R32 JUhl

Revised 7/1/05

To all interested:

Upon posting the pics of my my carputer install, I got a lot of requests to supply a faceplate for other MK IV Golf & Jetta installs. There's not enough free time for me to hand-build the units I have requests for, so I have gone to a machine shop to get the faceplates made by machine from aluminum. The unit takes the place of a double-Din radio and the cupholder. It houses a Lilliput LCD and a Mapower DVD enclosure.

I'm not looking to get rich on this project! I simply wanted to offer a unit to those who don't have the abundant free time required to make their own piece or for those who don't have the skills - I thought I was one of the latter three months ago.

If there is a desire for a Xenarc-capable faceplate, then I need a donor Xenarc. If I can make enough money to buy a Xenarc, then I will. But that will delay creation of the Xenarc bezel as well as add cost to it.

Special thanks to DashPC.com for the loaner MK IV radio bucket that's helping to keep the "per unit" cost down a couple of extra bucks as well as make it simpler to test prototypes and perform measurements. Thanks Chris.

Load up my PM box and help me keep this thread near the top!

STATUS as of 7/1/05:

I've been forced to start over on this project! If you want to read through the thread, you can see the problems I've had with incompetent machine shops. I'm in the process of making an acrylic model from scratch to provide for a machinist to make their design from. I'm handling multiple projects in my personal (as well as professional) life that are requiring an abundance of travel, time, energy and resources. I will steal time for this project as I can. Sadly, it is a project that does not travel well so I cannot take it with me to work on in a hotel room - otherwise I would.

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My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.

cbergeron

I might be able to help you out here. You can see pictures of my fabrication here:





We should talk. I'm in a MKIV Jetta VR6.

I can provide you with a spare center console, etc. and I'm in North ATL.

Kind regards,
CB

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DashPC - The Linux Car (since 1999).

Dash LCD, Via Epia, GPS, XM, OBDII, DSSC Shutdown Controller.

As seen in the book Geek My Ride

RedGTiVR6

it's not that hard people!

really!

I don't want to ruin your post R32 but COME ON PEOPLE!

there are a ton og MKIVs on here who have done it so it must not be that difficult!

ok - I'm putting my flame suit on now

=/

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R32 JUhl

You're right - it isn't difficult for someone with your level of knowledge of fabrication. Even I figured it out after making a few mistakes. What IS hard is spending the time it requires to research, to learn how to fabricate, to formulate a plan, to draw up the plans, to come up with the tools to do it, to come up with the materials to do it, and again to come up with the TIME to do it. Time is money! And the 15 or so hours I dedicated to fabrication, not including an equal amount of time I spent getting everything together multiplied by what my employer says my time is worth, makes my dash piece worth well over a thousand bucks. If someone offered a solution for a hundred bucks, I would have saved over a thousand dollars. And that's how a lot of people who are pressed for time have to look at it. For a lot of people, it isn't just about the skills, it's about the cost of time - you never get that back, but you can always find a way to get more money.

No flaming required.

Read, "The Richest Man in Babylon". It's a quirky book, but it puts my statement in perspective. OH, it's a quick read, too!

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My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.

RedGTiVR6

While I see where you are coming from I still can't understand it completely....I haven't read that book but I know generally what it's about.

It's not cool to do it if you can just buy a bunch of prefabbed parts and put them together and be done with it......

BUT

different strokes for different folks!

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R32 JUhl

You are so right!

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My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.

R32 JUhl

You got mail!

__________________
My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.

jasonsp6

I own a MKIV GTI and would be interested in a faceplate to make my carputer install look cleaner and have more of an OEM look. Unfortunately I don't have a spare radio basket I could provide for prototype purposes, but hopefully there is someone out there that will send you one.

One thought on your design, is it possible to recess / angle the top edge of the screen about 15deg into the top and let the bottom edge of the screen be almost fush with the front face of the radio basket? It will help visibility of the screen by allowing a more direct view of the screen along with eliminating some glare. I am sure this will complicate the design if you decide to implement it, but it may be beneficial.

R32 JUhl

Great input! I think I may have a center dash piece committed to the project and am closing in on a Lili - possibly - more info later. Will keep this thread current with updates.

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My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.

ppgt94

Will a Xenarc fit in it as well? Members experience shows that Lilli's are not built well enough for removing and reinstalling like so.

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My Install Thread
digitaljetta.com

MKIV VW Jetta
How do I get sound to my car?

R32 JUhl

If someone will hook me up with a Xenarc, then the answer is yes. At this point, I have experience with the Lilli and I have all the technical drawings, plus I think I have a lead on one, so that's my first objective. Any help you can provide with getting me the stuff I need to meet your needs will help out significantly. I'll be glad to make it fit both!

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My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.

jaded_gti

in response to your quest to find a lilliput housing.. check out this link...


i know they are out of stock, but supposedly the end of febuary they will have more

http://digitalww.com/lilliput_housing.htm

R32 JUhl

Thanks! I need to clarify that I need the Lilli touchscreen not just the housing. The machine shop will need it to build exact specifications for mounting the screen to the fascia as well as mounting the rear portion of the housing to the back of the fascia.

__________________
My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.

Scarum

This all sounds exciting, I wish I could help though I would be interested in the end result. Would prefer a Xenarc compatible faceplate though.

If done in aluminium, will it be with a brushed look so it blends in with the R32, 25 Anni interior? Incidentally, I would be happy with the OEM plastic look!

Sorry I cannot contribute with the fabrication in more ways.

R32 JUhl

It looks like I've honed in on a machine shop - hoping to meet with them in the first part of next week to show them the plans. And yes, the idea is to have a brushed aluminum finish that matches the R32. If demand is great enough, then a less expensive version made from plastic and rubberized could be made available. But we're a long way from that level of demand.

I'm buying a dead Lilli from a board member and I'm still looking for a dash... If you have a good salvage yard near your home, please let me know.

__________________
My first attempt at a carputer.

PM me if you're interested in a monitor faceplate for your '99-'04 Golf or Jetta. My Vortex ID is NorthAtlR32 - you can IM me there, too. Go here for more information.