Another noob takes a brave step into the light...

Viscouse · 07-10-2005, 01:06 PM

Hi all.

I thought I'd introdiuce myself & say a little bit about the new project I will be embarking upon.

I have a 2003 Saab 9-3, and I'm (like everyone else here) gonna add a little electronic oomph to it. Why? For the challange, and to add expandability to the car. There are a bunch of things I WANT to add, we'll see if they ever make it. I would like to make copious notes here since it seems I'm the first of my car to do this on this forum.

Here are the goals:
-Wireless Networking
-Bluetooth
-DVD drive (multireadable)
-Touchscreen monitor that hides in the CD slot
-Freakin huge HDD
-GPS integration with Navigation
-Ibus interconnectivity
-XM integration for my existing Commander
Seamless, stock appearing, and invisible.

I have read enough on this forum to give my nerd-seasoned brain a run for it's money, so I'm not asking any questions...yet.

My first challange: where to put it. I have a couple candidates in mind.
-Under Passenger seat
-Inside spare tire in trunk (must relocate tools currently occupying spot, and get past ventilation issues)
-Inside rear seat armrest
-Not stealth: just glue it to the back of the rear seats.

I am also starting to look at components. I really like the Ikea box idea, cause it's a good fit for the mobo & power that I am interested in, but 1 but point for me is that I want a 3.5" HDD. Karbo+3.5" HDD= no go. So we'll see. In fact, the M10000+3.5" HDD is 1mm bigger than space allows in my spare tire, and that's without the case. So we'll have to get creative.

The only thing I'm 90% certain I'm getting is the Xenarc 700IDT In Dash 7" Touch, as it will replace the CD player in my dash, and fit nicely (I think...gotta break out the tape measure).

Check back later, and any comments welcome!

Bugbyte · 07-10-2005, 01:15 PM

Welcome! You're doing your reading -that's great. Sounds like you're on the right track so far.

...If you only need 1mm in the spare tire space, well, there's got to be a creative way to make that fit. Maybe remote mount the HDD. Go with an external unit?

Viscouse · 07-10-2005, 04:10 PM

Thanks Bugbyte, I appreciate the encouragement. I've seen many of your posts here!

I think I found my perfect case.
http://www.officedepot.com/products/...76/;:10gg9eb56

The plan is to put the 3.5" & PU in the lid, and the MB in the base. I have to trim some stuff, and make all the other holes, but what a great find, and a great start! I don't need the lock, but eh, added bonus.
Once I get all my components & put it in, I'll make a proper post in the Tech section. No one here has used this.
Partilculars:
Valutz Cash Box, $20
Inner Dims: 230mm x 190mm x (60mm in base + 20mm in lid)
Outer Dims: 253mm x 215mm x 95mm
So by my feeble calcs that gives it what, a 1/2" armor?

Next project, since I have a HD, is how to mount it. Where's that damn search button...

dougiefresh · 07-11-2005, 04:29 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Viscouse

-Inside spare tire in trunk

Wow, inside the spare tire......... won't that create a problem when you actually need to use the spare tire? It might be a little hard removing the carputer........ LOL

Seriously though: Do you mean inside the spare tire well? If so, where is your spare tire going if any of the tires go flat or get screwed up going down the road?

Viscouse · 07-11-2005, 06:47 PM

I mean inside the tire. I am not sacrificing my spare.

My tire is concavely sitting horizontally in my trunk, under the floorboards.
Nested inside there already is a toolkit.

If I remove the toolkit, you can see the picture below. Access to the spare is not a problem, as I simply remove the puter. It will not be so rigidly mounted that I will have to unscrew it. I will use something else.

MatrixPC · 07-12-2005, 12:06 PM

Under the passenger seat it the first place I will install the PC. Trunk is 2nd and spare tire is the last. Why? heat problem. Inside the cabin/under passenger seat, the PC share the AC with you. Other than that, you have to make some creative HOLES to cool the PC in the summer heat.

Viscouse · 07-12-2005, 02:09 PM

Thanks Matrix. That's the issue I've been grappling with. I'm still doing my research & searches, but here is what I'm coming up with so far:

Seat: good airflow possibilities, but it gets really, really hot in the summer, and really cold in the winter.
Tire: bad airflow (just move the heated air around in the well) but it will never get really hot. It will get pretty cold though.

Since I can't fix the really really hot aspect of putting it in the cabin, but I can fix the airflow issue in the trunk, Trunk is up by 1.

But...now that I'm thinking about it, the puter will not be running when the car isn't running, heat issue for the Seat is bearable. Seat is up by 1.

I would love to put it under the seat, but there are some packaging concerns I have to work through.

Paul H · 07-30-2005, 04:21 PM

The original mounting place for the Saab Amp/Navi-DVD player and CD-changer is in the left side of the trunk you can fit the computer there

Paul
(former Saab mechanical)

JaymzRR · 07-30-2005, 05:48 PM

I don't know Saabs but have you looked at glovebox or armrest install options? Another option some I have seen you can remote install a lot of stuff, get as much as you can in the dash, mount everything else (and now hopefully substantially less stuff) under a seat or such. Of course with an in-dash fold-out style screen you probably have less room in the dash.

Viscouse · 07-30-2005, 11:00 PM

Paul, thanks for the advice. I thought of that, but I would have to to cram it into the smallest form factor possible, and I wanted some flexibility to use some oddball parts, like a 3.5" drive.

JaymzRR, thanks but i'm not a fan of spreading parts around (although I did think about it). There is VERY little room in my dash. What room is available is now taken up by the XM Commander box.

I think the seat option wins. I also like the idea of easy access (fast removal), and the allure of not running cables all over the place.

Thanks guys!

Paul H · 07-31-2005, 04:41 PM

Do you have any options installed at the rear or is it a gap, there is also the option of mounting the whole thing (the pc and hd) at the top of the trunk there are already prefab mounting spaces there for the stock telephone and navi modules

Paul

Viscouse · 07-31-2005, 05:10 PM

Paul, good ideas, but...
In the left trunk rear where all that stuff is supposed to fit I have an AMP & another unrelated chunk of electronics. So no room there, especially because I don't want the puter to suck in all the heated air from the amp. Man that sucker kicks out some serious BTUs.

What would be extremely cool is if I could put it in the RIGHT side. Except I wish I could get the panel for the right which is made the same way as the left (flat instead of contoured to fit in the space). That way I could hide a nice chunk of stuff back there. I think there'd be adequite airflow, and it'd be completely out of sight. But that panel doesn't exist, and I'm not up to the task of making one.

Mounting it under the parcel shelf is also a good thought, but a little impracticle for 2 reasons. 1: I use my trunk. A lot, and it would get hit quite a bit because it hangs down to much. More accurately, the box I fell in love with is too deep instead of flat. Maybe version2 will go there after I'm more confident about wiring and componentry & stuff. 2: I have an Onstar box already there.

Thanks. This may be short sighted, but i fell in love with that box, and I'm determined to make it work somewhere.