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Carputer install...yeah baby! Update in first post!

Mk4 Golf 
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12K views 66 replies 31 participants last post by  GreenBeast 
#1 ·
Hey guys and gals...

been working on this for the last month and its finally installed

its a 1.3GHz AMD Athlon, 40gig hard drive, a 7" LinITX touchscreen, a 6 channel Infinity Amp, and Alpine components

heres a few build photos followed by the finished project

this is with old system ripped out and boot pulled apart, by this point all the cables are in the car (no pics of that boring process)

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my carpenter step-father helped me build the boot

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here is the screen bezel fixed in place with epoxy resin (araldite)

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here is the screen bezel bulked out with P40 fibreglass filler

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/screenp40-1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/screenp40-2.jpg

no pics with the P38 filler in place (too busy!)

and this is installed

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/screeninstall-1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/screen-on1.jpg

some carpentry helpers:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/bootinstall21.jpg

hope you enjoyed.

any question, post away!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/carputer1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/bootinstall17.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/GreenBeast999/bootinstall5.jpg
 
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#2 ·
Oh jealous me! I have just this minute heard AOL say 'You have e-mail'....wonder if that's you!! [:D]

Mate, that is seriously nice, see what you meant about the boot install now, very, very nice, just a little concerned about overheating? Still, that's extremely nice.

Looks like all the effort has pulled off then! Well done mate, I'm quite far behind as you know! [:$]

Don't think the thing I have will help much with that monitor. Can't see as you can take the surrounding off, as you have the buttons down below the screen, tough one really, though after al you have done I'm sure you will find your way around it.

Now, I make it your mission to come back to me telling me if you have any probs with hard drive skipping, dvd jumping etc while on the move.

Also, just as another point, I would, if I were you, cover the metal inside your cubby hole with some kind of low static fabric, just to stop any static causing probs. Loving your 'case' though, pure class!

Overall though, I'm impressed, very impressed. Any more pics, send them to me. Once fo the best installs I have seen, well worth all the hours you have put into it and well worth the research you have done.

Stunning [Y] [Y] [Y] [Y] [Y]
 
#3 ·
cheers mate!

don't think overheating will be a major issue...that is quite a large volume behind the 'door' and also there is an air exhaust port in the body work that lets air in and out of the car (thansk VW)

i've bought that adapter anyway and my father-in-law (to be) is gonna help me fab them together to fit in the dash...if it doesn't work we'll do something else like fab the screen directly to the cage

i've tested it on the short drive round to my fiancees house and had no trouble!

when you sday metal in cubby hole...which cubby hole you talking about? where the PC is?

also got a handy switch in the dash that has many functions

1. ignition mode...i.e. boots on ignition and shuts down on ignition

2. completely off...OPUS power supply gets no ignition signal so doesn't boot at all (can also be used to manually turn on and off PC while ignition on, like for testing)

3. always on...i.e. for those times you wanna leave it running while you pay for petrol and stuff
 
#4 ·
The metal that is in the first aid cubby hole yes, where your computer neatly sits!! The wheel arch etc. I'm just a little worried that it could cause static etc and wreck all your hard work. Might not, but after all the effort you have gone to, would be gutting for that to happen.

Is that the switch which comes with the opus power supply? Sounds good.

We can stop the code words now on the fourm! [:)]
 
#6 ·
And its touch screen and he doesnt have a stereo, computer controls everything!!! [Y]

Sorry mate, but you got to big yourself up a bit here! Take it you have stashed the keyboard in the glovebox? Where did you put your dvd player in the end? Got sat nav on it or not?
 
#8 ·
sorry don't wanna sound too big headed...but you carry on. lol

no keyboard at the mo...got one at home but gonna wait till i got a small one for the glovebox

dvd is at home and i'm gonna deal with that when we sort the screen, cos that will determine whether it goes in the dash or the glovebox

satnav is coming soon hopefully. got to decide on what GPS mouse to get and what software to use. problem with PC based GPS is that theres not a big enough market yet (who needs satnav at home and not that many people run laptops while they're driving) to get really good software like tomtom. so each bit of software has its quirks at the mo
 
#9 ·
thers actually another compartment as well that i haven't shown, it sits next to the spare wheel hatch on the left.

thats got cable runs and power/ground distribution blocks and will hold my crossovers too.

however the speakers are going in tomorrow so theres no crossovers yet and its a bit messy too
 
#10 ·
My mates got autoroute on a laptop that does his GPS, seems to work ok too from what I have heard. I've got tom tom 3 on a PDA and I have to admit, it's excellent at what it does!

There are a few mini keyboards around too, be nice to go for a bluetooth one, but then price goes up too!
 
#11 ·
yeah haven't done enough research on satnav for pc yet, unfortuantely there is no PC tomtom or else i'd have it now probably

yeah bluetooth would be cool but i don't want any connection issues with the phone as thats why i got the dongle in the first place

definately a few things still to do but i couldn't keep it out of the car any longer!
 
#17 ·
Thats a Job very well done. [y][y] Things like this keeps reminding me
to my custom boot enclousure just dont have the time at the moment or
the money for the wiring and power caps/amps/subs that I'm wanting to
be used. Loks like your step father to be done a great job on the floor
and the hinged doors. [y][y]

Sonny
 
#19 ·
Nice job theer been contemplating this myself for a few years i used to
read the forums at MP3car.com alot However the lack of decent satnav
software has put me off, as i have an Ipaq with TOMTOM and am really
loathed to give it up, however i have toyed with the idea of trying to
run tomtom on the windows pocketpc emulator!

How are you tuning into the radio? have you thought about getting a DAB card? i think they are available now!

Good work
 
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