Anyone here ever installed a carputer? It's like a computer that you install in your car. You can use it as a nav system, music player, gauge cluster, entertainment system... the options are endless.

Here's what I'm thinking about doing: I'm going to remove the center console wood and make a mold of it, then use the mold to make a carbon fiber "frame" for the display. The display will probably be one of those Android powered tablet PCs. I'll place it behind the "frame" in portrait mode which means it will block the two A/C vents at the top. I'm going to make some other ductwork to split the airflow and have it come out on either side of the tablet PC. I'll get some used vents from a junked car and orient those vertically on either side of the tablet. It will probably look kinda crappy with the carbon fiber center console and wood trim everywhere else, so once it's working I'll probably make carbon fiber trim to replace the other pieces. I built a composite airplane, so I have experience working with fiberglass and carbon fiber.

I'd also like to get a little three-digit LED display to mount on the dash facing upward. I would interface it to the GPS in the tablet PC so that it display a mirror image of my speed. It would act as a HUD reflecting my speed in the windshield.

There are companies that make USB relays, so I could use the tablet to raise and lower my antenna and rear windows. If I wanted to spend $30 per month I could even connect to the internet and use it to remotely start the car to get it cooled down before I went outside. I could listen to XM through the internet without needing an XM radio. I could have my entire collection of MP3s on the tablet. It would be very cool...

 

You mean something like this?
iPAD Car Integration in a Jaguar XK8 « iPhone for cars Blog

 

I thought seriously about it before doing my Nav/XM/Guage upgrade.

I ended up gong in a different direction because I did not want to change the look of the dash and I felt I would need weeks of system integration to get things the way I wanted.

So in the end I traded off the full flexibility of a carputer for a mostly pre-integrated, but fixed solution.

 

Same problem here, I just can't make any changes to the dash, which is why I haven't done anything yet. Since the iphone the need has also been reduced for me to make a major changes, as IO have all that I need on the device. But I certainly like what you have made.

 

Sam,

I was not going to post about this until I was done with the setup, but I am doing basically the same thing you are talking about.

After looking at different options, including talking to the nice gentleman at Madera Concepts about a custom dash, which he could do. I have decided on the following.

I have purchased and like very much, a Dell Streak 5 inch tablet. Streak 5 Android Tablet It is an Android tablet/phone. It fits behind the dash almost perfectly, I even took the dash panel into Best Buy to make sure it fit.

I have rooted mine, but that is not necessary. I have set it so it the screen turns on and stays on when plugged in, ie. switched power from the car. I set it so it does not need to unlock, it is just on.

I run the Torque app via a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter. Plus, Google Maps for navigation, music player, Pandora and XM streaming (if you have a phone plan and data plan like I do). I have it set to use WiFi FTP to access the SD card, so no need to remove it from my Jag.

I am planning on using Google voice, that way, I have one phone number, which friends call, but when they do, my iPhone 4 rings, my Dell Streak rings, and my home office number will ring at the same time. I can answer whichever one I want.

This is a solution I am willing to pay for. Others may not need to or choose to.

I am still working on modifying my Jag nav unit to remove the buttons and reinstall them in the dash, so that when the Streak is installed it will look as close to factory as possible.

The Streak is also wired into the factory stereo for my music needs. It will connect to the Bluetoth hands free kit for making calls as well.

My other plan was to use a 7" Android tablet and mount it in the same position. However, that would require that I send my whole dash to Madera concepts. He said he could modify the center panel to make it look as if it came from the factory with a 7" screen and then relaminate all of the panels with new wood. The modifications would be $162 plus the cost of redoing all the panels. So about $1200.

That seems expensive to me considering the wood dash is in excellent condition. I may do this down the line if I want to upgrade in the future.

I will take photos and post all of the build process on here when I am done.

I hope this helps you in your quest to make your car cool like mine. ;-)

I will take some pics tomorrow of what the Streak looks like behind the nav panel, so you can see if you like it.

Plus, I can watch movies on it, play M.A.M.E arcade games, NES, SNES, etc. games on it via emulators and a Bluetooth game controller. So, i get all my geekiness in one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

 

The gadget geek in me likes this, but as a classic car nut too, I don't think it marries well visually with the XKR's dash. And think how appealing it would be to thieves: you'd have to remove it every time you left the car.

 

Jeffery, that's awesome! That's exactly what I want to do, except I want a much bigger display. I just went out to the garage and measured the space that's available. If I move the vents I could fit an 8.5 inch display in the portrait mode, and if I don't move the vents I could fit a 7 inch in landscape mode. For some reason I was thinking I could fit a bigger display in there.

I tried Google Voice for about a week. The problem I had was that the person calling me would hear the phone ring 5 times before it would ever ring on my end. Sometimes it would NEVER ring on my end. I missed a lot of calls.

 

Sam,

I agree, I really would prefer a 7 inch tablet as well. Keep in mind you need space for the charger cable, which is often on the long side of tablet.

My other idea is to put it where the factory radio is. Depending on which tablet you go with, as there are not that many that have GPS in them, you may have room on either side of the screen to remount the row of buttons that you would have to move.

I saw another thread here where a gentleman installed a double din stereo and moved the row of buttons above the stereo to the glove compartment. My idea is to either reuse those buttons or buy some buttons from other Jag models off of e-bay and then mount them in a vertical stack on either side of the screen. The buttons from x-type and s-type have the same color and fonts, but some are smaller, so may fit better.

Check this thread out on a guy who made a sliding dock for his 7" tablet. Android Tablet In-Car Sliding Dock using hacked DVD drive It would be nice if we had standard double din stereo. That being said, I have no problem making my tablet a permanent installation. I like how when fully mounted it looks completely factory.

We shall see what happens. Either way, you have plenty of options if you use your imagination and are willing to spend a little money.

Check these out too, depending on how familiar you are with Android it may help.

Tasker app: how to turn any Android Tablet into a CarPC without rooting?!
The Best Android Apps for Your Car - Lifehacker

 

Hi Jeff,

Also, don't forget that you don't have to use the buttons from the Nav unit to plug the holes on the sides - take a look at the link below. You could make speaker grills like I did. I, personally, liked that look much better than buttons.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...av-pics-37911/

 

Sam,

Sorry I did not get a chance to take some pictures today, however, I can tell you about some progress that I made.

I took the nav unit apart today. The screen from the nav unit is actually thicker than the Dell Streak. hehe, just barely... Anyway, with a little dremel work to the cover I was able to make the Dell Streak fit inside the nav unit. Therefore, I don't have to cut apart my nav unit. It will be a permanent installation. I was thinking about making the wood dash pivot down to let me remove it, but it isn't worth the trouble.

Even without the screen installed, if you plug in the nav unit, the buttons light up when the headlights are on. Looks more factory installed that way to me.

I am mounting the Dell upside down, it makes hooking the power/data cord up easier. So far, the only program that does not like being flipped is Angry Birds, but I don't play that anyway.

I will try to take some pictures of the modifications to the nav unit that I made and what the Dell looks like installed. I am waiting on some cables before I permanently install it. Once they are in, I will be adding the Streak, the Bluetooth hands free kit and the Alien Antenna switch at the same time.

I hope my ideas of are some help to you. I know pictures speak a thousand words, so I will try to get them up asap.

 

Hi Jeff,

I'm looking forward to seeing this as well...I'm still considering the options for my XKR center panel.

-Steve