2008 Mustang GT/CS carpc install

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04-12-2009, 11:16 PM
Wayne613

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2008 Mustang GT/CS carpc install

I'm getting close to where I want this to be install wise, minus a few things, but this is what I have so far:

This is replacing a Shaker 1000 stock headunit:

Crutchfield:
PAC 127C2R-FRD1 Ford Radio Replace Interface
Ford F150 Pickup Kit 2004-Up E, DD (in dash reciever kit)

Newegg:
Intel X25-M SSDSA2MH080G1 80GB SATA MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

mp3car:
Intel DG45FC Mini-ITX motherboard
Double Din Bolt in Kit with the 7" 629 Lilliput Touchscreen
M4-ATX 250W Intelligent DC-DC PSU
ElmScan 5 Bluetooth OBD-II Scan Tool 422000

The actual LCD backend will need some modification to work with the motherboard as you can see from the pictures. And the PSU I will mount on the bottom of the bolt-in kit with stand-offs.

My ultimate goal with this is to have a carpc that will pretty much be stock looking in appearance but to have the best performance and options as truely possible in this car without making any alterations that can not be undone.

The questions I have here are:
1. Anyone with expertise with this bolt-in, is there a drop in, or mountable shelf I can place inside the bolt-in kit to house the rest of the LCD backend parts? And extenders I can purchase for the connectors?

2. Tapping into the existing satellite radio/FM antenna:
a. Can the sirrus stock antenna that's installed in the rear be used as the
GPS antenna?
b. Can the FM antenna be replaced with a wireless model from
somewhere to be then plugged in later to a wireless router with say
openwrt installed on it?

3. Direct output to speakers using adapters, is the sound going to suck with no amp for the 4 speakers? Or is it driven ok with the factory amps in the kickpanels?

Any helpful/insightful info appreciated, I'm at a standstill until I can resolve the inlaying shelf issue and extending the lilliput 629's connection interfaces to reach where that would mount on the inlaying shelf.

EDIT: Best I could find so far is a replacement for the one cable, longest I could find was 10 inch, only 3 better than the stock. Meh. http://www.molex.com/molex/products/...cts&Lang=en-US

Ok, some good info on what will be needed here and here as the "1000" is actually 500watt RMS, the sub in the rear has an independent amp, as do the doorpanel subs, but the other 4 are driven via the headunit, which will need a suitable replacement. I have a 400 RMS Jensen lying around, but that means more f'n wiring...meh.
Wayne
04-13-2009, 06:38 AM
strife

Nice, can't wait to see it installed.
04-13-2009, 01:01 PM
Wayne613

ok, yet more research...

http://www.mouser.com/Search/Product...538-21020-0438

That according to another post/thread is the one ribbon, assuming the specs are correct I just need to find a 14' or better in length instead of the default 7'.

Then figure out what that other ribbon cable is, I don't think it can be removed easily as it's the actual touch interface ribbon cable. I think. Oi.
04-20-2009, 08:08 PM
blk02si

Looking good Wayne, also looking forward to working with you on this project!
08-23-2009, 12:06 AM
Wayne613

1 Attachment(s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by blk02si

Looking good Wayne, also looking forward to working with you on this project!

Took me quite some time to get back to this. But I finally got it in the dash. I ultimately had to replace the motherboard with a Zotac 9300 and make an ad-hoc VGA cable as the 90 degree angle adapter was just taking up too much to fit.

I am also going to ultimately replace the M4-atx PSU as I think I have an older firmware revision, and it's not working right at all for power-up/shutdown via the pins. Ordered an Opus 360W Inteligent Vehicle DC-DC Power Supply (DCX6.360) to replace it.

The picture shows the final unit installed in the dash. And the single modification I did, which was to use a SPSW momentary switch in parallel with the PSU pins to control the power button switch connectors on the motherboard. Pained me to do it, but necessary, and a relatively cheap plastic piece to replace down the road if needed.
08-23-2009, 10:06 AM
blk02si

Looks great Wayne!! I'm having flashbacks from my mustang PC! Glad to see you have it installed and working good, looks like you ended up with windows OS.

-Joe
08-23-2009, 01:57 PM
Wayne613

Quote:

Originally Posted by blk02si

Looks great Wayne!! I'm having flashbacks from my mustang PC! Glad to see you have it installed and working good, looks like you ended up with windows OS.

-Joe

Yeah, I still don't have a lot of inclination to mess with it at that level right now. Just takes about 3-6x's longer to set things up and get everything running. I just wanted it installed and done for now so I didn't bother with a Debian installation yet. Just Windows XP pro for now with the older copy of Ride/Road runner from April flashing me it's nag screen when I start it up. =)
08-23-2009, 02:48 PM
justchat_1

What are you using to power the speakers?
08-23-2009, 06:15 PM
Wayne613

Quote:

Originally Posted by justchat_1

What are you using to power the speakers?

I had the local audio shop here install my old kenwood amp, run bypassed wiring to the speakers. I actually tried to explain to them what I wished to do, shame I didn't have a camera handy for the expressions. They weren't that sharp to start with from what I noted, and this is still a completely foreign concept to most to be fair.

They still didn't get it fully correct, the subwoofer isn't working as far as I can tell, but the 6 speakers are, after I made the RCA to mini-plug adapters for the pre-ins. I had to undo a crapload of electrical-taped macguvyer'd mess they did in spots. I should have just done most of the car specific things myself. But I'm getting too old for this **** in 90 degree weather with no garage.

I still need a USB wireless adapter for it. Debating how to do this in my head. I'd like draft-n connectivity. However, short of stealing the 3 connector antenna's from a laptop and ripping apart a new usb device with no guarantee it will have workable soldered contact points; I'm unsure of a suitable solution.

I'll have to look closer later at the 8pin factory out and how they have the adapter set up to try and lock down what's wrong with that aspect of the setup (subwoofer).
08-23-2009, 09:13 PM
justchat_1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne613

I had the local audio shop here install my old kenwood amp, run bypassed wiring to the speakers. I actually tried to explain to them what I wished to do, shame I didn't have a camera handy for the expressions. They weren't that sharp to start with from what I noted, and this is still a completely foreign concept to most to be fair.

They still didn't get it fully correct, the subwoofer isn't working as far as I can tell, but the 6 speakers are, after I made the RCA to mini-plug adapters for the pre-ins. I had to undo a crapload of electrical-taped macguvyer'd mess they did in spots. I should have just done most of the car specific things myself. But I'm getting too old for this **** in 90 degree weather with no garage.

I still need a USB wireless adapter for it. Debating how to do this in my head. I'd like draft-n connectivity. However, short of stealing the 3 connector antenna's from a laptop and ripping apart a new usb device with no guarantee it will have workable soldered contact points; I'm unsure of a suitable solution.

I'll have to look closer later at the 8pin factory out and how they have the adapter set up to try and lock down what's wrong with that aspect of the setup (subwoofer).

Well the sub power and the door sub power are the same connector. Theres a 4 pin connector on the shaker units, one wire is door subs, one wire is shielding on the 500's or the rear sub on the 1000's. The other two wires are your left and right sub channel. Your gonna need to make sure the turn ons for the factory subs are getting +5V not the full 12-13.8v vehicle power or you'll get a really bad pop when you power things up.

I did the work on my GT and I gotta say as well as ford did with giving you room to upgrade (they have a special grommet in the firewall for a sub power wire) its an absolute ***** to run wires through the interior.

As for your usb wifi - im pretty sure proxim wireless has cards with pigtail connectors. At least on their hobbyist versions.

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