'98 Mazda 323F & Sony laptop install

**londonese** · 10-26-2004, 07:48 PM

Hola! This is my Mazda 323F (BA), I've just turned myself from a reasonably well paid project manager to a poor university student, and my carputer project has ground to an abrupt halt

But everything works! The sat-nav, MediaEngine, Grand Theft Auto! It all works!

I don't know if I want to eventually mount the screen into the dash, the dash is quite far and I deliberately made the custom mount come out from the din slot quite far so I can reach it comfortably. But it's so much nicer IN the dash! Oh.. Still undecided! The laptop is mounted on its docking station upon the rear shelf. It's sitting between the two Infinity speakers, and I was initially worried more about the hard disk being wiped by the magnets than the prospect of returning to my car, minus my rear screen! But what’s done is done!

I'm going to keep developing the carPC as I go along my lazy university life, and I'll keep updating my new page up at cardomain, for more titbits on my motor, click to: http://www.cardomain.com/id/londonese

Thank you for everyone's help over the past few months here!!! .. AND thank you for having a look!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CarPC Specs:
8" TFT Lilliput touch screen
Sony VAIO laptop inc docking station
1.2Ghz PIII, 512MB RAM, 60GB HD, ATI graphics chipset, built in 14" screen
11b wireless PCMCIA card
Bluetooth USB adaptor
USB GPS reciever
Mini illuminated USB keyboard
Pioneer MP3 head unit with Aux adaptor
Running: (UK) InfoMap's Navigator & MediaEngine

**Aksor** · 10-28-2004, 08:49 AM

Tint the Windows Mate. That laptop would be history in a few minutes expecially on Campus.

**Custommx3** · 10-28-2004, 08:57 AM

Great to see another Mazda man on this site

Looks good! What engine is in your 323F? BP? KF?

**oekundar** · 10-28-2004, 09:14 AM

That is a sweet looking car...and nice ICE setup....looks really clean

**Hcomplyr** · 10-28-2004, 10:15 AM

nice car but i agree Aksor, you need to hide that laptop

**Scouse Monkey** · 10-28-2004, 10:45 AM

You could put that laptop screen to good use when you are driving - chat up some fitties, show your arese (well a picture of it) to the rozzers etc etc

On a more serious note, you have given me a mounting idea for my laptop and docking station - make a new parcel shelf with better speaker mounts and my laptop and dock hidden inside and some ventilation and a locked access panel to remove the laptop. Could free up the floor of my boot. What uni are you going to?
Andy

**Yuriy** · 10-28-2004, 12:34 PM

Very nice install and car! But Aksor is right, either tint your windows or hide the thing. It will be gone very soon especially if you are a student. I would imagine that entire setup costs at least $1k. A small $100 fee for a tint would make sure that your investment stays in your car.

**londonese** · 10-28-2004, 06:10 PM

Thanks people!!!

Don't worry about the laptop people! I want to tint car even before I had the laptop in, but I don't really need it because the laptop never stays in the car without me being there

p The docking station makes it easy to remove and install it, so it isn't a hassle, and plus, I need the laptop all the time when I leave the car! I have a blind that I didn't take a picture of, .. when the laptop is closed, I drag one of those cheap black plastic roll-up sun blinds to cover the lid of the laptop, it hides it well, and stops the Vaio silver lid from reflecting into the screen so I can see whats behind me

But still, thank you for your concern!

Custommx3!
It's the BP engine in the 323F, which engine have you got in the MX3? a rather nice car

Scouse Monkey!
I wasn't going to put it on the parcel shelf until I realised that I can drive to a nice spot in the country side, unfold a couple of chairs on the green pastures, and watch an entire film from the boot! Oh. .. and the laptop is better at nicking other people's wireless internet signals when up on the parcel shelf!! The joy of broadband in the 323F!

.. I was going to add something like a second shelf underneath the parcel shelf, and just slide in the laptop into a slot, ... tooooo much work! maybe when I have.. erm .. less uni work to do!

Oh, I'm at Goldsmiths College, University of London

Yuriy!
I brought the laptop 2nd hand from my last company, I had been working with it since new, but my company took the brunt of the initial cost! The laptop cost me about £400 about 2 years ago, the lilliput screen, £150 (I had it brought over by my girlfriend who went to HK) .. I think the total project cost me about £700.. ... thats almost $1K woah you know your prices

**Custommx3** · 10-28-2004, 11:28 PM

Sorry to Hijack.
Thanks, I have a KFZE, the JDM version of the 2.0L v6 that comes in the v6 version your car. Im putting it in right now actually. I just finished building it.

My website hasnt been updated ina while but
heres a recent pic of it.

Again, sorry for the HIjack..

**londonese** · 10-29-2004, 06:22 AM

No worries, another mazda on my post is not a problem, especially with the KFZE! .. Is the mounting points and other dimensions for the 2.0L KFZE the same as the original 1.8 V6 for the MX3? That JDM KFZE should pull about 175BHP stock, did you mod it to do more at all?? You ought to be flying in such a lighter car such as the MX3! VERY nice

Are you gonna single turbo this engine? I saw that you had a Garrett charger on your website, take a look at the forum www.astinagt.com if you haven't already done it. Loads of austrialians with the BP and KFZE all doing conversions! Keep your site updated!!!