mmmmmmmmm carputer!!!!!!!!!!

[Neil_turbo]

Been working all weekend getting this running and completely re-wiring my stereo!

I have finally given in to peer pressure and realised how long it will be untill i can afford a cream re-trim so sprayed it black! used halfords bumper spray and it looks so close to stock its unbelievable!

Along with installing defi gauges and link computer it has been a long weekend!

Just drove back up the motorway and it is amazing! Every cd i have at the touch of a screen! Cant believe i have lost my cd with the destinator maps though!

Will update with some better pics late tomorrow night

[nitric4k]

maps are on the mule if u cant find them

[Flamby]

looks great mate, what software are you running the pc on? I used to use media engine in my old car, just didn't fancy hacking up the mr2 but that looks very neat

[Neil_turbo]

Cheers mate!

I didnt fancy hacking up the original so got that dash from a scrappy for a few quid then took to it! Nice original one still in perfect condition in the loft!

Running it on mobile impact atm, its free unlike the new centrafuse, used to run that in my first set-up. Probably will pay for that soon. The main reason i'm on this is for when i get my dual screen set up! Got some visor screens that i'm fitting in, keep all the butttons on the ts and all the vids and maps on the second!

Only thing to sort now is theboot, it is probably a fire hazard, will do a false floor next weekend and hide everything underneath that!

Forgot to mentioon i also added a dual battery set up as well!

maps are on the mule????????? sorry not with you!!

Cheers

Neil

[nitric4k]

if you need maps try emule

there on there mate

[Neil_turbo]

Cheers rob! downloaded emule as not heard of it before! Left it running for over an hour and it got 9 meg of the 1 gig file! nobody wants to share them with me

I gave them to a few mates when i had it and everyoine has deleted the files

Oh well! relying on the last few to get back to me and tell me they still have them!!

[nitric4k]

emules not the fasted but it has nearly everything on there, if you have no luck leave it running for a week

[cravex]

Neil_turbo looks awesome mate, did you go with a laptop based set up? Mine's built around an epia mini-itx board, had it all up and running in the last car but need my alarm fitted before I put the pc in!!

[Neil_turbo]

Yeah mate its running on my laptop! Just created a seperate login, one for the car, one for in the house! I know its bottling it a bit but i like the idea that i can easily whip the laptop out, and its just a matter of dropping it on the docking station when i want it back in! And svaed buying all the new boards etc!

Running mobile impact and very impressed! I used to have centrafuse in my old setup but not a fan of the newer version!

Good luck with your set-up!

Neil

[cravex]

Cheers dude, I loved mobile impact unfortunately it didn't like my set up and so divx movies were really jerky, I'll try the new version once the pc's in, I used roadrunner in my focus which I was very happy with once i found a decent skin.
Can I ask how much work is involved with blanking off the air vents? I'm tempted to fit the head unit there and fill the double din with a screen but if it's a lot of work I may wimp out and go with a flip out screen instead!

[Neil_turbo]

Lol the air vents were pretty easy to do, i got a 52mm hole cutter (how perfect is that!) and did the three holes in a piece of perspex i had already cut to size to fit in the space. It took quite a lot of hacking out to get the area big enough but do it on a second dash from a scrappy and its not a problem! The dash is pretty much flat so there is not much smooting to do. Just make sure it is straight then araldite (however you spell it) it in. After that its just a case of filling in the gaps with plastic bumper filler!

The screen with the curve at the bottom was a righ PITA and keeps hairline cracking (nothing bad but i'm picky!) as i used normal filler, need to hack that out and use flexible plastic filler!

HTH

Neil

[cravex]

Cool, what about actually blocking off the vents? or have you left them open to the back of the gauges? I've seen it done but I think I'd have to cut away or remove a fair amount of the pipe to fit a head unit in there, not being about to return it to standard is my main concern!

[Neil_turbo]

True, thats always been my objective! I have left the actual back open, as i only really ever have the fans on windscreen! There isnt a great deal of space, and a HU may be a struggle!

maybe just but the screen in the top din and vent space and HU in the lower DIN?

If you go to mould it, make sure the reflection from the back window isnt in line! Mine is and a bit annoying when the sun is behind!

[cravex]

Not a bad idea! That's definately a possibility. One of the reasons (aside from being easier!) I was considering a flip out screen is reflection especially as I have a t-bar. I'll have to do a reflection test once we get a bit of sun!!!

[Hurstie1981]

Neil,

Looks brilliant mate!
Just a quick question though, how come you have a head unit as well?
I thought you would just run your computer through the amp and listen to music that way?

[MR2lover]

Looking good matey

Really interested in the those plexi glass sub covers

check out mine

[Neil_turbo]

I have had the HU in as it has taken me over a year to get this far!

Not sure what to do with the space now! Whether to get a HU with aux in from the laptop or use the space for something else

[Neil_turbo]

That looks awesome mate! Do you run your comp through your HU?

[MR2lover]

Yes i do matey, My headunit has a aux input but worth putting some interface blocks in the phono lines to stop background noise from alternator.

[Neil_turbo]

Yeah i have had some major interfearance issues. Tried these and they didnt do much! Just solved quite a bit of interfearance by taking the sound directly from the laptop rather than out of the docking station.

Think i will have to get a hu with aux in, use this as a failsafe, if the comp fails for any reason, i still get music! Atm just bypassing it all and plugging in at the amp. Main thing to connect up now is the comp power switch! Annoying having to open the boot all the time!