My new project. Any car/electronic help would be great!

[coopdog]

This is my latest thing:
I'm trying to mod a 95' Ford Explorer with a PC or Mac, LCD screen, Video Cam, GPS, and DVD.

What I'm thinking of doing.
Get 12V to 120V DC Inverter (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3069712028&category=32814#ebayphotohosting) They are pretty cheap. Figure $30 w/ shipping

Get a Car Dash Mount LCD (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3071022691&category=32826&rd=1) Again pretty cheap. Get one for $30 to $100

Or if I have the money a touch screen is about $400 on ebay.

I thought it would be cool to have an infered camera mounted on the dash. It would be great at night and for seeing all the deer up by my house. It could be wired to record to the hard drive so if anything happened like a crash you could have video of it.

infrared camera (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3069963395&category=48632) $20-35


GPS Receiver (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3070908496&category=4668) $15-30

I think a PC would be the easiest and cheapest way to do it. I want to try and keep it below $300. I think I will use this case (http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/11-145-003-01.JPG)

In the summer to keep it cool there are A/C vents for the back seat that could be directed into the computer with just some dryer duct.

Then for TV just get this $.99 antenna (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3071016918&category=50553)

Then I would also build a cantenna that I would mount aiming out the far back window. This way wardriving would be so easy. Also all I would have to do is connect from the Car to my home wireless network and update itunes with all my latest songs from my PC and Mac. $10 for a PCI network card, $20 for the wire for a cantenna.

Then maybe get a Car dianostic port cable made for a PC. You can change all kinds of stuff on there and load programs that can save gas or improve preformance.

Thats all I think I would want.

So about $550. I'm sure there would be many more costs like wire, tools, parts.

I checked out my local laws on DVD players in cars and screens ect. GPS is legal. So I could just make the screen saver look like a GPS screen of SLC or just have the GPS sofware be the screen saver.

I would also install Phone Home (http://www.pcphonehome.com/)
So if the car was ever stolen and the guy ever left it running near a wireless network it could send me the location just like he pluged it into the wall. Maybe, kind of unsure if this would work.


I'm wondering a few things:
Is there an OS that boots very fast? Some sort of linux version?

Would I have to add an extra battery or 3? To Power the 700 Watt inverter. The PC case above draws max 230W But more like 200W then the LCD, Cam and everything.

Thank you for reading my long idea of what I want to do.

Do you see any problems with it or anything I should add?

[iJon]

Originally posted by coopdog
I would also install Phone Home (http://www.pcphonehome.com/)
So if the car was ever stolen and the guy ever left it running near a wireless network it could send me the location just like he pluged it into the wall. Maybe, kind of unsure if this would work.
thats hilarious, i doubt it would work just how you hoped but cool none the less. i was going to do some modding to my acura back when i had it, but i decided if i was going to do it was going to have to do it right and it would cost at least a grand for the screen and installation and hooking the powerbook up to it. in my mind when i see all the things you want to do i just think of wires everywhere and it not working out near as well as you have it in your head. maybe you should save up for a caddy deville with the build in night vision :D

iJon

[coopdog]

Yes, I agree, the cables would be hard to hide. Even if I only had the audio/video and power hookups running and no other wires, it would still be bulky and hard to hide. I have zero knowledge on how how to remove the dash and all that to hide the wires. I don't think I would try to hide them completely, maybe just run metal electrical housing.

There is no reason why the cantenna idea wouldn't work, or the PC to the LCD or running itunes on it. The only things that might not work are the GPS (I need to find PC software for it). The Nightvison camera, I figure it would work OK in the day time but maybe not at night.

TV would work fine also, I already have a $30 TV tuner card in my desktop PC and it works great and that antenna looks pretty good.

The DVD would work fine too. Just get a sony DVD drive for $35 that goes in the PC.

No one knows anything about modding a computer into a car?


Thanks guys!

[iJon]

Originally posted by coopdog
Yes, I agree, the cables would be hard to hide. Even if I only had the audio/video and power hookups running and no other wires, it would still be bulky and hard to hide. I have zero knowledge on how how to remove the dash and all that to hide the wires. I don't think I would try to hide them completely, maybe just run metal electrical housing.

There is no reason why the cantenna idea wouldn't work, or the PC to the LCD or running itunes on it. The only things that might not work are the GPS (I need to find PC software for it). The Nightvison camera, I figure it would work OK in the day time but maybe not at night.

TV would work fine also, I already have a $30 TV tuner card in my desktop PC and it works great and that antenna looks pretty good.

The DVD would work fine too. Just get a sony DVD drive for $35 that goes in the PC.

No one knows anything about modding a computer into a car?


Thanks guys!
i would look for a site that does car modding and read around. now chances are your not going to find an site dedicated to explorer modding, but when i had my acura i visited acura-tl.com alot and learned alot. also visit cardomain.com and look at your model car and you can get some pretty good ideas.

iJon

[coopdog]

cardomain.com is great! Thanks!

[Roger1]

http://gallery.pimprig.com/showphoto.php?photo=2057&password=&sort=1&cat=504&page=1


http://gallery.pimprig.com/showphoto.php?photo=1315&password=&sort=1&cat=504&page=35


Here's a couple of links for you :D

Seriously, I think pimprig.com has a mod like your talking about. The person who did it mounted a pc in their car. I was pretty nice. Also check out moddin.net to see if they have anything.

[saabmp3]

go to mp3car.com and browse the forums. I started working on a project like this about 6 years ago (thus my handle). It's been done, many times and these people will have great advice for you. There is no way in hell your going to get what you want for under 1000 bucks, but have fun investigating it.

BEN

[Roger1]

Here's another link I found.

http://www.epiacenter.com/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=19&page=1

[ibookin']

Originally posted by saabmp3
go to mp3car.com and browse the forums. I started working on a project like this about 6 years ago (thus my handle). It's been done, many times and these people will have great advice for you. There is no way in hell your going to get what you want for under 1000 bucks, but have fun investigating it.

BEN

You put this kind of thing in a Saab? Do tell.

[coopdog]

Thanks for the links! They are great!

here are screenshots (http://www.digitalww.com/screenshots.htm) of the cam I could use. Pretty good quality for being so small.

Here is an overlay for a 7" LCD. I guess you just open up the display and put it over the screen.

Touch screen (http://www.digitalww.com/7TSK.htm)

[coopdog]

Originally posted by ibookin'
You put this kind of thing in a Saab? Do tell.

Look here (http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages?make=Saab)

[Spock]

I did this in my 4 Runner hardly ever use it it is more of a cool factor than anything

[coopdog]

Originally posted by Spock
I did this in my 4 Runner hardly ever use it it is more of a cool factor than anything

Did you make a site about it? I remember a guy that did it with a ibook and a 4 runner. How well did it work? Computer, screen, how did you do it? Details! :D

Thanks!

[Spock]

I got a Powerbook pismo with a broken screen of eBay and a cheap $89 7" screen. Then I went to Napa and founf this cool toolbox for like $20 that the Pismo drives and logic board and power board would fit in and hooked the screen up via the S-Video output on the Pismo. Then I found a wireless Keyboard with a trackpad on eBay for $60 and bingo found a place to mount the toolbox and boom it really was not that hard.