Project Car

I just got a new car. 99 Honda Civic EX. I want to do some unique stuff to it, and I want to get a computer somehow wired into the car. The hot thing to do around my area is to get a TV installed. They usually mount a small screen to the dash and hook up play station or something. What I want to do is mount a screen to the dash and get a computer hooked up to it. What I want to do is build a small computer and mount it by the feet in the passenger side. I have a few questions that maybe someone could help me out with.

1) Where can I get extrememly small cases for this computer. I want the case to be as small as possible so there is still foot room for the passenger. I will probably end up going with a micro ATX motherboard.

2) Does anyone know how I can go about getting electric to the computer? I don't think I can run a wire directly to the battery, I would rather have the computer plugged into the cigarette lighter. Can I pick up an adapter for this, and does anyone know if this would effect the car battery? For example will the computer kill my battery?

Over all, I think this would be pretty fun to do, and definitely be somehting unique around my area. Some people get a TV mounted and hookup PS2 to it. Screw that, who needs PS2 when you have a full blown PC installed. Not to mention the wireless network card. You could have some fun driving around with that. :)

What does everyone think? Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks.

Check out this review by Via Hardware. This is probably one of the smallest PCs I've ever seen, and it's got tons of stuff in it. Hope this helps.

http://www.viahardware.com/sss50rev_1.shtm

for power i think to protect your components you should look at


Linksys power2go dc>ac convertor which converts 12vdc to 120vac
http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/sear...6c5c192439dce/

then use a power conditioner like

http://www.apcc.com/products/line-r/liner600.cfm


this will protect from surges and keep an even power to your system...

both of these units are plug in but it would be easy enough to hardwire them behind the scenes to keep your ride lookin sweet...he

For the electric, in most liklihood you are going to need a DC to AC converter to switch the cars 12 volt direct current into 110 volt alternating current. The computer itself can reside in the trunk of the car with a cd rom, keyboard, and screen near the dash area. Ive seen a setup similar to what you want in Car Audio and Electronics magazine, and since I used to be a car stereo installer, this is quite feasible. Of course be prepared to spend a little money.

zigar, for a power conditioner, I would suggest an automotive voltage regulator such as the Accuvolt voltage regulator from Jacob's Electronics
http://www.jacobselectronics.com/pro...o/caraudio.htm

Well, palm top computers are pretty small ;) Actually, I would go with a rack mount case. Maximum Linux magazine had an article about making a linux mp3 player for you car. It talked a bit about how to minimize damage to hd and things also. I believe the project was called route 66. If you search around a bit, I am sure it is out there.

You won't be able to wire the computer directly to the car because the battery is only 12 voltz. IN order to make it run properly, you'll need to buy a step-up converter that plugs into the cigarette lighter, and allows you to plug a normal power cord into it. they can be pretty pricy at around $50. You can get them at R@di0 Sh@ck, W@lm@rt, or most electronics stores. You also might want to check your local laws regarding the placement of mounted screens. Certain US states don't allow you to have a screen that is visible from the driver's seat while it is turned on, due to impeded operation.
Good luck.
-201

Thanks for the help everyone. This project seems like it will be easier than I thought. The PC that Z-Bit suggests looks perfect for what I want to do. I'm not sure what route I am going to go for the LCD screen. For those of you that know what the inside of a 99 Honda Civic looks like, I think I am going to mount the LCD screen where the cup holders are located in the center console. This really seems a lot easier than expected.

Purchase the computer shown above
Purchase the LCD Screen
Purchase the cigarette lighter adapter for the power
Mount the LCD Screen
Plug in the computer, slide it in the passenger side foot area
Plug the video card TV Out right into the LCD Screen
Go for wireless keyboard and laser mouse

That seems about it. Only thing I have to watch out for is not to leave the computer on when the car is off. That would kill the battery pretty quick. Maybe I'll put some kind of auto shutdown program on the PC where it will shutdown if idle for 20 mins or so.

All these guys think that the girlies like their car because they got PS2 in it. But we all know how the girls like spider solitaire! heh. :-)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Keep them coming. I've been giving out greenies like crazy for all your help.

http://www.q-pc.com/product.overview.../realcar.shtml

I would just like to let you know that the purpose of an automobile is for transporation . It is really annoying to see people trying to turn their honda civics into bmws. a computer in your car is beyond pointless and only makes it more dangerous for others to be on the road.

Quote:

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Originally posted here by celfie
http://www.q-pc.com/product.overview.../realcar.shtml

I would just like to let you know that the purpose of an automobile is for transporation . It is really annoying to see people trying to turn their honda civics into bmws. a computer in your car is beyond pointless and only makes it more dangerous for others to be on the road.

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Indeed a car is for transportation, but imagine a long car trip with no radio. Or imagine waiting in a car for hours with nothing to do. I often times have passengers in my car, and they enjoy playing my playstation while I drive. If you have kids, entertainment for them is a must on a long trip. It is not dangerous for a passenger to use the computer while the driver is driving, or for the driver to use the computer while parked.

celfie, I would just like to point out that I won't be driving down the street playing solitaire. It is for the passenger, and it is the whole idea of a fun original project to do. I'm not trying to make my car a BMW, and even if I was it is my car to do it to. I'm just trying to have some fun with my new car. Spare me the lecture.

i hope that your car get stolen.

and by the way honda civics are for losers.

Haha... Thanks celfie.... I had a feeling that this thread wouldn't go with out some one bashing the rice burner. I've heard them all already. I'm not really all into cars, and what is better than this, and that car sucks because blah. I have a civic, I like it, so I am going to work with what I have.

So again, spare me the lecture. You're not driving the civic, so don't worry about it.

Again, thanks everyone for your suggestions. Keep them coming.

jared_c you are assuming that celfie has a car, he/she may have a bicycle only.

Ah, good point Louie. His mom probably bought him that bike for Christmas too. :)

jared_c :)
hah i like the Idea, i saw it somewhere in a Mercedes before, it was nice.......

But if i were you id definately go with a seperate power pack, just hide it under the seat..... u dont want to fry your computer with your car battery, trust me!!! It will be more efficiant.

But good luck with it, hope the girlies like it....

BTW, dont we all just love Louies posts??? just so posative and informing :P

:)

LOL....that would be a project and a half! and computer on a bicycle!, I say good luck m8 never heard of anyone putting a pc in a car before, let me know how it goes for you.

personally i wouldnt be able to do it as i would never get to work! LMFAO i have just one question : How the hell can you make a civic look like a BMW? wouldnt it just be easier to buy a BMW????? hey what does BMW stand for? Break My Windows! LOL

I think having a full PC hookup in a car is a great idea. Hell, if you're going to get the LCD screen anyway, you could always hook up a PS2 when you wanted it and take it back inside when you don't. Completely versitile.

I don't know what kind of CD player you have, but you should look into a good amp or something that can accept audio input from your PC so you always have a stack of mp3's to play as well.

Like the other guy said (sorry, no credit..i'm too lazy to figure out who said it), I would definately mount the PC in the trunk if you're going with an RF keyboard and mouse. Why waste passenger room with something like that?

The wireless adapter is a great idea as well, but watch for signal blockage if you mount up underneath your dash because the firewall might block some of your signal. If you get a wireless hub mounted in your garage you could always transfer your new MP3's when you park at night.

And for the guy that hopes you get your car stolen...make sure you insure the living HELL out of it, and let your insurance company know what the hell you're doing. I know my agent would laugh me out of the office if I told him my PC hookup was stolen out of my car.

You can look into a "shuttle" board/case. I know that this form factor is called either a "biscuit computer" or a "Micro-ATX". When you start looking into these, you'll find that they're about the size of an external 5 1/4" hard drive case; there was a link on linuxcar.com or some car that had linux installed in it about 2 years ago (before they went embedded into dashboard devices) that could play MP3 files - and it went over the type of computer used, etc. I should have kept that link. :( I actually think it was a Mazda Miata, so the space constraints were increadible!

Good luck, and keep me posted; I'm looking to do this also.

~N~

jezter6, that is a great idea about the amp with the audio hookup. Could blast mp3s through the car's speakers, not to mention if I popped in the DVD it would have some wicked surround sound.

Also excellent idea about the wireless hub in the garage. Any songs I would want in the car I could download when hanging around home, then once I go to the garage just copy them onto the PC in the car using the wireless connection to the network.

This project is starting to sound more and more fun with each post. :)

Again, I won't be doing this for a couple months due to lack of funds, but I will definitely be doing it. I think I will take pics and document the whole thing. Then post the tutorial here. I wish I had the money now, this sounds so damn fun. :)

I have already done the computer in my car thing. I is sweet what you should do is put a wirless hub in your garage and a wirless NIC in your carPC. Then write a script to DL all your MP3 that are new from your home PC. unless that is not what your doing. Then the only other useful thing would be a GPS type system. or are you just puting it in there for fun? there are keyboards that you can get that are PS2 and roll up they work well under the sunvisor. and trackballs are awsome in the car. it would be sweet to play warcraft3 dring down the road. or not. bad idea. i have an alpine CVA-1005 it works well for this porpouse. peace out.

Ah.. just came up with another idea for this project. Install some voice recognition software on the PC, and mount the mic in front of the driver side. "Computer play [insert m3 name here]". It'd be like night rider. heh... wow... I want $$$. I want to do this now! :)

jared:

I was talking with one of the electrical engineers at work about this, and they say it's rather easy on the electrical end, just have to get an inverter or something to tie into your fuse box (that way you dont worry about killing the battery).

Another one of my engineers who is a geek by nature also warned about being sure to shock mount your PC and maybe the HD as well. Just the thought of hitting a pothole (I live in PA, so they're about every 4 feet here) with a drive spinning at 7200 rpm....ouch! Or you could always look into some kind of solid state drive, which of course ups the $$ on the project.

Just thought I'd share my engineers' insights with the group, as this post has prompted me to look into it myself.

If you wouldn't mind, once you get some pricing ironed out, drop me a PM with some of the info you found out so I can see if I even remotely have the ching for something like this.

http://galls.com/shop/viewProductDetail.jsp?item=VP201

THis is a good DC to AC adaptor meant for heavy duty usage (like a laptop or a computer)....

I know that 10010101011 will agree that this is a good company to order from...

jezter6, thanks for checking that out for me.

I really don't think this project will be too expensive. I've been hearing I can get the LCD Screen for around $200 - $300. The small computer that is linked to above seems like it will run around $350 - $450. The adapter prices look like they average around $50. And it seems like a really easy project to do electrical wise. The one thing that may be hard is getting the LCD Screen mounted. If you get it done professionally it could cost a pretty penny, but it all depends what you want to do. I hear that there are LCD Screens that will just clip onto your visor so no installation is required. But of course all the prices I listed will vary depending on the quality of the product you buy. I think the whole project will run between $1000 - $1500. That is just my guestimate though. Once I start getting my hands dirty I'll make sure to post the details. If anyone else starts this project before me, details would definitely be appreciated.

Okay check it.. I've already planned this out for my ride as well. I'm getting an alpine in dash lcd screen with dvd player, cd, mp3 player in dash. That alone is about 2G's. I'm using my old box and drives and putting them in the trunk. I have been doing custom speaker, subs, amp installs since 92 for all my friends. I would suggest getting a monster CAP to lighten the electrical load from the battery, I would also look into getting a more powerful alternator installed in the car. this will give you the extra amps the system will need. (especially if you go with subs and a powerful amp) I'm getting a mini wireless keyboard for the system and a wireless trackball. Also I'm using the idea of the WiFi NIC to do transfers from my home sys to my car at night. Another idea I found was that I am going to buy a motorola cell phone that can be hooked up to the comp so I can check e-mail on the road. The biggest problem I have run into is the $$$ problem. The wireing is actually pretty easy. One thing you do have to worry about when you do the wiring is to always run power lines seperatly from signal lines. AKA. Run the power lines on one side of the car and the speaker/RCA wires on the other. If the power cables are run together with the signal lines you can get some interference in the sound.

Also remember. The shorter the ground, the better the sound.

Hope this helps. ;)

x

Sounds like a sweet setup. :)

jared_c: but what if someone hacks your Honda Civic and turns off your air conditioning. Surely this brings about all sorts of new security issues ;).

there we go, need a good firewall...

heck, after I started going on this thread, I started thinking about a bogarted direcTV setup so I could have sat in the car...but how would you keep the sat pointed in the right direction....

still sounds sweet...i'm looking into it myself now. once the price list comes in from jared

You say you want satellite in the ride eh? Now your talkin my language. :bigpimp:

Okay.. Yes it is possible. There are currently two systems that are able to keep a sat tv connection while on the move. But the systems are kinda big and a bit ugly for a car. I wish I could get one and see if I could modify it to hide somewhere. But alas I'm not rich and can't afford it. But here are the links to the two types. Enjoy...


http://www.galaxymall.com/technical/...edish/kvh.html


http://www.turbosurf.com/DatronMobile.html

x

Why not let the computer do the driving?
:cool:

Nobody posted any updates on this lately.

I've done some searching around, and found a nice vibration isolation device for the HD's when put in a 5 1/4" bay.

http://www.dansdata.com/novibes.htm

This kit should eliminate most of the hard drive vibration problems that could occur. I've talked with some guys about fitting your own rubber grommets to reduce vibes, but I can imagine it's not a fun process to do on your own (they don't seem to make the screw size we need readily available).

I'm debating messing around with this come summer...do you have any info on where to buy those screens cheap?

The cheapest I've seen some of these screens has been on e-bay.. They may be used so you have to be careful.. But if you keep looking your sure to find a deal on there.

Ha nice topic of discussion, I'm hopefully to begin working on an older model of a 240SX, nice thing about it is the spacious dash around the system faceplate. I've thought about the completely stupid idea of having a friend weld metal tubes under the car and run wires to them into a small setup inside the car and have model rockets (if you know much about these, the possibilities are endless), so you can fire off some model rockets sitting under your car. That sure would scare anyone...