newbie itching to mod

Huascar82 · 10-29-2009, 04:24 PM

Hey all. So like the title says, I'm new to carputers and what not. I looked into it on my old car but ended up not doing it as the onboard sound was pleasing enough and didnt really need it. Now that my ms6 was rear ended and totaled I up/down graded to a 2008 rav4 base model with the worst sound I've ever heard. Once I gather some funds I'll start upgrading the speakers and down and all. Down the line I plan on putting in a carputer for music and video storage for the kids.

Anyways down to it. My plans (i just started thinking about it yesterday) are to start off by upgrading speakers and headunit. Down the line I want touchscreen with the carputer. My fear, at the moment, is having to remove the head unit to add in a 7inch screen. I know I can get an FM tuner for the PC but I wanted to keep radio tuning where it belongs (in my opinion) on the head unit. My my question, is it possible to get a single din head unit and down the road get a motorized single din video reciever that I will be able to add to the available space since I only used a single din head unit?

The way I'm picturing it right now would be head unit + LCD screen in dash, mac mini or similar somewhere in car, LCDs on driver and front passenger headrests (hoping to find solution for sending DVD playing to head rests and still have GPS up front. All this thru the computer.)

Or if there's a dual din HU with AM/FM radio + GPS (US) + LCD and inputs for the mac mini, I could go with that and later add the mac mini to the mix with the headrest LCDs.

I'm sure I dont have it all correct it on how it should be so all suggestions and opinions are appreciated and welcomed.

Huascar

s00pa · 11-19-2009, 04:40 AM

I'll agree that radio should be provided by a head unit, it's just easier that way. It seems that motorized screens aren't recommended by people here, because they aren't considered reliable. Perhaps it is possible to put the head unit somewhere else to make room for the screen? In my setup I'll have the original HU behind my netbook carPC.
Maybe you could move the HU further down the centre console, into the storage area?
That would probably require some work, especially to make it look like it belongs there.

I can't help much with the mac as I know nothing about them. Anyway good luck with the install.

Bugbyte · 11-19-2009, 10:15 AM

I put my HU in the glovebox by extending the harness wires. I works fine remotely but I should have also remote mounted the removable faceplate. I might do that this winter.

So, yes it can be done. Go with an HU that has a removable faceplate, extend the wires using Cat 5 cable, solder them in place, put the HU hidden somewhere and remote the faceplate.

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