93 accord SE: The Lost Cause

**fluffy2097** · 09-17-2003, 08:31 PM

Project name: The Lost Cause
Car: 1993 Honda Accord SE
Stereo system: OEM Bose speakers and an Alpine CDM-7874 Head unit

Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(24).jpg
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(26).jpg

Goals: The original concept of this system was to make a car computer system that is easily removable and useable as a regular laptop. It was very important to me that I could remove all the expensive components of the system so they could not be stolen. I also did not want to make many modifications to the car itself, as I do not have any modding experience.

Capabilities:
MP3 player (controlled by a griffin powermate)
GPS navigation with Travroute Copilot 2003
DVD-player
CD-RW
802.11B/G network hunting with Netstumbler (Also provides internet access)
Bluetooth connection to Nokia 3560 for internet when 802.11 is not available
Divx/Xvid playback

Future Capabilities:
Rear view camera
Forward-looking infrared camera

Hardware:
Fujitsu Lifebook P-5010D, 512 Meg RAM, 60GB HD, 900mhz PentiumM
DScustoms DS700YYV 7” touch screen
Griffin Powermate
Small PS2 keyboard (don’t know the brand)
4 port self-powered USB hub
Garmin GPS 35
Belkin 4 COM port splitter (1USB to 4 serial ports) 2 ports used (1 for touch screen, 1 for GPS)

To-do list:
Hide wires

Misc:
I have a habit of naming things after stuff from the stories I read. My car computer project is no exception. It is named the Lost Cause after a Space ship in a science fiction story I read.

The photos!

A very poor panoramic picture looking out from the driver’s seat of The Lost Cause. As you can see, the DScustoms touch screen is plenty bright in the day, its just waaaay to reflective. I plan to contact a few companies to see if I can find some anti-glare film.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/front-view.jpg

My Fujitsu Lifebook sitting in it’s spot in the passengers seat map pocket. There’s a bit of a cable nest because the laptop has to be able to be removed quickly and easily. I might run some cables underneath the rugs in the future.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(17).jpg

The power and data lines that connect to the LCD. It was a ***** to get the clock out of there and I butchered it somewhat in the process by not knowing what I was doing and not having the proper tools. The lines run down under the passenger side dash and to the cigarette lighter and the back of the car to connect to the computer.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(13).jpg

Here you can see where the video and audio lines come out and connect to the laptop. Crammed underneath the center console is an audio line that connects to the aux input on my head unit, a USB cable for the Powermate, The data cable for the DScustoms screen (the serial cable for it comes out under the passenger seat and connects to the 4 COM port belkin) and a hideously long VGA extension cable.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(14).jpg

The passenger seat. Here you see the power wires I need to hide, As well as the Griffin Powermate (sitting by the shifter).
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(11).jpg
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(12).jpg

The Garmin GPS 35.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(09).jpg
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/Image(19).jpg

A full 11 satellite lock with the Garmin GPS 35.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/11sat.jpg

Here’s a shot of Copilot and the OSD plug-in I have for Winamp to display song names. Copilot says it can’t find satellites because I’ve hacked my GPS 35 to work with Copilot and that’s one of the side effects of the hack. If anyone can make the thing work perfectly, send me an E-mail.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/copilot.jpg

My desktop.
Http://www.codewolf.com/~fluffy/car/desktop.jpg

**MeanGT** · 09-17-2003, 10:32 PM

Hehe, thats funny because for my first project, I had a laptop stuffed in the passenger seat pocket just like that!! That way I could easily reach the power button. Of course my laptop was only a pentium 120. so it was quite slow.

**98explorerxlt** · 09-18-2003, 12:01 PM

hmm i guess if you hit stop when your posting it posts anyway whoopsies

**98explorerxlt** · 09-18-2003, 12:01 PM

now i miss my accord the screen doesnt look to bad right there though i see what you mean about glare how about some illegal tint
you could run those wires down through the center console but be carefull I took mine apart and it never went together right again the whole thing comes out easy all you have to do is remove a bunch of screws and then take the top of the shifter thingy and poof no center console.

sorry for the confusion i posted twice then deleted the double of this because didnt want to redit anyone know any fast ways to learn to type I could use it

**fluffy2097** · 09-18-2003, 01:24 PM

Oh I know about the center console not coming back together right. It's the reason I didn't take the thing all the way apart to begin with.

Window tint is on the list of things to do as well, but first I have to break the front windows and get ones that work properly (the current ones pop off their tracks).

**Linus** · 09-18-2003, 02:01 PM

Nice to see a carputer in an Accord. I've got a gold '95 EX sedan.

Good work on the removable setup. Being able to take the laptop with you (and conceivably have that be your only computer) makes this one of the most cost-effective but still very usable setups I've seen. Sure, it would be nice to integrate everything into the car, but it takes a ton more time, eliminates mobility, and adds the worry of it being stolen.

Good luck eliminating glare...seems like a common problem around here.

**guitar333** · 09-19-2003, 01:30 AM

dang XP plus all those things in your system tray. Whats your boot time like?

**fluffy2097** · 09-19-2003, 03:23 AM

Surprisingly not that bad. It comes up in under a minute I think. I've never timed it. XP has actualy signifigantly reduced my boot times.

**bankingdom** · 10-14-2003, 12:35 PM

I also did some laptop work in a 96 accord, but decided to go for the in dash composite 7" screen instead of VGA

http://www.bankingdom.com/carputer/carputer.html