Feature List: Feasible?

**fiXXXerMet** · 07-16-2007, 09:22 AM

I have been interested in putting a computer in my car for quite some time.

I've now saved up some money, and I'd like to get started. I was going to do this to my '93 Cadillac STS Seville, but have recently bought a '93 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, and am going to do the project with that car.

Basically, I'd like to know how feasible, and common (easy) the following features are:

Music Sync: I would initially copy my entire music store to my carputer, but upon arriving at home, I'd like to copy / rsync the music on my home server with the music in my car, keeping it up to date.
GPS: I know lots of people use GPS, but is there a way to display my real-time position on a Google-map, provided that I have internet access?
Internet Access: I know this can be accomplished by connecting to public wifi's, but I'd like to have my carputer connected to the internet through my phone, through bluetooth. First, what cell phone carriers support this. And second, is this normally expensive?
Backup Camera: I see this mentioned quite often, so I guess it's not hard to do. Basically, I'd like my backup camera to activate (show on screen) whenever I put the car into reverse. If this isn't possible, activate it manually whenever I need it.
Diagnostics: My car does not have an RPM gauge, for example. I'd like to be able to track, store and display speeds, fuel mileage, RPMs, temperature etc, on screen (store as in inside a mysql db, so future recall). I guess I'd have to connect extra sensors to the engine?
Operating System: I'd like to do this on Linux, if possible?
Sniff wireless networks and plot them with GPS / Google Maps

I'm sure this list will grow!

Thanks.

**binary.h4x** · 07-16-2007, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by fiXXXerMet

I have been interested in putting a computer in my car for quite some time.

I've now saved up some money, and I'd like to get started. I was going to do this to my '93 Cadillac STS Seville, but have recently bought a '93 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, and am going to do the project with that car.

Basically, I'd like to know how feasible, and common (easy) the following features are:

Music Sync: I would initially copy my entire music store to my carputer, but upon arriving at home, I'd like to copy / rsync the music on my home server with the music in my car, keeping it up to date.
GPS: I know lots of people use GPS, but is there a way to display my real-time position on a Google-map, provided that I have internet access?
Internet Access: I know this can be accomplished by connecting to public wifi's, but I'd like to have my carputer connected to the internet through my phone, through bluetooth. First, what cell phone carriers support this. And second, is this normally expensive?
Backup Camera: I see this mentioned quite often, so I guess it's not hard to do. Basically, I'd like my backup camera to activate (show on screen) whenever I put the car into reverse. If this isn't possible, activate it manually whenever I need it.
Diagnostics: My car does not have an RPM gauge, for example. I'd like to be able to track, store and display speeds, fuel mileage, RPMs, temperature etc, on screen (store as in inside a mysql db, so future recall). I guess I'd have to connect extra sensors to the engine?
Operating System: I'd like to do this on Linux, if possible?
Sniff wireless networks and plot them with GPS / Google Maps

I'm sure this list will grow!

Thanks.

Music sync, easy to do, script in your OS
GPS, again, easy, scripts are floating around, search for them
Internet, yup, easy, I have bluetooth on my phone, and with $30 a month, I have unlimited internet (Cingular)
Backup camera, some lcd's come with a trigger that will switch to the backup camera with an electrical signal.
Diags, OBD2 has all this info, your car has OBD2 if made for US market 96 and up
Linux, if you have the patience
Wireless, plenty o' programs will do this for you

Just search.

**MindDrive** · 02-10-2008, 10:35 PM

thats ashame about wanting to put the car puter in a crown vic... i have a 92 eldorado and a 97 seville

*(sorry about the bump in threads age)*

but the car pc i threw together fit quite nice in the glove box:
link:
http://www.geocities.com/minddrive_rs/carputer/

thats an asus board, amd 3500 proc, basicly i canabalized one of those small form factor hp media computers
* http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...640&CatId=2628 *,
butchered my glovebox and custom built the lexan case, mounted the glovebox door to the bottom of the case and blam none the wizer ^_^

for 400 bucks cant beat the buy with the specs, and the low power it uses is awesome yet it is very powerfull--- can even game a lil bit with the 6150 onboard nvidia graphix