Ive been working on this for two days now and should have it all re-assembled by tomorrow... only leaving the cosmetics to be worked out.


The dash decently torn down with the slot load DVD hiding out in the dash for sizing:


Assembling the 'center console' that will go under the dash to allow me more room for STUFF. It fits GREAT almost factory but I didnt get a pic of it in the car before i had to set it out to let the glue dry.


A more finished console with the A/c controls and radio chassis in. It will get a grey trim bezel and eventually covered in maroon vinyl to match dash.


A new location for my ham radio head unit... i am seriously reconsidering this location, but as it is 3 am i will look into it with a clear mind tomorrow.


My friends foot... and the final location of the screen. The slot load DVD drive will go below it and obviously the dash bezel will be modified to look good and fit this setup.


A picture of the touchscreen being bench tested with the new software im going to run. I will have bluetooth to answer phone calls without getting out the phone, GPS, Music, OBD 1.5, WiFi for internet weather and gas station prices, DVD, eventually HD radio, and eventually surround sound.

That looks pretty darn slick.

Holler if you have any troubles fabbing and modifying the dash panel..

Lookin' killer!

You will have to post your equipment list when all is said and done.. I would like to try something like that on the SSEi.

So what is running the show? Is it a head unit or an embedded os?

Oh i know it will be tough i just may have to give you a yell.. Im a beginner at fiberglassing. I did one once and it wasnt terrible so ill try again. You don't happen to have have a gray dash cover for column shift interior do you? I should proly look at my yard cause shipping would be crappy.


Actually its a stripped down version of Windows XP (i know i know i would much rather not have my car being run by MicroSh*t but its all i know how to do at the moment) running a freeware program called RoadRunner.

Its running on a computer thats mounted in my trunk: Car Computer! Revision 2 - Tons of Pictures

This is EXCELLENT stuff. More pics are welcome!!! That is going to look SO outstanding.

Also, just wanted to recommend, have you heard of those relatively new solid state hard drives? I believe samsung makes them. Great for mobile applications, SO much more reliable than a moving spinning hard drive in a car. They're quite expensive, but just an idea. Otherwise, a notebook hard drive or something. Can't remember if you already mentioned that.

We have computers inside our simulators that are running with FLASH cards instead of hard drives. You can also run DSL (Damn Small Linux), a very scaled-down OS, on a USB memory stick. So long as your computer supports booting from USB devices, you're golden.

Yea i contemplated both the linux and the flash memory.

Linux does not have a good GPS program. Period. And that was the end of that. But for non gps stuff i could make it work. I just need to learn more about it and start with a bench system.

As far as flash goes its a great idea but REALLY expensive and most of the cheaper ones have a lifetime that you have to worry about wearing it out after so many writes/rewrites. My XP installation is about 700MB so it would fit on a flash card. But i would use a special windows that doesnt write its information to the flash card it is installed on, therefore not wearing it out. But its slow.

So far i have a 160GB standard 3.5" hard drive that has lasted 60+ thousand miles. Those things can take more abuse than one would expect... and it has been mounted HORIZONTALLY too, nothing is shock mounted. Hard drive to computer frame - compter frame to car frame. The harddrive cost $40 and i honestly expected to have died by now but laptop hard drive is next on the list when this one dies.

I just finished my pre-cosmetic-finish install. Pictures soon to follow.

Are you gonna have a WiFi hotspot scanner in your car or something? I can't wait to see what your final pics look like of the set up!

looking good