'03 Toyota Tacoma: First CarPC

**JoeDirte** · 05-05-2005, 08:58 AM

I posted this in the Worklogs, but nobody seems to look there and everyone seems to post here whether they're done or not. Let's be honest, is it ever really finished? I wanted some feedback, so here goes again:

Realizing I had enough parts lying around to build one and with lots of help from reading this forum, I started in on building my CarPC ver. 1.0 beta.

I made my own case by bending and cutting sheet steel (by hand!) and fastening it with machine screws and nuts. It's kinda crude in some places, but it does the job.

I had to put in a couple layers of contact paper to make sure the solder joints on the back of the mobo didn't ground out on the case.

Here it is loaded up:

That's actually not the mobo I ended up using, but the new one is pretty much the same.

I mounted the harddrive over the PCB slots b/c I'll be using both onboard audio and video.

**JoeDirte** · 05-05-2005, 08:59 AM

All torn apart:

I wanted a temporary mount for my Lilliput, but wasn't sure what I was gonna do until I took the dash apart and found this gem of a cross member. Perfect for placing the stock screen mount.

Everything back together:

Amp and inverter go under the seat.

I had a problem with the wire the connected the handle for sliding the seat foward and backward catching the amp and pushing it back. So here's what I did.

Problem solved!

**JoeDirte** · 05-05-2005, 09:00 AM

Here's the PC under the seat. Fits nicely I think.

From the front, with USB extension

More shots of the screen

**djmickyg** · 05-05-2005, 09:21 AM

not bad.. concidering the room u got.. and i know cus i got a tacoma too..
(altho mines a hilux, i'm australian.)

u got the exrtra cab?

that wire under the seat gave me some grief also but then i mounted my box further back and it seem alsirhgt now.

**JoeDirte** · 05-05-2005, 01:31 PM

Yeah, it's an extra cab, otherwise i'd have probably just put everything behind the seats.

**Willy-Mach1** · 05-05-2005, 02:27 PM

Hi Khumpty, nice install..... got one question though. I also have a Vectro Maxx inverter, 750W, and it is producing a lot of noise in the sound, to the point that the shutdown controller is going crazy and starting and shuting down the carputer constantly, I have a similar setup to yours so I was wondering what you thought about the Vector inverter and if you are having any noise issues?

**JoeDirte** · 05-06-2005, 11:56 AM

The only noise I get is a slight high pitched hum if there is no sound playing. But it is so slight you can't even hear it with the car running. Other than that I've had no problems with the Vector. Sometimes it doesn't survive a crank, but that's like 1 in 15. Biggest complaint I have is the noise! That little fan is loud. But, I knew that going into it and can make other arrangements later.

Sorry to hear you're having trouble, but really don't know what could be causing this.

**Willy-Mach1** · 05-06-2005, 12:40 PM

Thanks for the reply! I've done extensive searching on this problem and my conclusion is that it is just too big of an inverter (750W) and it is causing way to much RFI... i'll probably end up getting a dc-dc psu, that should solve the problem.

again, very nice install and thanks for the reply!!!