Vehicle: 2002 SLK 230 Original Owner w/36,000 ml's
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 174
Awesome custom PC control center!
__________________ Bahama Blue ->Tinted Windows ->Crystal Side Light Covers ->Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Tires ->Silver Grill ->Lower Dash Pad Removed.
Very nice. How much was everything and why didn't you settle for a flip out LCD headunit? And how difficult was this project (like fabbing the console trim, wiring, programming)? Thnx
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ManicD3MEY3Z
Last edited by manicdemise : 06-13-2009 at 12:59 AM.
Very nice. How much was everything and why didn't you settle for a flip out LCD headunit? And how difficult was this project (like fabbing the console trim, wiring, programming)? Thnx
Without counting the mistakes I made buying wrong parts besides collateral damage, I would say... around 1000$.
Note that I bought the best parts available in the market for this Car PC!
For example:
Xenarc 7" sun readable LCD = 500$ (The one I have in my car)
A normal 7" LCD is around 150$, I also think those flipout LCDs are ugly and they block other components in the dashboard, besides the fact that they are not sun readable especially for a convertible like SLK.
SeaGate industrial shock resistant hard drive = 125$
Any cheap hard drive 20-40$
Energy efficient 35w AMD Athlon 2X 3800+ add3800cubox = 200$+ (if you can find it!). This stuff is so rare and discontinued, bought mine used and dirt cheap for 65$ only
Any other regular 65w AMD Athlon 2X 3800+ is 20-30$
Jetway ITX HD sound motherboard with Nvidia built in video card 150$
There are cheap slow motherboards for 20$ ( I wouldn't put that junk in my car)
As for the installation process, I think it requires a certain amount of know how about electronics and computers, never do things quickly, I only worked on weekends, the rest of week I was at school and this gave me some time to think things twice before using the scalpel
My advise, if you are to start a similar project, don't think about the money, be generous, don't give up, and also take your time.
Wow, excellent work - looks very cool and suits the interior nicely like it was there from the start. Windows is the OS? I hope you don't get a blue screen of death while driving.
Certainly an item MB would charge thousands to do,. are you able to use a Linux flavour instead of windozz... Nice work on the esthetics, btw, is that grey wire that seems to go to/under the driver seat for the pilot eject button
Certainly an item MB would charge thousands to do,. are you able to use a Linux flavour instead of windozz... Nice work on the esthetics, btw, is that grey wire that seems to go to/under the driver seat for the pilot eject button
That's the cable for the current chunky keyboard I have behind driver seat, I didn't want to pass it in a way that will make it difficult to remove, in the near future I will buy a wireless illuminated keyboard and find a place to stick it with Velcro
Regarding Linux, I wanted to stick with windows even though I had to pay 80$ for the CD, There is 2 main front end software programs for car PC, one is called CentraFuse and is about 125$ (ready made, just install), the other is RideRunner or RR which is free and backed up by its users. I chose the free one because I like the way people are developing it... it seems to be more flexible but requires more knowledge dealing with it.
Car PCs are something that is becoming rapidly popular, so many people are doing that stuff to keep their old cars modern like the new models.
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