Thread: 03 infiniti fx35 w/all the toys, add a carpc too? oh yeah... :)

thanks man, not really... I have a few friends that I may help a bit but I don't really have much time to do stuff like this on a regular basis or for customers really, few & far between if I do.

now the ironic part is that right now. I can't finish my fx cause I'm trying to finish up a friend/customers install I put him off untill I got mine in & working & on the road.

now it was supposed to be a simple thing really, the guys not a computer nerd really, don't know a front end from a megabyte, all he wants is to be able to use his laptop in the car comfortably if he ever wants to go online, that's it. we already did a whole kenwood multimedia setup with every bell & whistle available a few years ago, dvd's nav & satellite radio & hd radio & everything is already there, so the laptop really isn't for that stuff

original plan was real simple, the center console is already removed, I was going to hinge a small touchscreen laptop dock that folds down, just fold it up & dock the lappy, then either remove it or leave it there, but be able to fold it down out of the way.

the laptop I made him buy for this install is the same one I use as a portable daily, it's a fujitsu tablet with a 8.9" widescreen, it's touchscreen & transflective, a p1610, nice piece

as I designed the hinge I just didn't like it, I was going to have to have a mechanical lock to hold it up, & I just wasn't feeling it, after much screwing with it, I decided to change plans, I decided I wanted the tablet to slide in & out of the dash, as I built it I decided to motorize it, I've been working on it spare time now for like 5 weeks or so. I had to do modifications to the inner climate control box & ductwork too

it works sick, it ejects out pretty fast & locks in place with a firm clank sound, the motor reaches it's limit switch & the cable drive is spring loaded to hold it tight, it's at the perfect height & distance to type directly on it's keyboard, it's screen is directly below the main multimedia display. both can be used at the same time. the only thing blocked by the laptop screen when open is half the climate control.


fold it closed & it retracts back into the dash & disapears, all that you see is a panel with the round cadillac clock in it, this panel hinges down & forward when the laptop is ejected & folds up & closed as it retracts, the clock panel & lower console is still under design & construction but the electro mechanical is done

I used a window motor & cable drive, I used heavy duty sliders, I used 1/4" bar stock for the mount, welded directly to the main rienfocement bar of the dash, it is good for repeated use & abuse, it'll last for years, when it leaves here I don't want it back with mechanical issues so I over built it, or at least built it strong enough

I know this has nothing to do with my thread, but it's the reason theres no progress on my own truck, so maybe it's slightly relevent, plus a few fabrication shots never hurt nothin

Turbo,

quicks questions man:

1. what is the model # for the touchscreen overlay you used?

2. Does the touchscreen effect the sunlight readability of the tablet?

thanks man.

-A

hey, those are 20's, stock size but 9" wide instead of 8" stock.

eventually I will put a rear pc for my kid, nothing definate as to how yet, maybe a center console with another matching tablet...


anik, the touchscreen is a fujitsu anti-glare, don't know much else, got it from motorcity, a little under $200 but excellent, don't hurt the reflective screen really, worth the $$ I think... very nice touchscreen, I shoulda put a vituki screen protector on it though, the anti-glare coating scratches easy & someone already scratched it a bit...

thanks guy. I saw the price from the BOM but thought you might have a model #.

Thank you!

Really great work

One of the best at Mp3car.

What are the specs of the tablet ?

Hey Turbo, I'm going to be redoing the trim in a car I just bought and I was re-reading your splatter technique again. Do you remember the paint you used?
I believe it was a semi-flat black trim paint. Is that right?
Have you tried the satin clear yet?

Oh yea, did you find out if 8's will fit in the doors?

thanks portugal, it's a 1.2 pentium m ulv, the fastest ulv m they make, it's got a 2mb cache & 512 ram, it's pretty peppy & very efficient, doesn't run hot & it draws very little power, it's almost as good as a core solo really, the only thing a core solo will give you over this processor is slightly more efficency even, & a 533 fsb instead of this ones 400 fsb, it's def powerful enough for a carpc, boots quickly if I need to cold boot. don't just look at the processor clock speed & compare it to say a via or something, cause it's much faster than that, this thing is on par with like a 2.0 p4 performance wise...


hey jason, it's a trim paint made by sem, pn#39143, should be available in any body supply shop. so what did you buy?

I haven't used the satin clear on this piece, but I've used it before with good results on other stuff, helps to get an even sheen all over & adds durability. my bezel will still get a final spray when ever I decide to take it all apart again, still considering adding labeling & stuff, haven't played with that much though.

I haven't fitted the 8's in the door yet, I'm still not 100% on what route I'm going to take system wise... doing a whole system will take a lot of resources & down time, I'm not sure if I want to put all that effort into the system right now or I've been considering some other stuff for this fx, I'm considering a twin turbo setup, if I do that it may take priority over the system & push that part back a bit

I'm sure eventually I'll have to do a whole system here, just not to sure what will take priority, I don't want to drive around with my car in pieces anymore, so if I do a system I'll take this off the road & not drive it again until it's done, or at least mostly done, like it is now. I'm enjoying driving this thing too much right now to think about ripping it in pieces again I'm sure eventually it'll have to happen though...

I don't want to hijack your thread too much.
My Trans Am is down for a new engine, something along the lines of a 500hp 346cu LS1 or a 600hp 402-427cu LS2. I haven't decided yet. Well, I'm not really a Ford guy, but I bought a nice looking red 97 Thunderbird LX. It's a 4.6 V8 and rear wheel drive with leather and all the extras. Got a good deal at $2000. Anyway the stock dash is a flat black, but I want to mold some switches and stuff into the console for an electric exhuast cutout. Actually the drivers side dash is flat black, but the whole interior is gray. I'm wondering how it would look changing the black to gray?

This pic is pretty similar to my car.


Think I should try gray or just redo it in flat black?
Maybe gloss black?