Any ICE expert, just after some information

[Elmo]

Had a discussion with a pal of mine about ICE and got the idea from mikey. was wondering about the following layout, small laptop concealed in boot, connected to ignition for constant recharge..., dash modification to incorporate 7" lilliput screen, slide in DVD drive, and a small panel for USB / Power switch. obviously DVD and USB connection wouldnt be an issue... but....

How do you go about re-forming the dash, what companies do it, how much work is involved?

If required how easy is it to move climate controls?

This is the kind of layout i mean

[Mikey]

dude i aint that hard as i was going to do it myself :D (but might be changing car) i will show you at work what you would need to do.

[Elmo]

Hmmmm - seems to me like a major fibreglass modification - done wrong it could be a REALLY expensive mistake mate . . . .

Glad it wont be my car then :D

[Carty]

yeah tis all fiberglass, sumthin similiar to this u mean (links below)? I know loui is good with it off here, and coudl get a price from any ICE place to do it.

This:

http://www.cartft.com/carpc/community/examples/einbau_db/Stephan_1_carpc.jpg

Fiberglass messin:

http://www.cartft.com/carpc/community/examples/einbau_db/Stephan_4_carpc.jpg

http://www.cartft.com/carpc/community/examples/einbau_db/Stephan_5_carpc.jpg

Can end up lookin like:

http://www.cartft.com/carpc/community/examples/einbau_db/Stephan_7_carpc.jpg

If it is sumthin similiar its a rather easy cheap job, but takes alot of time and patience. (So iv been told)

[Elmo]

DUDE THATS IT!

looks like a proper professional job there, was it done by a professional or was it a DIY project

[Carty]

That was a DIY project, dno the chap who did it, from germany i think, but iv been told anythin is possible with it with some time and patience. have a word with loui, he knows quite a bit about fiberglass :) im havin sumthin similiar to that done his helpin me with :D

[Ade]

I WOULDN'T BOTHER WITH THE LAPTOP. THE LATEST IN IN-CAR COMPUTING IS CALLED DRIVESOFT. ITS GROWING FAST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE. ITS ABOUT $3000 BUT EXPECT THAT TO FALL SOON. WE'LL BE ABLE TO BUY THEM FOR £1500 EASY COME THE SUMMER

[wez]

But you can get a laptop for couple of hundred rather than waiting for a drop from $3000 to $1500 - and im sure in Elmo's circumstances he can get a cheap one or has one spare to hand anyway, so hes making use of the materials he has to get maximum benefit.

That fibreglass jobby is superb! - but i think it all depends on your own car and where dials and vents are placed... on mine it would be a no no, but i could make mine into the upper glove box instead.....

See if u can get a pic Elmo of your dash and then we can have a go at sizing something up in Adobe.....would be pretty smart having laptop capabilities in-car for only couple of hundred quid.....

.MP3
.DVD
.Navigation (USB GPrs)
.Porn
.Games
.Any USB device (lights, fans etc..)

*oooh the possibilities* o.0

[Carty]

Yeah that would be superb wez. i know on the way i showed the vents were taken out to make room, if u know how its easy enough to move around compnents, u can just about adapt anythin with fiberglass, but like u say it all depends wat ur dash is about, a pic would be good. How good would it be havin all them featers in ur car :D

[Elmo]

Its a mates ford focus, the whole point of this is the dude has a decent laptop to use and i was wondering about local companies that do fibreglass work, i had heard of bespoke systems like that but id much prefer to write software myself for managing it, plus with a laptop you could hook a mic up to the be attatched via the sunvisor and include voice commands piece of piss

plus the USB ports on the dash would be essential, you could just get in the car, plug in your digital camera, mp3 player etc etc etc and have update music collections n ****...

would be fantabulous

[Carty]

i have got some pics somewhere, il try and find them if i can, where sum1 had put usb ports s-vid etc into the ash tray thing, was very tidy. Might be something else to think about

[Baxter]

bing

http://web.njit.edu/~cas1383/proj/my_car/car_pc/index.htm