My new carputer setup - 95% done! (pics inside)

I'm finally almost done! Ive been holding off showing pictures because I want it to be complete but I am almost there! I want to give a thanks to Rich (SrCsTc) for supplying me with the most amazing bezel I have ever seen. His craftsmanship is amazing and his help with the project was great! I would also like to thank 3onDubs for helping me with a lot of the technical stuff. Also a shoutout to mp3car.com for their help. No on with the pictures!
Please excuse the dirtyness of the car....i just finished working on it and need to clean it up!




Here is the button to turn on the laptop.

This is a keyboard for the computer.



The project was very difficult but fun to do but tedious....i integrated the sound through the stock HK amp until i have more money to update the sound system. I used the SVEN4 to do this...the rest of my system consists of the "Super Touch Screen" from ebay....Rich's Bezel....a vaio laptop.....small usb keyboard....usb radio reciever....garmin 18 usb gps system....4 port usb hub....lots of usb extension wires....iBus for steering wheel controls (amazing)
and much more....the whole install took days to do but I also worked in it in pieces....I am also going to be adding a DVD drive in the glove box...just need extension wires...if you have any questions just ask!

Very Very Impressive!!!!!! I just wish you did a DIY for us noobs who are to scared to try this out ourselves.

wow. awesome stuff man

how long is the start up sequence?

looks like a great project... DIY's are so fun.

Can you do a short list of everything you're capable of? And maybe a list of the basic logistics? How is it turned on? Wiring? etc...etc.

Originally Posted by Bim Growl

Very Very Impressive!!!!!! I just wish you did a DIY for us noobs who are to scared to try this out ourselves.

BIG

Your solution sounds like a great one. Seeing how when I go on road trips I use my laptop for navigation and what not it'd be awesome to have it fully integrated into the car.

A how to, list of features, and cost approximation would be much appreciated.

impressive.

Thanks everyone for your compliments...I will try and awnser all of your questions...
The bootup time is 34 seconds...yes...i timed it...but everything is on the startup menu...so when it is all booted up the song will automatically start in the place that I left it eaither when I shut it down or put into hibernate.

The wiring was somewhat complicated. To get the sound of the laptop to play through the stock stereo I had to use a SVEN4 from the output of the computer to the HK AMP. The wires from the sven had to be spliced into the input wires of the amp normally where the stock HU would send signals. I got lucky and found a diagram online that showed me what wires to tap into. THen the sound coming out of the computer into the stero was so low that I had to add a line driver. This amplified the sound to make it loud as it was orgionally.
My next problem was turning the computer on and off without going into my trunk each time. I thought of wiring a new button from the old one on the computer up to my cig lighter area, but the button on the laptop was a micro switch, so I had to solder the new button to the on/off micro switch board. Wasnt half as hard as it sounds. Then i ran the wire to the cig lighter and it was a perfect fit. All of the wires from the screen to the laptop go through the car right down the middle uunder the armrest compartment....I cut ino the floor and took some foam out to fit the bundle of wires I had and it fit perfectly back in...you cant tell where the cut in the carpet is.

To get the screen to fit where it is took some work. I had to get a new bezrel for the AC unit to move it down and to put the screen where it is now I had to cut away some plastic HU shelving back to make everything fit...
My origional plan was to keep the stock HU but it didnt fit in the glove compartment so I ditched it. The only reason for me keeping the stock HU was for the radio...but I bought a thing called Radio Shark witch is a USB interface to get radio to the laptop.

Im sure I forgot some stuff....so if you have questions just ask!

Edit: Oh yea...things it can do: Music, DVD player, AM/FM Radio, Bluetooth phone connection (not done yet), Wireless internet, GPS (my favorite) and anything else a laptop can do...the possibilities are endless!

too much unneccessary weight, it will slow u down in the corners

Instead of a separate power switch, could one just change the Standby/Hibernate settings in Windows? Example, my laptop when on battery will go to standby mode after a minute of not seeing outlet power and hibernate after 5 minutes off no power. If someone wanted to do your set up a little different would using those settings work fine?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by BMWPower06

too much unneccessary weight, it will slow u down in the corners

Yea I feel the drag with the extra 8 pounds!

That's awesome, very smart to do it with a laptop!

any concern about ambient temp and vibration, ie overheating it on a hot day, or skipping a needle on the hard drive?
cool idea though.

Wow, very Impressive indeed!!


-Rich

Originally Posted by mf9point8

any concern about ambient temp and vibration, ie overheating it on a hot day, or skipping a needle on the hard drive?
cool idea though.

I have no concern with the skipping, because the way I mounted it to the wall it as a sort of a coushin feeling...I have driven over some bumpy roads already and no problems. The temperature I am as well not that concerned about, but if needed in the summer time I will add a fan back there...very easy to do.

damn thats impressive

That's very nice and the interface looks great!

But, one question.

Instead of having to do that complicated wiring with the SVEN in order to get sound through to the stock HK system, why didn't you just purchase an aux. input kit for your headunit and hooked that up to your laptop speaker output with a 1/8" cable?

Not criticizing you or anything, just wondering why you didn't go that route.

Good job!

-Ken

Very Nice! I like the Carbon Fiber trim pieces. I'm using road runner as well with the same skin...I love how it starts up everytime exactly where you left off and how it fades each track into the next when you switch songs. Did you edit the skin file to get that red background? It looks sweet with the seats and the shift boot. How did you end up getting the screen to fit? It took me a bit of creativity to get it in there, but it looks nice once you got it. Rich's piece is awesome...i've been meaning to post pics as well, but I just keep forgetting. Great job though...

Originally Posted by Stevo759

I have no concern with the skipping, because the way I mounted it to the wall it as a sort of a coushin feeling...I have driven over some bumpy roads already and no problems. The temperature I am as well not that concerned about, but if needed in the summer time I will add a fan back there...very easy to do.

seems pretty well thought out, very clean too, well done.

Great work bro and Rich's bezel is the best out there. Can't wait to get my stuff in.

Charlie