This is a discussion on Started CarPC project within the Interior Mods forums, part of the Tech & Modifying & General Repairs category; Started setting up my carpc project yesterday. Used an old battery charger to power the dc-dc power supply, after trying ...
Started setting up my carpc project yesterday. Used an old battery charger to power the dc-dc power supply, after trying to use an old computer's power supply, which wouldn't work for some reason. The battery charger worked great, and I was able to finish putting the system together and install the operating system and drivers for the motherboard, touch screen, wifi, and gps. Don't mind the margaritas, it was "Margarita Thursday" at my house... lol.
The plan is to finish setting up the system, then pull out the interior of the car, install sound dampening and run new speaker wire to each of the four doors from the trunk. I have Alpine Type R components for the doors, and a 12" Alpine Type R sub, with two Alpine amps, a mono for the sub, and a four channel for the speakers. I have 100sq ft of sound dampening to play with, which should be more than enough to do the trunk, doors, and floor pan. I have a zero gauge power wire to run to the trunk, where I'll have a capacitor and distribution block to power the amps and computer. The computer's power supply has an amp remote turn on lead, and I'm going to be getting an external usb sound card to use to run inputs to the amps. The touch screen will be mounted in the dash in the factory head unit location, and I'm going to relocate the DVD-R/W drive to the center console, as well as install a usb hub there for thumb drives and the like. I also have a waterproof GPS antenna, that I'm going to be install on the roof, and a usb wifi adapter that will go on the rear deck, next to the rear windshield. The computer is going to be mounted upside down attached to the bottom of the rear deck inside the trunk.
Last edited by Cyanolum; 03-17-2007 at 10:46 AM.
Computer specs so far:
VoomPC-2 mini-itx CarPC enclosure
M2-ATX 160W intelligent DC-DC power supply
VIA EPIA M10000 mini-itx motherboard with 1ghz cpu
BU-353 weather proof gps receiver
Xenarc 700tsv 7" LCD touch screen
Slim type Sony DVD R/W drive
1gb Crucial DDR 3200 RAM
120gb 2.5" notebook hard drive
Belkin USB wifi adapter
A few more pictures of the amps, sub, sound dampening, and carpc enclosure.
Nice implementation! I had a mini-ITX in my old WRX, and loved it, though I didn't have a touchscreen. Which software are you going with? I've been fascinated with RoadRunner over at mp3car.
--Ray
Grandfather of the Bugeye Mafia
Proud owner of a N.E.R.D.
I've downloaded RoadRunner and played with it a little, I like it so far, so we'll see how it goes after I actually get it installed in the car and use it for a while. I've been working on getting the GPS navigation software set up and tweaking the computer settings. I've downloaded MapMonkey and am working on getting it installed and updated. I used windows xp as my operating system and am trying to get my bootup time under 30 seconds. After I installed all the drivers and software, including RoadRunner, I was at 70 seconds. I'm down to about 45 now, but I'm pretty sure I have tons more room for improvement. I have my last shipment of parts coming in today, with the rest of the speakers for the doors and some misc cables and wires. I'm sure I'll run into a few things as I get it all installed in the car, so I wanted to get all of the parts together before I started. I'm very close to a walmart, a bestbuy, and advance auto parts, plus I have a good collection of misc stuff laying around, so I should be good to go once I get started. All I need is to get the weather to cooperate, it's pouring down rain today.Originally Posted by RayfieldsWRX
very nice, keep us updated. i want to do this eventually too, though i'm probably going to use the pc audio out to the kenwood head unit route.
About 6 months ago I did pretty much the same thing but i used the infiniti sub which is prettty small and it has the amp in it. I also am just using a small computer which is in my trunk but i still havnt strapped everything down to well so when i take turns to sharp it all fly's around my trunk. it's a little ghetto right now but it runs fine and takes about 25-30 seconds to start up. i'll send u pictures if you want and let me know how urs comes out
wow
This is something i've always wanted to try....bout how much does it cost to setup and are you gonna put a USB dvd drive up by the drivers/passenger seat so you can play cd's & dvd's without having to go to the trunk???
02 debaged bugeye with a Magnaflow Axleback, Perrin Dp, Samco IC pipes, APS Inlet, Perrin Fuel Rails, Tien H-Techs, Cobb Sway Kit, Whiteline Endlinks (Front & Back), Omori Boost Gauge, & Stg 2.....It's a good start
I've spent a good bit on all the parts.
Alpine SPR-17LS 6.5" component speakers $120
Alpine SPR-13C 5.25" Type R speakers $90
Alpine MRP-F250 4 channel amp $200
Alpine MRP-M650 mono amp $300
Alpine SWR-1242D 12" type r sub $200
Custom made sealed 12" enclosure $100
IA Performance speaker adapter kit $60
Absolute 1.8 Farad digital top capacitor $55
Two 50 sq ft rolls of sound dampening (Fatmat?) $130
Kicker PKD1 0 gauge dual amp kit $130
CarPC $700
7" touchscreen LCD $400
So far, all I've had time to get done is sound dampen the trunk and back seat area and build the PC. I've spent a good bit of time setting up the software and such so it's ready to go once I get it in the car. Tomorrow I plan on sound dampening the doors and running new speaker wire and getting the speakers installed. The hardest part is going to be mounting the LCD in the dash... I haven't really put any effort into getting a plan together for that. Oh, and I definitely plan on installing the DVD drive up in the cabin once I'm done, I just have it in the PC case right now so that it's not another loose part hanging around.
i just ran a usb wire up to the glove box and connected it to a little dvd rom and it just sits in there. it plays cd's and dvds and it works pretty well. its not bloted down or anything because u have to pull it out a little to put a cd in and the just slide it back in place but i'll take some pics soon
Got the rear doors sound dampened, ran new wires from the doors to the trunk, and installed the 5.25" Alpines using IA Performance brackets. I used a wire clothes hanger to run the wires through the stock rubber conduit.Overall it was pretty easy. The only problem I had was fishing it out of the pillar on the interior of the car, the side impact air bag sensor is right in the way, and after taking the bolts out of it, I couldn't get it unplugged to remove it, so I had to work around it. It took me maybe a total of something like two or three hours, I took a lunch break so I don't know exactly.
Sometime in the next couple of days, I'm going to do the front doors, including running two pairs of wires for the components, I don't want to mount the crossovers in the door.
damn that is sweet
Why not? Theres a perfect spot for them under where the door buldges out for the armrests.
Mainly because I just don't want to, but also because I want easier access to them, and I have been thinking about going to an active crossover in the future, and I'll need the extra wiring then anyway. I figured I might as well run two sets of wire into the door while I have it apart.
Hi from the UK. Always like to pop into this forum to see what you guys from across the pond are doing.
Here is my 95% finished CarPc project - www.wrx-carpc.co.uk
Hope it helps with a little inspiration.
Steve
Posting Permissions
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks