well actually I never went to school for anything like this, I'm kind of into computers, but everything i learned is just from trial and error. I just do stuff like this to find out what works and what doesn't basically and if something blows up...well then i know not to do that again next time haha

 

Keep it up! You've got the curiousity and drive to go far, man!

 

[QUOTE=Evon Trizmo;2416150i helped friends install carpcs in their trucks before, it's just not really something i would have a use for in mine but they all used mini itx boards with atom processors and could never afford ssd drives but they got away with using low rpm (4200) laptop sata hard drives on rubber mounts and have had no problems. we run a program called hd sentinal which will tell you when your drive has bad sectors and after a year theirs still have none. it sounds like you're talking about an ibm thinkpad laptop, i love them (i ran over mine with my car once by accident, still works) i have a T43p with the accelerometer, it does lag/buzz your music/video playing when it parks the heads if it detects shock, in a car there's constant unexpected bumps, the HDAPS is made to detect a fall then while it's falling to have time to park the heads. sorry if that killed your idea haha but hey a low rpm laptop hard drive will work for you just fine. i've always wanted to see a carpc install in a durango just to see what it would look like, then again i'm assuming you're installing in your 2002 model with the new layout and no floor mounted t-case shifter, lucky haha[/QUOTE]

actually i was looking at using my hp compaq 8510w mobile workstation after i graduate for this, however a custom center console w/ a micro atx board and 120gb ssd, all hooked up a power inverter thru an intelligent UPS system w/ a small touch screen may be better, even w/ the extra cost, like i said, i have not decided yet

 

You youngsters and your hi-tech talk!

 

Go with something energy efficient, then run it off a large deep cycle. Charge the deep cycle through a battery isolater so the computer can't drain your starting battery. This way when you park at night it can be connected through wifi to your home network and you can manage your music collection and whatever else at your convenience.

 

i like corey's idea, just install some vnc on that and remote into it from home. a laptop will be much more energy efficient than desktop parts. as for the ups system you can probably build your own with that deep cycle battery and get a 12v atx power supply for your board, or a 12v to (what do hp's use like 18.5v/19v something) inverter for your laptop. my friend was stepping his up to 120v and then using a standard atx psu before i hit him on the head and said what is this mess haha

also do you plan on using your actual laptop screen for the screen if you do decide to go that route? you can probably just put a touchscreen overlay on it if you wanted and mount it down under the dash in front of those two cup holders possibly

 

LOL I remember when I had first got a laptop and had it just sitting in the passenger seat of my '86 Ram playing a CD and I thought I was just the coolest thing.

Now were talking about integrating computers and wireless Internet routers in the back. Call me a redneck but I'm annoyed with the stock engine computer being in there half the time! As long as I have my in dash screen that's all I need but it's cool the ideas you guys have.

As for the remote dash cluster that is a pretty cool idea now that you say it's on a 10 ft cable. It would come in handy when you're working in the bay on the engine and you can read RPM without having to jump back into the cab to check it out.

 

well glad you guys understand how that second cluster works now, i'm not that crazy to mount it above the other one haha i'm all for clean looking installs, it was just a bored rainy day project.

also on a side note: i've been following this project around http://www.mp3car.com/worklogs/14375...sed-remix.html and this is an older one by the same person http://www.mp3car.com/worklogs/12016...load-slow.html what this guy is doing with the cameras and rear view mirror and that black box that records video and gps locations is just awesome, that is deffinatly something i want to tackle this summer. hopefully you can get some ideas on your carpc from him as he put his main pc in the center console.

at least you guys are smart and plan stuff out before you install haha under the panels my car is a mess, it's just installs piled up on top of more installs, went a little something like hmm i think i want a screen in the back, let's put a screen back there, then months later, i think i want to play 8 tracks in my car, let's run more wires and install that too, and it just kept going on and on haha you get the idea.

 

Hmmm.... I've got an old reel-to-reel boxed up in my attic. Wonder if I could make that fit....

Seriously though, some cool stuff here & it shows some pretty progressive thinking. Go with it, just be safe please!

I've been toying with the idea of fabricating some sort of headrest mounts for Ipod touches to fasten into, that way when the kids are on long trips with us they can just plunk their touches into them and watch movies. Would love to see a commercial product (plastic / fiberglass) that actually inserted into a cutout made in the headrest & the Ipod would snap in, maybe even include the connector & a USB / power connection for charging, plus a headphone jack accessable on the outside.

I know that there are headrest displays out there, but the Ipod's are such powerful little devices....

Bob

 

you can probably easily make your own box for the ipods with the connector on the bottom, just drop the ipod in the box bottom first so it connects then push the top in to snap it in the box, and when it's not in use save the seat cutouts to snap in, just ideas.

I personally don't like ipods or any digital music for that matter, records will always sound the best haha I still want to put a turntable in my car but I rather not botch up my dash with it, custom work is exhausting. But for all you interested I'm working on one i can set on my passenger seat, the trick is to pour sugar and soda all over the tonearm assembly and hinges so it will move but only very slowly as it should and bumps won't knock it all over the place.
After all Chrysler did start the whole record player in your car fad with their highway-hifi, so what if it was a bad idea and didn't work, it was cool haha, i'm just continuing their work...in the year 2011