Well I have been researching all this for a while now and I finally was ready to order everything today.
Needless to say there isn't much available space to place the PC but I think this plan will work. I didn't want to spend $200 on a 1 din case because there just isn't a great place for it.....So I will be placing the PC between my speakers in the back with it facing forward where the DVD drive will open through the pass through.

All of the following ordered from www.directron.com
Case: Venus 668 Aluminum Mini-ITX
Mobo: VIA EPIA M10000 with 256 MB Ram
HD: Maxtor Diamond Max 80GB 5400rpm (I love maxtor been a faithful customer forever!!!)
DVD Drive: Black Sony Tray Load (For now until I put in my slim line DVD in the dash)
And of course the USB Extender cable, some IDE Cable, some power cables, and misc stuff.

Lilliput 7" Touchscreen ordered from www.case-mods.com (They gave me a 2.5% discount for being a first time customer, brought the price with 2 day shipping to $253.82

Opus 150W PSU,ordered from mp3car.com want to be ready to add additional hardware, not really sure if this is going to fit in the case because I couldn't find the deminsions of the PSU ANYWHERE, I searched for a while. If any one has them I would be greatful.



Ordered Flexmount Arm from Crutchfield Flexmount Arm $19.99
Needed a flexmount arm to mount the screen, take a look at the pictures below for how I am going to mount (THANKS to AWillSea over at the rx8club) and tell me what you think. I also have the navigation like in the pictures attached, and probably wont be using it anymore.

And won a Kensington Bluetooth Adaptor on Ebay for my Motorolla v600

Am also getting the XM Direct for Christmas from the deal found here online!!! Thanks again!!


I plan to put the Frodoplayer with WinXP Pro, possibly booting to the frodoplayer as the shell. And add the PhoneControl.

Total Cost with shipping: $887.33!

 

It looks nice! I'm taking about doing a carputer myself.

 

Cool. Keep us updated with the install. That's a reasonable price for a Carputer.

 

I'd get one, but only if it was doable for about $250. When you get into $800+ range, then I may as well get a second laptop just for the car.

 

yea.. the parts get really stupid expensive when they get small..

but ... its fun to have.

Bravo .. keep us all posted !

 

Oh yeah I forgot to include on the list the PIE Adapter I ordered from Thew.

Thew if at all possible could you get it to me by Thursday? I really want to work on this when I am off next week, but I won' t be home to get all the parts so I am trying to get them in by thursday and I didn't see an option for faster shipping on your site?

Thanks for having all the great parts on your site and all the help in convincing me that the PIE adaptor was the better way to go!!

 

How are you powering the MoBoard? Is there a direct 12v power supply for the EPIA board?

Thanks

 

Hey guys, I don't want to rain on BlueGrimRX8's thread...But, those photos are of my carputer setup in my car.

BlueGrimRX8,
If you need any help just drop me a PM. I have had that setup in my RX-8 for a few months now and it is GREAT! I run AutoEnginuity's CanScan, MediaEngine (With a customized RX-8 Skin) and Canzoomer (Emanage) software right from the Driver's seat of my car. I love it!

 

NP.. send me an email .. I will ship it UPS 3day select that should do it.
make sure you give me your Order number in the email

 

The PC and Screen are being powered by a special PSU that was purchased from mp3car.com, made by Opus it allows the booting to servive the crank of the car. Check out the store at mp3car.com they sell them there. It is a 12v DC to DC powering the EPIA.

 

Oh yeah Thew email sent, thanks your service is AWESOME!!

 

so is this a good product to get since i don't have the nav? still trying to learn more about all the carputer stuff??? i don't even know how to turn on my computer...hmmm...i have problems.

 

Well I have the Nav to but I was not willing to shell out $500 just to get video into the display. That $500 doesn't even include a DVD player, X-Box etc....so I spent $800 and now I have full access to EVERYTHING!!! I am splitting out the Video and Audio so I can hook up a playstation in the future. Not that I would need that too often since I have a lot of emulators, etc

 

BlueGrim,

Im watchin for your results!
If you have luck, I may do the same.
Im thinking of going Linux and using Freevo.
I already have someone to help with PIE and XM radio.
We can compare at BOTD.

 

Good place for the screen! Cheapest I had seen it around. I would have gone for a more basic shuttle sized box from directron (the Biostar for 140 plus a AMD CPU I think woulda been better). Now I have to decide whats gonna be my x-mas toy. Screen/carputer or a nitrous kit. FOrtunately I have lots of PC parts so I dont have to worry about buying anything more than the case/MB and screen.

I had originally planned to make a new cneter console piece removing the stock radio and putting the touchscreen there, but have now changed that into a slotted screen coming out from where the factory nav would be (I dont have it). I am trying to machine the mechanism now to be able to slide the screen in and out on some rails using an electric actuator.

Decisions decision decision.

 

thats pretty much what i have been envisioning as well except i have been too lazy to start on it... if you need some mechanical engineering talents give me a ring

 

search here.. its been done.. theres some pics of a din screen in the whole where the OEM nav is.. it looks great.



and NP.. I shiped it out this AM ..UPS will send you a tracking number.. UPS says you will get it on Thursday.


Enjoy

 

Genom... outside of buying the stock nav hood and replacing the screen, your solution is the next best thing! Would you ever be interested in building a handful for those of us who are not so mechanically inclined?

A suggestion for the case... man those case are pretty big guys. I think the IKEA keybox case is nice and compact. If you DON'T have the bose stereo you can just mount it where the amp would be. check it out on http://www.mini-itx.com It's the BMW carputer

 

Oh yeah... pics... we definitely want pics Genom!

 

Here...this should answer some of your questions...including the size of the opus power supply....small....extremely small!
http://devoid.mine.nu

Some direct links:
http://devoid.mine.nu/CarPic.asp?AID...5&PgID=1&CT=RX
http://devoid.mine.nu/CarPic.asp?AID...4&PgID=1&CT=RX
http://devoid.mine.nu/CarPic.asp?AID...5&PgID=1&CT=RX
http://devoid.mine.nu/CarPic.asp?AID...8&PgID=1&CT=RX

 

Wondering if someone can help me. i have an old sony viao that i want to use as my carpc. Dose anyone know of a power switch that would work in that application.

 

just get a power inverter, and plug your laptop's AC adaptor into it.

I have a 19" laptop with a desktop P4 3ghz cpu in it, and the battery in the RX-8 is strong enough to keep it running. My mustang would not run this laptop unless the car was running.

 

that would work but i want the computer to shutdown safely when the motor turns off

 

Well, since it's a laptop, it has an internal battery. What I would do is set it so that on batt power, it shuts itself off after 5 mins (or hibernates). So while your car is running, it has the always on setting, and when you turn off the car, the laptop knows to shut down too.

 

Yeah I was looking at those pictures and thinking....that looks like Awillsea's car?? hmm.. and then Hey that looks like Awillsea's start button. If you don't have Navi... you can fit a 90 watt opus power supply and a mini itx board in the dash. I'm currently in the process of doing that. Thanks again Awillsea