Factory looking faceplate

Jiels_liken · 08-09-2009, 11:11 PM

so I am building a head unit to go into my dash to have some basic features without always have to open the screen all the time. I want it to look close to a standard stereo, But I don't have and fabrication experience. but this is my Idea PLEASE comment and let me know the best way to get this done!!

I plan on starting with the factory faceplate because it already clips onto the rest of the head unit

here the factory face plate:

I plan on cutting out everything but the DVD Slot and the screen so it looks similar to this:

the screen it not a certainty I was planning on mounting a LCD that tells you about your computer temp adn HDD activity

but then I found this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811996005
and if I could integrate that into my fact play it would surely look OEM

I also want a couple USB ports and a volume control

the volume control might be the simplest with something like this:

so that my Idea I just dont know how to get it out of my head and into my car

2k1Toaster · 08-10-2009, 05:37 AM

Why go through all that trouble to get a 2 line character display? That's ludicrous. If you are putting in a CarPC, do it right!

Jiels_liken · 08-10-2009, 01:22 PM

I am doing this because its Custom and fun, but how do I "do it right" by your definition?

thekl0wn · 08-10-2009, 03:44 PM

Full size 95-99 Chevy/GMC pickup/SUV? If so, you've got tons of room to add on/add to the center console in the future, with a screen. I am curious as to how you're going to utilize the OEM LCD.

Jiels_liken · 08-10-2009, 03:53 PM

the deck is not stock for my car (84 Chevy Camaro)

the cool thing is the screen on the face plate is just a window so I was planing on putting another LCD behind it like this or similar:
LCD CPU monitor

2k1Toaster · 08-10-2009, 03:55 PM

Well the part that you interact with the most is the screen. Putting in a VGA touchscreen allows you to fully utilize the CarPC, and can look OEM. GPS is near impossible with just a character display. Frontend navigation would be a bear. Just so much nicer to have a real screen.

Jiels_liken · 08-10-2009, 03:57 PM

lol I do plan on putting in a full sccreen monitor in the dash also, lol this is just for other stuff

soundman98 · 08-10-2009, 05:07 PM

you were trying to do this without a fusion brain right? i really think that you should look elsewhere for a volume knob, mostly because the griffin is going to be Huge, and will take up alot of room, if you refuse to use the fusion brain, you could look at modifying a mouse wheel to control the volume.

Jiels_liken · 08-10-2009, 05:19 PM

why would I need the fusion brain for a volume control? the "head unit will house a CD-DVD player, a multimedia card reader, a couple USB ports, a couple other luxuries and a hard on/off-reset button for the computer the computer is a sony vaio and will be in the back of the car. above the head unit will be an in dash 7 inch monitor with touchscreen

that will me my setup

now whats the best way to setup the FRONT of my head unit so it looks OEM

trader007 · 08-10-2009, 05:48 PM

you might save yourself a heart-attack by just putting in a real normal headunit, that way you have simple controls without the carpc.... but if this is what you want i absolutely love the idea. it will be a challenge, and unique.

i cant really help on the VFD display part, but it would be cool to get that to display track and artist tiles of songs that playing.... and maybe have a button you could push next to it, that would cycle through temp, time, and maybe even rss feeds. like you said, there is a lot of info you can get from that display without even turning your whole monitor on.

dynatron 660 , high heat paint , and the loss of your sanity will get you an OEM looking bezel for your "headunit". it wont be a fun ride, but if you dont do it right the whole project will be highly unattractive and overall annoying to the point you don't want it anymore- no matter how well you finally get everything to work.

Jiels_liken · 08-10-2009, 06:52 PM

thank you very much trader for you help

anyone have an idea for the volume control? I know that knob is big but am not sure of any other options

barnyard · 08-10-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Jiels_liken

thank you very much trader for you help

anyone have an idea for the volume control? I know that knob is big but am not sure of any other options

This should do nicely:
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_c...hp?prod_id=446

Or, I actually have one of these (N-22V) that I'm not using anymore. It even has a knob that I robbed from a factory GM tape deck. PM me if you're interested:
http://www.davidnavone.com/cart.asp?24&cat=5

roflcopter · 08-10-2009, 07:21 PM

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/hard...l-control.html

you could do something like that. i'll admit i havent done it yet, but i found that while ago. good luck!

Jiels_liken · 08-10-2009, 08:48 PM

oh hell yeah that is brilliant, and I have one of those mouses lying around YES FREEBIE

trader007 · 08-11-2009, 06:11 PM

looks like he was using volumemouse to get the volume to work. its a program that basically hotkeys the volume task... so as he had it, you hold down the cntrl key and then use your mouse wheel. ive used the program before and its fairly reliable.

so it would work, but you would need something to act as the cntrl key... and your volume will be a two step process (push button and use volume). i think you would be better off if you could find a program that takes a specified mouse and uses that mouse's wheel only for volume control... that way it stays separate from your normal mouse functions and should be more reliable, and much more oem in functionality.

also, i wouldnt doubt that you could just pull the knob off that griffin powermate, and mount the unit on the back of the faceplate... then attatch your own knob to the front, something about half the size like a normal volume control is.

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