunk, mount pc in cubby, hook everything up, bingo). That install was by myself WHILE IT WAS SNOWING heh.

[f1anatic]

Well BMAC...not to sound mean...but how exactly do you think I am approaching this issue ? Why do you think it's been taking me so long ? Because when I decide on the install day, I just wanna dump everything in place in a few hours and be done with it. No more fiddling with it, no more doubts in my mind whether I would be able to pull the screen out of the dashboard if shit happens, everything modular, everything unified...everything plug and play.

I bought some dark grey (GM grade) paint from Pep Boys and a clear coat. I can provide the exact paint code when I get home. It may be indeed too shiny as Funny Sea Weasel suggested but it can be sanded down with extra fine sand paper or similar. I thought about painting the entire assembly black, did that, resented the looks and decided to aim for the darkest grey/charcoal/petrol look I can do commercially available within 5 miles of my house in 1 trip. I think it is a decent result.

[BMac1203]

Well BMAC...not to sound mean...but how exactly do you think I am approaching this issue ? Why do you think it's been taking me so long ? Because when I decide on the install day, I just wanna dump everything in place in a few hours and be done with it. No more fiddling with it, no more doubts in my mind whether I would be able to pull the screen out of the dashboard if shit happens, everything modular, everything unified...everything plug and play.

I bought some dark grey (GM grade) paint from Pep Boys and a clear coat. I can provide the exact paint code when I get home. It may be indeed too shiny as Funny Sea Weasel suggested but it can be sanded down with extra fine sand paper or similar. I thought about painting the entire assembly black, did that, resented the looks and decided to aim for the darkest grey/charcoal/petrol look I can do commercially available within 5 miles of my house in 1 trip. I think it is a decent result.

f1anatic, I really apologize. I honestly didn't mean anything by my previous comment. Especially not pointed at you. I'm just an optimistic person, and want to help everyone do this. I think there's a lot of people that want it, but aren't willing or don't trust themselves to do the work. Again, I didn't mean to offend you or anyone. AND, I think you did a great job.

[f1anatic]

No bro you did not offend me in the least bit.
It would be cool if you could offer these people a solution for Lilliput / Xenarc screens - something that will not require lots of fabrication. I just don't see myself getting into this mass production business any time soon.

[sebberry]

I think it depends on how much pre-planning you do. I spent about $850, and I'm pretty much 100% content.

I fabbed my bezel ahead of time, and instead of leaving the buttons on, I covered them up for a more OEM look, and I mounted the IR Receiver in the left air vent. So I have no buttons, but full function of the screen (point anywhere near the screen/air vent and bingo). My screen is auto-on, so I dont need buttons.

I fabbed a wire harness, 15' of all my USB, VGA, Audio (w/Ground loop terminator), Power, Ground, and Accessory. Zip-tied it all together, and ended up with a 15' plug and play wire harness.

Then I mounted all my components to a piece of plexi/acrylic using motherboard standoffs (because plexi can be static & conduct elec.).

All in all, I spent about $850 on parts. I spent 4-5 hours on fabricating and painting the bezel (was extremely happy with result). And I spent about 2.5 hours installing it in my car, including the JazzyMod Aux-In kit. It looks OEM, all wires are hidden and run under carpeting, etc. To me, I spent about 4 days on it, and I'm done....hah :icon_mrgr

Post pics of the wiring, installation and case :D I'd love to see what you did. I will build a Lexan case sometime, just going to use an ABS project box for the time being.

[BMac1203]

No bro you did not offend me in the least bit.
It would be cool if you could offer these people a solution for Lilliput / Xenarc screens - something that will not require lots of fabrication. I just don't see myself getting into this mass production business any time soon.

Alrighty, yeah I just didn't mean to come off as I did. I think that if everyone had the ability to purchase a bezel with the craftsmanship of yours or my own, then almost anyone could do this on their own. I'm attempting to put together a Legacy "Kit" if you will, that will give the user EVERYTHING they need, minus the screen and the computer; so that the hard part is already done for them.

Not sure how many people would really be interested in this though.

[BMac1203]

Post pics of the wiring, installation and case :D I'd love to see what you did. I will build a Lexan case sometime, just going to use an ABS project box for the time being.

Unfortunately I'll have to dismantle to take some pictures, but not a problem, just most likely won't get around to it until this coming week.

My harness consisted of a 10' USB Extension cable, a 10' VGA extension, ~ 20' of 16awg wire for power, 15' of 16awg wire for ground, 15' of 16awg wire for accessory, 15' of RCA cables for Audio (with ground loop terminator from JazzyMod). All of this was electricaltaped and ziptied about every 6 inches.

[f1anatic]

B MAC, how did you run it under the carpet between the hand brake portion and the trunk ? Anything I should know before doing this tomorrow ?

With regards to the interest level; I think many people would love to do a car PC over a commercially available solution (think kenwood, pioneer, eclipse, alpine) for any number of reasons including price and versatility. However they realize the amount of fabrication - custom, individual fabrication - involved and they are not really educated about the project.

It is the job of people like you and I, darkfox, seberry and a few others to describe the process, write idiot-proof instructions and even assist with the fabrication. Indeed a car-specific bezel that can just be screwed in or glued to the space there and just take the "guts" of a xenarc or lilliput would make the car pc business really take off. until then...it is just an enthusiast hobby.

[BMac1203]

First, I took a wire coat hanger and cut it, so that I left one of the hanger's bends in. So you have a stretched out "V" with the hanger. Then, I lifted up as hard as I could where the carpet starts at the back seat, and started to route the wire under the carpet to the handbrake. It is difficult. Getting past the bend at the "hump" inbetween the rear feet wells is most difficult, becaust the wire hits this at a 90" angle, and you just have to push hard to get the wire to bend and continue moving forward. You'll see what I mean once you begin. Then, when the wire pokes out at the handbrake, pull it about 6-8" out, so that you have plenty of place to tape your wires to the hanger. I only left about 2-3" the first time, and I ended up pulling the hanger and leaving the wires mid-way under the carpet. Then, I did it right the second time. Be patient, and you'll get it.

And for the second topic, I want to do this for just what you say, to give the people that you speak of the opporunity to do this to their cars (not just a hobby anymore a reality). I spent about $850 total on my system, and it does so much more than an OEM Nav, and looks pretty darn OEM. I am working towards making these idiot-proof kits, so that we can trim the work time down to a quick saturday afternoon where anyone can do it.

And lastly, it was you, darkfox, and sebberry that inspired me only weeks ago. Who knew I would be so passionate as to start creating kits for others?

[sebberry]

Unfortunately I'll have to dismantle to take some pictures, but not a problem, just most likely won't get around to it until this coming week.

My harness consisted of a 10' USB Extension cable, a 10' VGA extension, ~ 20' of 16awg wire for power, 15' of 16awg wire for ground, 15' of 16awg wire for accessory, 15' of RCA cables for Audio (with ground loop terminator from JazzyMod). All of this was electricaltaped and ziptied about every 6 inches.


Ah, I thought you did something ultra fancy.

What I want to do is make a cable that uses only one connector. Modift the connections on the back of my screen to all feed into one recepticle, then have one cable and connector carrying everything... kinda like the larger connector on the back of the head unit.

Would be much easier to route the cable and reduce clutter in the already tight space behind the screen.

I just can't find any connections that are as good as the OEM automotive stuff.. it seems like everything requires a lot more force or is too big...

[Fat Charlie]

How many points do you need for a connector? I can do some looking at work.

[BMac1203]

Ah, I thought you did something ultra fancy.

What I want to do is make a cable that uses only one connector. Modift the connections on the back of my screen to all feed into one recepticle, then have one cable and connector carrying everything... kinda like the larger connector on the back of the head unit.

Would be much easier to route the cable and reduce clutter in the already tight space behind the screen.

I just can't find any connections that are as good as the OEM automotive stuff.. it seems like everything requires a lot more force or is too big...

I didn't do anything fancy for my personal install, but I'm working on a custom harness (with single connector) for the "kit" that I'm thinking about producing for us all.

[sebberry]

How many points do you need for a connector? I can do some looking at work.

Hmm... 15 for VGA (actually I think it only uses 13 of the 15)
5 for USB (I use a hub to connect the GPS and touch screen to behind the screen)
2 for power


Let's say 24-25 to make it a nice even number with a couple of extra empty pins for expansion.

The recepticle probably shouldn't be PCB mounted, that would make it a bit too complicated.

[BMac1203]

12 pinsI think for VGA (I think 3 arent used)

I was thinking about possibly using something like the ATX 24 pin Power Connector. Reason being, most of the smaller computer connectors (the Centronics or D-Sub connectors, for example) cannot handle the heavy signals such as power. On most of them, they can't handle a guage wire larger that 20-22 awg, which is very small.

But the big issue is, once you put this big connector on each end, it's going to be very difficult to pull the cable through/under the carpeting.

But I'm working on this, don't you worry! :icon_wink

[Fat Charlie]

Okay, so we're looking for two identical male connectors and two matching female connectors, 25 or so pins. I'm working tomorrow, so I'll look then. Hopefully I'll find something I like and be able to get them in on Tuesday. Hopefully I'll still like them after I see them.

If all goes well, I'll have pics and numbers for you Tuesday night.

[BMac1203]

Hey thanks, appreciated! Make sure that the pins can hold 16-18 gauge wire, with up to ~10 amps max.

[Fat Charlie]

Damn it, Jim, I'm a parts guy, not an electrician!




I'll talk to one of the techs. He'll make sure whatever you said.

[sebberry]

Hey thanks, appreciated! Make sure that the pins can hold 16-18 gauge wire, with up to ~10 amps max.

Hmm.. seems a little thick... I thought VGA and USB wires were smaller than that.

I'd recommend that you run the cables as they are and replace the connectors on the display end only. That way you maintain the proper shielding and also you have the proper vga connectors, USB connectors, etc... at the computer end so you don't have to make any changes there.

[prelude]

f1anatic,
Great job, got a question for you.
Did you try to put the whole bezel and screen thing back to car?
When I did my screen bezel fabrication, the back housing of screen cannot get in.
It gets too low.
please see attachment.

[sebberry]

f1anatic,
Great job, got a question for you.
Did you try to put the whole bezel and screen thing back to car?
When I did my screen bezel fabrication, the back housing of screen cannot get in.
It gets too low.
please see attachment.


That's what I was worried about too, which is partly why I took it out of the housing all together right off the bat.

[sebberry]

Alright, here is the case I am modding for the carputer. I couldn't get the USB ports in the case, so on the side they went! :lol:

Shown next to a coupld of bic ballpoint pens for reference :)

[sebberry]

12 pinsI think for VGA (I think 3 arent used)

I was thinking about possibly using something like the ATX 24 pin Power Connector. Reason being, most of the smaller computer connectors (the Centronics or D-Sub connectors, for example) cannot handle the heavy signals such as power. On most of them, they can't handle a guage wire larger that 20-22 awg, which is very small.

But the big issue is, once you put this big connector on each end, it's going to be very difficult to pull the cable through/under the carpeting.

But I'm working on this, don't you worry! :icon_wink


Yeh, the thing I have noticed over the many times I have pulled the stereo and trim out of my dash is that automotive wiring harnesses, wire routing, connectors, etc... adhere to a much better standard than computers.

In a car, wires are all cut to exact length, routed perfectly around whatever, tied down well, not loose and flapping about.. simply put - durable. Computers simply don't adhere to these higher standards. My hope for my carputer is that sometime I will get the install to look like it was from the factory. Not just my screen, but the wiring, connectors, etc...

I know, it is all hidden, but I know exactly how everything is sitting in my dash, and it bugs me that cables are too long, flapping about, etc...


Just some ideas:

http://www.delphi.com/manufacturers/auto/ee/connect/other/usb/

http://www.molex.com/cgi-bin/bv/molex/jsp/products/datasheet.jsp?productid=18198&BV_SessionID=@@@@0700875576.1171101865@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceaddkdjfmmmicflgcehedffgdfmk.0&channel=Products&Lang=en-US

[f1anatic]

@ PRELUDE; SEBBERY

The answer is a frightening YES. I did put it on the car. And comes out easily too. i shaved off most of the pins (upper, lower and sides (vents)) and practiced a little cut into the dashboard trim precisely where that vertical metal frame would be. My end structure is very rigid and the only reason I "shaved" the pins and cut slightly into the edge of the dashboard trim was to make sure this thing comes out easily if I even need to. I quite understand your concerns but I have that covered.

The role of that vertical metal beam is to provide support as well as bring the screen housing closer to this HVAC/cubby bezel. Unseen in the picture, is a piece of plastic that I epoxied on the lower horizintal edge of the bezel. This metal bar will have one end fitting into it then as you can see it is shaped to follow the Xenarc housing.

[BMac1203]

Yeh, the thing I have noticed over the many times I have pulled the stereo and trim out of my dash is that automotive wiring harnesses, wire routing, connectors, etc... adhere to a much better standard than computers.

In a car, wires are all cut to exact length, routed perfectly around whatever, tied down well, not loose and flapping about.. simply put - durable. Computers simply don't adhere to these higher standards. My hope for my carputer is that sometime I will get the install to look like it was from the factory. Not just my screen, but the wiring, connectors, etc...

I know, it is all hidden, but I know exactly how everything is sitting in my dash, and it bugs me that cables are too long, flapping about, etc...


Just some ideas:

http://www.delphi.com/manufacturers/auto/ee/connect/other/usb/

http://www.molex.com/cgi-bin/bv/molex/jsp/products/datasheet.jsp?productid=18198&BV_SessionID=@@@@0700875576.1171101865@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceaddkdjfmmmicflgcehedffgdfmk.0&channel=Products&Lang=en-US

The issue with the connector is the power. The smaller connectors can't hold the amperage or that gauge of wire that we require. So unless the power wires are a seperate connector, I don't think it can be done in a smaller connector.

[sebberry]

Sorry, that molex link didn't work. Do a search for this part number 43025-2400

That should be fine for powering the screen as it only pulls about 10w at 12v...

The other thing is that people will have different methods of powering their computers, so you wouldn't want to include computer power in the connector.

[BMac1203]

That's very true. Well, if I'm not powering the computer, it just got SUPER easy heh. I've been working on a custom fiberglass enclosure for the PC today. Should be about halfway done or so tomorrow. Ill let you know how it goes.

Now I just need to find carpeting that matches the trunk's OEM carpet. Any ideas? I don't have any custom audio shops around me in NY.

[f1anatic]

Where would you guys mount a laptop in the trunk of a sedan ? And how : vertical or flat/horizontal. Are you guys giving a thought to the horizontal mounting as a sure way to kill your hard drive quickly ? (Ya know...the reading had of the hard drive crashing against the disks?) Are you anchoring it in some way to dampen vibrations ?

[BMac1203]

Laptop harddrives can really take a beating, I personally wouldnt worry about it. I have mine mounted vertical, and no problems yet. Depending on the size of the laptop, you may want to mount it on the tray under the door/flap to the tire compartment. I'll have to show you where I'm mounting my computer.

[f1anatic]

well I am concerned about overheating and besides, I have a full size (225-45-17) spare tire

[BMac1203]

When are you installing? If you give me ~2 days I'll show you what I'm working on, it might work out for you as well.

[sebberry]

When I was using a laptop, I had it on the trunk floor on a docking station, right behind my rear right seat.

I hated it there.. everytime I went to fold down the seat or put something in the back, it was in the way.

[BMac1203]

Yeah. Give me until the end of the night, or tomorrow, and I'll post pics of my new FB enclosure. It's coming out REALLY well.

Where can I find trunk carpeting (like subwoofer box carpeting), I dont have a local audio shop.

[f1anatic]

I am at least another 2 weeks away from installing. I am too busy to move any faster.

[BMac1203]

Good deal! Plenty of time for me to finish.

[prelude]

Where would you guys mount a laptop in the trunk of a sedan ? And how : vertical or flat/horizontal. Are you guys giving a thought to the horizontal mounting as a sure way to kill your hard drive quickly ? (Ya know...the reading had of the hard drive crashing against the disks?) Are you anchoring it in some way to dampen vibrations ?
This is how I mount the full ATX motherboard and hard drive, as you can see, I have my hard drive mount vertically with a layer of IBM mouse pad as to dampen vibrations.
It has been like this for few months. The hard drive was set flat/ horizontal before for almost a year. It is a 4 years old 80GB 7200rpm Seagate hard drive.
Not a problem at all.
Second picture also shows the DSATX power supply.

http://aycu17.webshots.com/image/6576/2000964438465282926_rs.jpg

http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/5531/2000905022801510168_rs.jpg

[BMac1203]

That's some serious gauge wire you've got there. Good work though! It's just funny though, because I'm running 18 guage wire, and it's working all the same. Nice install though!

[bmc]

I haven't checked in a while but looks like everyone is making good progress.

F1anatic looks great!

Sebbery, that thing is awesome! I haven't had time to read everything in the thread. Can you cliff note me on the specs of that?

I went ahead and sprayed my bezel with flat black primer and decided to not let the paint hold me up on the rest of the progress as I can always take apart and paint later. The flat black primer doesn't look all that bad anyway. I still have to figure out power for everything but temporarily used the the aux 12v for the monitor and ran the laptop on the battery. Really cool man. Using the LSXVoid skin for RR. If you haven't checked it out http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=93192 . I like it.

I still need to relocate the trip computer but I'm getting there. I pumped to see a touch of what it is going to be after building that bezel for so long.

31990

31998

31999

[BMac1203]

I sprayed mine with flat black primer as well, and I'm pretty darn happy with the result so far. I'm still searching for a textured charcoal, but I'll keep looking.

[f1anatic]

Hey peeps...
Hey 1st Matelot Sea Weasel...

What do you guys think of my control panel ?

USB Touchpad (mostly to avoid touching the screen and using the computer w/o the front end software)
red start-up shut-down button for PC
Escort Passport Remote Controller
inside (hidden) in the compartment there uis a USB hub with 3 ports open. When I add camera and OBD-2 functions I will use them. Either I will pull the cable from underneath or simply have it come out to the side, and go underneath the seat. Also inside there there will be the extra video/audio cables for the Xenarc. That compartment is otherwise compromised...(filled up with technology) but the armrest one is completely freePower for my 2 USB hubs (one in the above describes compartment and one next to the laptop, in the trunk) as well as the radar detector comes from the armrest cig plug. Power for the PC and the screen comes from the front.

I decided to not try to match the paint. Too much work. It is close enough for all practical reasons. Just like my monitor/HVAC bezel - a little on the shiny side but oh well.

As I said, I am just trying to work things out to my liking. It is not gonna be fancy like some of your stuff, but it is going to be functional. For sure...I am not counting on my Car PC to "pull wool" so as long as it is not very ugly, I am sure people will be largely ignorant.

[f1anatic]

BMAC, here's the stuff I used:

Dupli-Color Auto Spray
DSGM318 Charcoal Metallic
from Pep Boys 5 dollars

[fweasel]

for the love of god, or wood, or magic mushrooms, please square up the touchpad. It gives me vertigo.

[bmc]

Wow, well done.

I think I might miss the cup holder though. I have a long drive to work, and need a coffee holder :)

[f1anatic]

for the love of god, or wood, or magic mushrooms, please square up the touchpad. It gives me vertigo.

:lol: the taller they are...
Why don't you square up your monitor ? :icon_bigg

When I will be doen with this shit...I will sell the car. This piece of plastic, rubber and metal called Legacy has eaten up my money, time, energy like nothing else in my entire life so far.

[fweasel]

:lol: the taller they are...
Why don't you square up your monitor ? :icon_bigg

Done, used a T-square and the CRT geometry proves true. Your touch pad on the other hand.... I bet it looks awesome with the roll top cover closed. Anyway, looks good. Can't wait to see it in action.

[f1anatic]

the way I am finishing this up...by May it should be ready

[sebberry]

Sebbery, that thing is awesome! I haven't had time to read everything in the thread. Can you cliff note me on the specs of that?


Thanks :)

It is an Advantech SBC (Single Board Computer). The motherboard is just under 4x6" (there is a pic somehwere here with it next to a sheet of photo paper)

Celeron 650, 512MB RAM, CompactFlash slot for booting XP Embedded (Which I don't have, so I am just going to connect a hard drive and run XP Pro)

Ethernet, USB1, sound...

Nothing fancy, but perfect for music and GPS, hopefully. You can get them with higher end-P3's and I think other manufacturers make Pentium M systems, but those are pushing a thousand dollars just for the board.

The case is a project box I picked up at the local electronics store. I do want to make my own case one day, but I don't really have the tools for that at the moment.

[sebberry]

:lol: the taller they are...
Why don't you square up your monitor ? :icon_bigg

When I will be doen with this shit...I will sell the car. This piece of plastic, rubber and metal called Legacy has eaten up my money, time, energy like nothing else in my entire life so far.

Selling the car :(

[f1anatic]

naaah i will keep it

[sebberry]

I like the touchpad, but I would definately miss the cupholder.

[fishbone]

I've briefly looked over this entire topic.
I work in IT, I'm a tech. Been building and hacking systems for close to 12 years. I am very impressed with what I see here, it's clear to me that you guys are very informed, you know what you're doing and love doing this kind of stuff.
Me? I've barely had my LGT for less than a week, you could say that although the geek in me wants to start on such a project yesterday, the car simply smells too fresh still :) So I think this'll have to wait. Not to mention the fact that some hardware components cost quite a lot, such as the smart PSU controller. 80 bucks? Ouch! Don't know where all of you live, but for those that live in states which see hot summers and cold winters, I do have to question the level of stress the hardware undergoes, especially so the hard drive.
A hard drive's death is varying temperatures, repeated spin-up/spin-down cycles and so forth. A hard drive will last longer, for example, if ran nonstop than one which is constantly turned on/off, especially so in cold/hot temps. I can't even get myself to leave my iPod in my car, let alone a custom-built mini-tower. But if you guys have had luck with these set-ups, then I'm in no place to express my
skepticism :)
Having said all this, I'll chime in with advice from now on here and there ;)
Has any of you looked into the possibility of running much smaller devices for this very same purpose? For example I do know that some folks managed to slap various Linux distros on iPods which essentially turned them into mini-PCs. I'll have to dig for info, if I do start on such a project I'll keep everyone posted. One interesting "problem" would be to manage to hook up an external video output.
Check it out
http://www.ipodlinux.org/Main_Page
A ton of apps are available and more are continually added http://www.ipodlinux.org/Applications
I've learned now to take apart iPods with a hand tied behind my back and blindfolded. I've got a Mini laying around here somewhere unused. The challenge would be to figure out how to convert the little display ribbon to another jack/plug-in/whatever to be connected to a bigger screen.
So I dunno. Looking at such a possibility, it makes everything else seem an overkill.

[BMac1203]

I like the touchpad, but I would definately miss the cupholder.

Agreed

[BMac1203]

I've briefly looked over this entire topic.
I work in IT, I'm a tech. Been building and hacking systems for close to 12 years. I am very impressed with what I see here, it's clear to me that you guys are very informed, you know what you're doing and love doing this kind of stuff.
Me? I've barely had my LGT for less than a week, you could say that although the geek in me wants to start on such a project yesterday, the car simply smells too fresh still :) So I think this'll have to wait. Not to mention the fact that some hardware components cost quite a lot, such as the smart PSU controller. 80 bucks? Ouch! Don't know where all of you live, but for those that live in states which see hot summers and cold winters, I do have to question the level of stress the hardware undergoes, especially so the hard drive.
A hard drive's death is varying temperatures, repeated spin-up/spin-down cycles and so forth. A hard drive will last longer, for example, if ran nonstop than one which is constantly turned on/off, especially so in cold/hot temps. I can't even get myself to leave my iPod in my car, let alone a custom-built mini-tower. But if you guys have had luck with these set-ups, then I'm in no place to express my
skepticism :)
Having said all this, I'll chime in with advice from now on here and there ;)
Has any of you looked into the possibility of running much smaller devices for this very same purpose? For example I do know that some folk