First off, this is not really a carputer, I have modified my htpc/desktop PC for use in the car, so this would be way overkill for just a carputer. My goal was to make it a mutipurpose PC. I also wanted a stealthy install, so no modifications (or very little) would be visible.
PC specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300
Gigabyte GA-745GME-DS2 mAtx MB
2 Gig Corsair Value Select PC25300 Dual Channel RAM
Antec NSK2400 New Solution mATX desktop case
Old Fujitsu 6.4 gig hd for now
Intigrated Intel GMA950 graphics in the MB for now.
My old TEAC CDRW drive
Other Equipment
Monitor - Lilliput EBY-701 7 inch wide screen
Inverter - Motomaster 800W
Cables - VGA extension cable,USB extension cables (A male to A female) 2, block heater cord, amp kit, PC power cable 10', audio cable 12' (need to get), ethernet patch cable 10'
old ethernet laptop dongle, momentary switch and old pc panel for reset switch and LEDs
The inside of the PC-
Note the wires going to the end of a laptop dongle. I needed 8 wires to go to the control panel (for power,reset,HD LED and Power LED). An ethernet patch cable does the job nicely. Props to my buddy for the wiring job. If you decide to do this, be aware that the wires inside the dongle are very tiny.
Also note the huge fans on the side of the case, one of the reasons that I got this case.
Routing the wire inside the car
The red hot wire is straight from the positive battery terminal, fused using an amp kit. My car had a hole in the firewall with a plug in it, so it was a snap to run the wire.
I placed the inverter under the front seat. 800W is overkill, but I got a good deal on it. Plus it has overload and undervoltage protection etc. The 8th gen civics are a joy to work on, very easy to take apart. Just be very careful not to scuff or scratch the plastics, they scratch very easily.
A close up of the monitor mounting:
We drilled a hole in through the aluminum then fastened a bolt to the underside of the monitor. The foam helps to make it sturdier.
The rough fit. If you look closely, you can see that the monitor is actually on.
The 7 inch wide screen just barely fits here. Note the bezel around the monitor. Again, props to my buddy.
A view of the cables to the truck. I ran the PC power cable, 2 usb cables, the ethernet cable, and the vga cable from under the console, under the back seat, then under the 60/40 folding seat and into the truck. Very easy to do. I'll have to install the audio cable later...D'oh!
The PC in the trunk-
Yes it is rather bulky, but it suits my purposes fine. The case has lots of airflow and with the core 2 duo, is nice and cool.
The power, reset and LEDs inside the flip up console. The ethernet cable is cut and hard wired to the switches. The block heater cord was necessary due to the fact the inverter plugs were too close together. The ac adaptor for the monitor is plugged in here, as will a powered USB hub, for a future keyboard.
The result!
Future improvements:
Improve the viewing angle of the monitor. It can be hard to see depending on your position and how bright it is outside, however, I can live with it.
Add the audio cable. This will plug right into the Aux in the factory head unit.
Find a way to easily turn on the inverter. Right now, I need to pull the seat forward in order to access the inverter to turn it on.
Overall though, I am very pleased with the results. I am using Roadrunner for the front end, and just need to install some software. I use the rubber mat from the center console to cover up the monitor when parked, so the install is virtually invisible.