I figured I might as well show what I've done. I love the whole concept of 'CarPC' because you can do so much with them if you put enough time into it. This is not for everyone. Just because you can build a computer doesn't mean you can fully take advantage of it in a car environment. There are a lot of specifics that you need to work out and choosing the correct software and hardware for what you will need to do. I originally thought I could do this in one week or less.. just order the hardware and put it together.. but I was wrong. Took me about another week and a half to get the software tweaked to my liking before I actually moved the install in the car. Even now.. my CarPC is not done. That is the thing with these.. you will never be done because there is ALWAYS something you can do.

The hardware I used:

Case: Morex 5677 Mini-ITX Case - Cheap and small. Exactly what I was looking for.
Motherboard: Intel D945GCLF - Has a onboard 1.6ghz Intel Atom processor as well as built in graphics and sound. It really is a beast in itself and a PERFECT solution for a modest-hardcore carpc setup. It's mini-itx.
PSU: M2-ATX 160W - This is a little beast. 160w is all you will need in a modest CarPC environment. This is a PSU built for the car environment. To power it you +, - (ground), and one cable running to a +12v ignition switch so the PC goes on when the car is on and off when its off.
HD: 100gb Seagate SATA - Went with a laptop HD because that is what my case would fit and that's all i really needed. i couldn't justify spending hundreds for a SSD drive.
Memory: 1gb Kingston - A bit overkill but it's nice to have.
LCD: Lilliput 629 7" (2008 LED model) - This LCD is GREAT in the daytime. No need to spend more for transflective stuff.

Thats the core stuff then I have a GPS reciever, a wifi dongle, a bluetooth dongle and my obd2 interface. I am also in the process of setting up my dash cam. The frontend I am using is Centrafuse. To get all the sound into the stock HU I used a Grom audio aux interface unit. I mounted everything into my dash using a jdm nav holder dash piece I acquired from swoope (thanks for the awesome shipping!). ** UPDATE 9/8: I have transplanted my LCD into an OEM Nav Housing, check page 3 for pics and info. ****

Here are some pics from the whole process..

case:

motherboard:

ram:

psu:

grom audio auxin unit:

gps reciever:

obd2 interface (elmscan)


some assembly pics..







some pics while i was loading software and running it through its paces of benchmarks..




all the crap i had to somehow stick in the car..


the install..

 

testing..


and mounted and pretty much done... what you see in these pics is Centrafuse with an embedded program called DashCommand that uses my obd2 interface to pull live data from the ECU and onto the screen. I went with the Nissan GTR gauge look.. I had wanted to do that from the very beginning. Other than the GTR you'd be hard pressed to find this look anywhere else in the world - had major help from the software developers themselves to customize the skin to how I wanted it and to use parameters the rx8 reports.



And that's it... like I said though I am working on a few things. There is plenty of room for expansion on this project. I am currently working on implementing a dash cam as well as a rear view camera. I am in the NYC area so if anyone needs any help with any of this stuff let me know. In case anyone is curious this whole thing ran me just under $1,000 and that is because I opted to get many goodies. You can do it cheaper.

I am tired now and want to sleep.. hopefully people like what they see and feel free to ask questions!!

Some vids of it in action..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjl2d8qqokI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_IX9icdzb0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8S4SjQAU2o

UPDATE 9/8

I got my hands on a motorized OEM nav housing and transplanted my Lilliput into it.. you can read more details about it on page 3.

 

looks really good,

the only thing i did different than you external hardware setup was go with a bluetooth gps reciver..

nice job..

expect a pm in a month or two about the gauge software. that stuff is slick.

beers

 

Looks good.

 

nice but kinda bulky

 

Looks great! I've speced out almost identical hardware for mine (so I'm especially glad to see that you didn't encounter any major hurdles) -- except for the Lilliput monitor. I'm anxiously awaiting that Metra dash kit so I can drop a double-din unit into the dash and feed PC display through that.

 

Damn. and I thought I had a lot of crap under my center console.

Good job Alz0rz. Is your stereo next on the to do list?

 

Looks awesome man, one day I hope to do the same. Congrats

 

Ah, my gps receiver is on the inside of my trunk lining. Upside down. Still get great reception.

As was I but getting the Metra kit would have meant replacing the entire HU (which I was willing to do) but that would have also involved getting an aftermarket amp to interface with the stock speakers.

This Lilliput monitor is great even in direct sunlight.

Yep. Saved the money I was about to drop on the stereo upgrade. Will hold off on it until I see what I can do with the Metra later on.

Thanks for all the comments folks!!

 

damn al great job! i may be talking to you soon about having a setup of my own

 

I like the gauge setup. I am looking for something similar for my CarPC.

We basically have the same setup except I mounted my case under the passenger seat.

 

Looks great. I've been thinking about doing something similar when I get an RX8 (planning for 5-6 months). $1000 seems pretty cheap too. I'm figuring I would still want the GPS and wifi, plus a larger HDD. Where else could you have saved money aside the bluetooth, the memory and the dash cam?

The gauges are nice, but I think the functionality of a built in GPS and the music/video system are much more useful features. Beats the hell of out an iPod adapter.

 

I love car computers. A car computer was my first major car audio project.

That said, after spending several years dealing with finicky front ends, buggy software and GPS programs that blatantly try and rip you off, I'm way happier with my factory nav system then having a carPC solution.

I'll probably have a carPC in my 8 at some point, but it will be doing media playback, OBD-II stats, and wardriving, not GPS.

 

Really beautiful! I want something similar to those guages. 842,000 RPMs!

 

Tuesday night!

I thought about under the passenger seat too.. but it just wasn't feasible. People would be kicking it from the front or the back and who knows what could fall down there.

The GPS receiver was $50, the WiFi adapter was $15. I got my 100gb HD for $35 on eBay.. HDs are extremely cheap nowadays. The memory was something under $30. The camera I'm using as a dash cam was $20.

Eh to be honest you could go a bit cheaper by getting cheaper hardware, less pricey motherboard. Or fabricate your own case. Don't go cheap on your LCD... although I have to say.. my LCD is GREAT for daylight viewing and it was only $250. It's the new 2008 model of the Lilliput 629, it has LED back lighting. This is it: http://store.mp3car.com/2008_Lillipu..._p/mon-016.htm - I got it for $250 from eBay. If you end up buying this LCD make sure it is the 2008 model with LEDs.

To save some more $ you could not get an OBD2 interface. Mine cost me $160 for the OBD2 interface and the software. Then I paid an extra $25 for the gauge software, although you could do that in the software (ScanXLElm) that came with the obd2 interface. The $25 version is alot more lightweight and is made for CarPC use.

That said you really shouldn't be going cheaper. This system I pieced together is not hardcore but it is more than what is necessary for a CarPC. It is a perfectly good desktop even!

 

7" screen? and i do hope it holds up better than my last screen.. but the heat here 8 months out of the year killed it..

beers

 

al, nice **** bro didnt know u were that much of a techy nerd. good stuff bro.

 

Al, great job! I wanna see the GTR-esque guages at the meet

 

Impressive and good write up. Cheers.

 

Wow, just wow. That is a work of art. Very very nice.

 

Thanks for all the comments!

I finally received the dash cam today. The video quality is pretty good for what it cost me although it stutters a bit if I twist it a certain way.. no doubt to crappy wiring in the gooseneck. Regardless I'm deciding whether I really want to run it as a dash (running) cam or make it a rear view camera. I'm thinking of just having it record whenever the car is on (you never know what you catch) and delete files older than a week or so.. i have about 70gb of HD space i'm not using.

edit: this is it http://cgi.ebay.com/New-USB-Mini-640...QQcmdZViewItem

 

nice man

maybe u can offer this as a service to rx8 ppl? lol

 

i have no problem helping people out with this stuff.. full installs I can do also.. but that's on a case by case basis

 

Thanks for posting this info.
Based on your input, I did some research on the Motherboard/Processor and decided to go w/ the same stuff.
I'm buying;
Intel D945GCLF
Lilliput 629
M2-ATX - 160W

The case I'm buying is going to be used in conjunction w/ the new Metra kit.
It's a double-din carpc case that allows me to mount the screen onto the front of the case.
http://www.bybyte.com/mini_cases.htm

I already have the bluetooth dongle/Wifi Adapter/GPS/ODB2 connection

Just waiting for the Metra kit to be released.

Thanks again for your info.

 

i'm selling my carputer... comes with everything


https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...40#post2611540

here is a pic of the main stuff