jjnit's 2005 Nissan Frontier LE Crew Cab

jjnit · 03-12-2007, 12:40 PM

Ok - may as well start this.

As I've seen some others linking to outside pages for their gallery/worklog, I'm doing the same here. Makes it easier on me to upload/manage.

jjnit's 2005 Nissan Frontier LE Crew Cab

Purchased this truck brand new in March of 05, just getting around to setting up the PC, though I've been collecting parts since 05 for it.

Everything is up and running, the latest project is to finalize the PC location and mounting, and to integrate the LCD into the dash so that I can lose the OEM HU. It seems that the 7" Lilli will fit the stereo faceplate with little or possibly no modification, however, due to potential screen glare, I may end up dropping it back into the console a bit to shield it, similar to the way the Murano is.

Ideas? I have searched but not found anyone with a 2005 Fronty setup yet. I've got a slot-load DVD/CD I need to fab in somewhere too.

EDIT(10/29/2007) Completed Summer 2007 project status pictures are here.

EDIT(03/19/2008) I'm getting antsy again and ready to make some changes. Pictures to come soon. Plans include adding a Thunderform MTX sub in the rear, re-wiring and relocating the CPU and 4-ch amp to be behind the rear seat somehow. My plans now are to attempt cutting out some of the back of the passenger-side rear seat to make room for these, as they will not fold up the way they are now.

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Here are a few teaser images - the rest are in my gallery at the links above...

breaker021 · 03-12-2007, 01:37 PM

I saw the photochopped pics of putting it ni the factory location... and you're right - doing that will be a ***** and a half... i think it looks fine in its current location and if it works well for you, then stick with it. unless you have the time and money and spare dash/parts in case you **** up somewhere.... fabrication / taking my entire car apart is the reason i went the tablet laptop route instead of hardwiring a pc / monitor into the car... but that's just me.

if you are currently happy with your setup and it is doing whatever you want it to (navigation/music/whatever), then stick with it. regardless, i am diggin the setup as is.
- sh00k

jjnit · 03-12-2007, 02:31 PM

Just looked at yours - I looked at possibly going the tablet route, but I had a lot of parts already. I'm also in and out all day long in and around various parts of Atlanta so I had to go the OEM-look route thx to the $%*&#-ing thieves and window-smashers here.

It's not the easiest to use where it's at now (front of gearshift), so I need to at least move it to the factory location (no big deal). A decent OEM look on with a day's work. I just will need to find somewhere else for my DVD/CD drive to go.

Question - how much of a fire hazard do you guys think it would be to pull out some of the framework in the rear bucket seat back to mount the PC chassis in? The way my rear seat is set up now, the PC fits back there but I cannot raise the seat bottom to access my under-seat storage bins. I'm thinking if I maybe neatly cut away/reupholster the seat back (leaving the PC mounted to the rear cab wall) it could provide enough room to raise the seat.

Just wondering about the proximity to all that upholstery/stuffing/carpet, etc.

breaker021 · 03-13-2007, 10:12 AM

Thank you for the props on my setup. Yeah, the screen is huge but my temp controls are blocked. I can still get to them but i gotta muck around behind the tablet as i drive which isnt the safest thing to do ;]

I hear you about doing frequent stops while driving - for me, it's a pain having to mount/dismount the tablet each time i wana park somewhere - even though mounting it only takes me 2 seconds. I can put up with it tho because i feel its still better than trying to fabricate something myself... i have absolutely no skill in that area and dont have the time to hone in on my craft like other pro's on this site. l0l...

It took me long enough to make my cheap *** ghetto $1 tablet mount... I've been wanting to make another more 'secure' and better looking mount but i've been putting that project on hold for months now... just not enough time to run around to various stores, get the right parts, etc. =/
- sh00k

jjnit · 03-19-2007, 11:42 AM

Updated gallery and worklog... spent about 20 hours this weekend just rewiring everything from speakers, antenna, relocating CPU, removing OEM HU, temporarily taping the LCD in, etc.

Also attempted soldering my factory AM/FM aerial directly to the Silabs Fm tuner per this page: but must have a cold joint or something because "it ain't workin"... something to work on next weekend.

Still need to move and fab in my DVD/CD in the front (will put in just above the LCD with some sort of heat sheild between) and permanently install the LCD in its new home. Since I had to move the CPU under the seat I've also got to make an enclosure for it to keep passenger feet, loose items, and dirt/grime out.

I can;t believe I spent that long doing that, but the grind of "cable run, strip end, solder end, heat shrink, cut wire because I forgot to put the heat shrink on before soldering" gets old and repetitive very fast.

jjnit · 03-26-2007, 10:01 AM

Latest update includes the permanent LCD mounting. I attempted to fab out of ABS plastic sheeting a DVD slot above the LCD but it just didn;t come out right after several attempts. It would probably do better if I actually used a vacuum form instead of a balsa form, electric oven, and a couple of heavy pot holders

Ended up putting the DVD drive mounted vertically inside the center console. Only .5" thick so it fits perfectly in there under a ledge where I can still easily access it, plus, it's concealed and out of the dirt/grime that comes in since my windows are always down.

Will add pics later of the DVD location and of the attempts at a ABS mount for it - it's seriously pitiful-looking

But probably easier than fiberglass.

Last thing - resoldered the Silabs tuner to the factory aerial since I had a cold-solder joint last time. I think I succeeded in burning up the cap immediately after the aerial pad due to a slipping hemostat I was using as a heat sink.

That's the second one for me. The first one was bad from the factory, the second one worked decently with the flimsy wire on it but others had a lot of success connecting to the car antenna. I may give up and go to the Radioshark if I can;t get this one going. Too bad - it's a great little tuner for being as cheap as it is.

breaker021 · 03-29-2007, 08:47 AM

nice job dude. the screen looks mad OEM sittin there.
- sh00k

sporty_drew · 03-29-2007, 07:10 PM

Very clean, i like what you chose for a motherboard... speed

jjnit · 04-01-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by sporty_drew

Very clean, i like what you chose for a motherboard... speed

Thanks - yeah I had a temporary setup using a lesser cpu and got tired of not being able to watch DVD's. I mean I've got this nice LCD sitting there, why should I not be able to pull up a DVD there and on the headrest monitors with the same box that's running my audio

sporty_drew · 04-01-2007, 12:43 PM

thats my view on it, but then again to each his own lol