E39 BMW 528 CarPuter

madfish · 01-29-2006, 05:53 AM

OK,

Started the new install on Saturday, I have most of the equiptment required from my last install in the Celica I just need to get another screen for the Beemer.

At this stage, existing stereo and BMW computer have been removed and the PC cables and audio cables installed from the boot, under the carpets to the dash... pics so far

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### SORRY THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR WORKLOGS - DAMN NEWBIES, MODS CAN YOU MOVE FOR ME PLEASE? ###

madfish · 01-29-2006, 06:33 AM

The car itself ...

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And what the dash looks like now, ready for the screen. The wooden interior trim is getting painted to match the same colour as the car bodywork, same high gloss finish :-)

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4u2n · 01-29-2006, 11:53 AM

more pictures

Cris · 01-29-2006, 04:24 PM

Nice progress. I love those cars!

e39dream · 02-17-2006, 02:07 AM

I am very very curious what are your plans for a screen? I'm in the planning, thinking and dreaming phase of my install in my 528i and am leaning towards the 16:9 nav widescreen as my basis, although I am aware of the expense I will retain am/fm radio and phone intergration(I think). please keep up the pics!

madfish · 02-17-2006, 05:16 PM

hello matey,

I will be using the 7 in Xenarc 700TSV screen like a lot of others on this forum. I had the Lilliput 8 in screen in my last car but this is too big for the this install. The original BMW computer is getting repositioned (probably in the glovebox).

There is a guy on here (SRCSTC) selling custom fabricated bezels for the E39, excellent work and a great professional finish if you dont fancy doing it yourself...

The factory BMW 16:9 screen is a nice looking, factory look but is not as good quality as an aftermarket VGA and also is lacking the touchscreen which is ideal for the PC.

Good luck mate!
Mark

sama · 02-23-2006, 04:59 AM

Hey Madfish

Nice to see an identical car to mine here, down to the very wheels! I'm curently looking at screen options and I've got some ideas I'd like to share / develop.

I bought a couple of these din adaptors, which shoudl arrive soon.

I plan to hack them, cut them, join them - don't know exactly how yet - to acheive what I haven't fully thought of! I have to wait to see and measure them before I can see what's possible and what isn't. The options I've been thinking are these:

1 - Cut the adaptor so the the DIN part remains intact, but the bottom still shows through the factory radio and MID display. That way, the DIN can be used for a motoroised / non motorised DIN housing for a TFT screen.

2 - As above, but fill the DIN part with some plastic so that only a slit is there, and build a mechanism of some sort. This way, bigger screens can be used. And the factory cover that usually closes the tape/cd compartment can be used to hide it away.

3 - Hack and join two adaptors to create a bezel for a bigger screen of some sort, like the LinITX 8" Widescreen. Maybe the sides of the DIN adaptor can be cut and used, so they go along side an 8" screen which would consume the center portion of the bezel entirely (so the bezelk would not run along the top and bottom of the screen)

One thing that struck me about them is that the bevel for the opening is quite deep, and perhaps with some work this can be worked to an advantage, as the screen would be sunk in and therefore more resistant to sunlight.

In all the above cases, I'd also like to acommedate a slot-in USB DVD reader at the front.

How far have you got with your screen plans?

madfish · 02-23-2006, 03:43 PM

I was thinking of using the same DIN adapter myself and cutting and shutting it around a xenarc screen ('tis the only screen I know of that will fit due to limited height restrictions) a few other members on this boared have done the same.

I have decided to just fabricate something out of fibreglass from scratch and mold it into the xenarc screen casing. As I want to keep the BMW computer I am going to re position this in the glovebox. There is a useful immobiliser function on there that I dont want to lose if poss...

Good luck with this matey, I'd love to see piccys of your progress

sama · 02-28-2006, 04:00 AM

The 8" Widescreen from LinITX/CarTFT also fits in the dash. Yesterday I removed the insides as you have done and started toying with the screen inside. It fits with a few mm (will measure exacts when I get a big enough steel ruler

) to spare around it. If you haven't yet purchased the Xenarc, you may be interested in the bigger 8".

madfish · 03-01-2006, 05:05 AM

Ooohh yeah, would love another 8in screen, I had one ion the last car and it looks much better than the 7in and it also has a more natural native resolution...

It deffo fits yeah? Is that in its original case or has it been gutted?

Do you have the link to that screen?

Many thanks,
Mark

sama · 03-01-2006, 05:07 AM

It has ben gutted. The screen has a silver bezel around it (the edge) so there's still space to build the trim around that. Once it's in, there's a couple of mm at the top and bottom.

I have pics that I'll post 2nyt. LinITX are all out of stock (I took their last, muahaha!) but Car-TFT have it.

Cris · 03-01-2006, 07:36 AM

Any new pics?

madfish · 03-01-2006, 09:13 AM

Nothing from me unfortunatley, not untill I get the screen...

Sama, hell of a good price that 8in a lot cheaper than the xenarc one..., looks like a brand new model that aswell, good find!!

sama · 03-01-2006, 09:19 AM

Image quality is very good too. I can't say I've had much expience with touchscreens in general, but it seems to do the job well. The screen is a Hitachi. Like I said, I will post pics 2nyt in the car etc.

Question: I read that E39's have an amp in the boot. I looked in my boot behind where the CD player used to be, and there isn't an amp there. I tried to connect just the MID, but the radio function has gone. I'm guessing that either the AMP is in the headunit, or the amp will not function until it's told to by something. Do you have any more info?

I forgot to mention that I removed the tape player plus the bit underneath it that goes with it.

e39dream · 03-01-2006, 10:14 AM

madfish, sama! I love you guys! I'm still in the planning, buying and trying phases of my install, but I am eagerly watching to see how you guys like your car pcs. I have a black e39 too, with sport package and style 5 wheels! Sama the tuner function might be worked into the tape deck- try plugging it back in and I bet your tuner will work. I just got my audio adapter in the post and will let you guys know how I like it, came from here http://indashpc.org/new/adapters/usbbmw.html

I am nervous about tearing into the dash so please post alot of pics of what was done. Good luck on your side of the pond!

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