Howdy all..

thought i'd put a few pics up of my project which is slowly getting there..

I didn't like the stock stereo that much, so i thought i'd go for a Car PC build and have everything i want in the car.

Windows 7
Zotac Mini-ITX board - Atom D510 1.66 dual core
4 gig RAM
128gb Solid State hard drive
double DIN touch screen LED backlit LCD panel
steering wheel control integration
Wireless keyboard and mouse touchpad
3G internet
GPS reciever & Garmin software
OBD2 Diagnostics
Bluetooth
WIFI - (networked with my house)

building PC
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/starlet-turbo/openPC.jpg

pulling the car apart
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/starlet-turbo/interiormess.jpg


I wanted to replace the cigarette lighter and have a hidden USB port for data transfer , charge the iphone 4 etc etc , so a walk around jaycar getting a few bits i made this today.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/starlet-turbo/USBport.jpg

and the current finished install. (with my USB cigarette data port :))
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/starlet-turbo/install-1.jpg


a few other things i need to finish off , like reversing camera , TV tuner etc.
This was a difficult job to do , all custom work to get things how i want it..but i must admit it's just awesome.
PC runs RCA audio output straight into my Amplifier..

I've kept the standard Multi Centre Display, and just keep it on the Clock and Date screen , no issue with the COMM ERROR this way , i didn't really want to replace it with the basic standard clock.


Cheers,
Brad.

Awesome,be good to see this in the flesh.

Looks fantastic. If only I had the time and money to do something like that...

Love the factory look, and the details like steering wheel control integration and stealth USB. Great job!

I really like that... What was the total cost in hours and $$'s?

Looks awesome! I love the stealth USB port.
I assume that's still a fold down unit for loading CDs/DVDs etc?

Oh FFS!

Just put mine up for sale.

After seeing this, i am keen to install it in the 380.

The "Hidden" usb looks cool

I absolutely loved my carpc. but with gps apps on the iphone, i was thinking of going that way.

DAMNIT!!!

You just upped the price of my system, as I might think about doing this myself. Not sure I have the time, need some cash how much to do it for me? :woot:

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot to add, LOOKS FRIGGIN AWESOME!!!

Looks great, who wrote the application software for it?

Looks great, who wrote the application software for it?

Looks like RideRunner.

Did ya get NAV and stuff working?

I had it working with roadrunner, but maps were old. Wasnt keen to fork out cash for new ones...

Simply awesome mate, you should be proud of such a great effort. If you want to make some money let us know if we can buy one with installation included, lol :p

as much as i think car pc's are redundant now, workmanship is amazing! (Y)

Cheers...

the media software is called Centrafuse.
im using Garmin GPS software , works perfectly, and exactly like a normal Garmin GPS.
bluetooth for my iphone for hands free works fine.

No fold down for CD's or anything , not necessary..
if i need CD/DVD , i just plug in a internal PC drive into the SATA port on the car PC... only did that to install windows and that was it..
i can connect the car to the house router, and download all music etc directly from the network.
or any media can just be put on with a pen drive..
i havn't used CD audio for years.

it's taken hours and hours to get it to this stage , from building the PC , all the wiring/ installing , incorporating the steering controls , mounting antenna's out of sight for the GPS and 3G internet.
not including the Amplifier/sound system which was allready in the car...
Cost wise , around the $1200 mark without the sound gear.


and Car PC's being redundant ??? :nuts:
this setup does everything you could think of , works perfectly , boots up into the media software in about 6 seconds from when you turn the key...
press a button you have OBD2 diagnostics , another button gives you every music album , another button will bring up the Garmin stuff...
it craps all over a double din headunit....hence the reason i built it...

that looks awesome, a really sleek install. In fact exactly what I imagined it would look like.

couple of quick questions:
1)Where did you end up mounting the PC? I was thinking there was a lot of room near the OBDII plug (kinda like where the after market Bluetooth kits have been going)

2) how did you go about steering wheel integration?
I was thinking of using that cat10 thingo with a IR receiver... but it sounded a bit unreliable.


ahhh one day in the near future I'll defs have to build a carPC. I had spent a decent month looking into it and ended up getting a Xperia x10 (smartphone) instead.

Also completely agree that CarPC's are far from redundant. sure you could get all that functionality using a array of other devices however that would be very cumbersome. this way everything is centralized and within easy reach.

BradGT

HOT!!!!!

Nothing more


(Ok I wish my interior was that clean)

Very very nice, I was thinking the over day what a mini-itx board could be used for.

I might try this, looks very promising.

http://meego.com/devices/in-vehicle

Very nice work mate, I do miss my carPC but the software i was running (XP and an older version of centrafuse I torrented with built in GPS) was just too unreliable and annoying. How have you got music synchronisation set up? Also what screen are you using and as has been asked already where did you mount the PC?

the media software is called Centrafuse.
Im guessing that's centrafuse 3? have you or anyone else upgraded from 2?
Im still using 2 and have it set up perfect but have heard mixed reviews on going up to 3 but that was sometime ago

boots up into the media software in about 6 seconds from when you turn the key...

?? GET OUT, serious?

This slow boot time is about the only reason I haven't continued with my carpc project (got most parts lying around ready to go aswell!)

I am guessing that is not a cold boot but a resume from hibernation. SSD and Windows 7 have pretty fast boot times though.

yeah and even hibernation takes 15seconds at least! (so hence my disbelief at the 6seconds bit!)

(it takes longer the more ram you have too!)

Unless he puts it to sleep?

hybrid sleep :) my PC at home boots that fast. 6 seconds is believable especially if he is running Win7 embedded or a lightened version of Win7.

it's a touch more than 6 seconds , i counted it the other morning..
it's all working as i start to reverse out the garage anyway..
i might pull a 2gig. stick out of it to see if it's faster , but im not really fussed.

here is a clip of a 6 second boot up of one i found on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fObfws5Vak

this is what the case is..
http://image.made-in-china.com/4f0j00GMkTRNdCAuce/Mini-Car-PC-Case.jpg
mounted perfectly under the passenger seat..

steering wheel controls are basically converted to a keyboard with their resistance values , then certain hotkeys for the software are set for each resistance depending on which button you press..
volume up/down , next/previous tracks etc etc...all works like factory.

You have done a seriously great job mate.

congratulations.