RDaneel

Hey -

Sorry if someone asked this before (I'm new here!), but I would love to get a double DIN dash kit for my future G35 and run a touchscreen off a mini-ITX computer in the trunk. However, I'm dreaming of putting the screen in the dash opening for a nice clean look, and having no normal head unit at all. What's frustrating is that the Lilliput and Xenarc screens are both about 7.75" wide, and I think that the din opening is about 7-7.2" wide. Can you take off the outer casing, or even dremel it down to fit that space? Any ideas?

Afr0puff, I know you'd like to know too! (Apparently, I've been following you around - first FA, then G35 driver, then here...)

Thanks!
RDaneel

MP3Car.com

 

deadweasel

That size difference is pretty small, how about just dremeling the bezel around the DIN instead? Easy enough to get another bezel, NOT so for the screen...

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RDaneel

hahaha deadweasel - you're right about that... unfortunately the double din bezel for the G35 is a japan-only part, so it's not as easy to get as you'd think!

I was also thinking about the TM-701L monitor from DigitalWW - can it be hacked right out of the DIN unit it retracts into? It is 7" wide, and probably closer to the right height, and can be had with a touchscreen...

deadweasel

OOoh.... You should be on Monster Garage my man. Just reading that made me cringe. I know I don't have the money to toss about, attempting to pull apart a retractable unit like that, but I'm not you.

What I would do in your case, since it's such a close shave, and there's so much money at stake, AND since a dremel is more than likely to be involved no matter how you look at it, I would run down to the local import auto parts store and see how much it would cost to get a replacement bezel for the car. I bet it's still cheaper. Mind you, that would only be to correct a worse-case scenario, where you are dremeling the bezel while drunk, and getting felt up by a couple of hot chicks, and then sneeze.

You see my point right? Look at what costs less to screw up, and go with that!

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SiGmA_X

Try your dealer, I bet they can get you one. Or you prob could even get one easily from Japan form a dealer there. Ask on G35Driver, from what I have heard they have lots of stuff.

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GingerPrince

The thing to remember is that if you fit a lilliput or something to fit a double-din slot, the slot won't be tall enough to reach the buttons. I mounted mine about 2 inches back from the face, and put a blank stereo facia there for disguise. This way I can also get to the power button (which I find is often needed for the Lilliput!)

See it here: -

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/thestic...h%20screen.wmv

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GingerPrince

Car changed for TVR Griffith 500, so computer de-installed. Using a Dension 100ix w/60Gb HD unit in the interim.

Carputer Install - http://www.stuffandting.com/carputer/
CarBox Software -- http://www.stuffandting.com/carbox/

Confused

Yeah, without doing too much hacking, you can fit a 7" widescreen into a double din slot, but it will have to sit back a few mm. My Xenarc is sitting about 1cm back from the front, and the controls (which luckily I don't need to use hew: ) are hidden just below the visible bit


(Click for bigger image)

As you may be able to see (i covered the bezel in black electrical tape, so it blends in better) the buttons are kind of behind the bit of plastic between the double-din opening and the space where the cup holder used to be (and where there is now a slimline cdrom )

If you take it out of it's casing, however, then it fits quite a lot nicer, the bezel adds about 5mm round each edge (on my Xenarc, at least, a Lilliput may be different)


Garry

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RDaneel

Awesome guys! Thanks for the pics - I'm happy to see that it's possible. How did you actually attach the screens to the dash in those cars?

It's probably also possible to dremel a bit and increase the size of the opening in the G35 double DIN faceplate. Because I'm not actually appearing on Monster Garage any time soon, that's the point where I mail the screen and the faceplate out to a custom installer and let them worry about making it fit flush!

Thanks for all the advice - I can rest easy now knowing that this is possible, and I can ditch the head units and go with a touchscreen!

RDaneel

MP3Car.com

 

Confused

There was a couple of screws in the back holding in the old little cubby hole which took up half of that double-din slot.

I took the back half of the casing for the screen off, and used those screws to hold the screen in

Will take pics at the weekend if you want


Garry

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RDaneel

Thanks Garry, but that's not necessary. I think I have an idea of how it can work, and I will probably shell out the money for a custom fabricator to do the work when the time comes - I mostly wanted to make sure it was feasible...

Cheers,
RDaneel

spectrumzz

What do you guys do for a stereo when the headunit is removed?? My understanding is that you can't just dump the output from the PC to the amp and expect it to work (no gain control?). Anyone figure that out?

deadweasel

As far as I know, feeding an amplifier from the PC output is no different from feeding your home stereo. They're both amplifiers, ne?

I would think (and I intend to test this if there are no responses to the contrary) that you only need to control the source volume (IE system volume and/or mp3 player program volume etc).

Am I wrong on this people?

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The ALEXIS Project
MP3---VIDEO---GPS---REARVIEW---OBD---SKINNING
Color Coding :
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GingerPrince

You can just use an amp, but I use my headunit - I relocated it into the compartment in my arm-wrest, where a CD changer is normally installed.

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GingerPrince

Car changed for TVR Griffith 500, so computer de-installed. Using a Dension 100ix w/60Gb HD unit in the interim.

Carputer Install - http://www.stuffandting.com/carputer/
CarBox Software -- http://www.stuffandting.com/carbox/

Confused

Yeah, you can plug the output from the PC directly into the amp, and I have done that. Just adjust the volume from within Windows, and set your amps accordingly for the sound level you get from the computer (so you don't deafen yourself! )


Garry

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deadweasel

Cool!

*tosses headunit back on the bench*

Now to find a 1.21 gigawatt amplifier.....

__________________
The ALEXIS Project
MP3---VIDEO---GPS---REARVIEW---OBD---SKINNING
Color Coding :
DONE / MOSTLY DONE / BASE FEATURES / WORKING CONCEPT / NO CODE COMPLETED

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