2003 Durango SLT / Project HiJack / NOT 56k FRIENDLY!

HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:17 PM

I had a previous worklog, but I didnt like the way it turned out, so I had it deleted.

The PLAN:

Was to create a super multimedia system that can trash any luxury car in features. Also to give all passengers something to do. I also wanted superior sound quality. The install had to be OEM looking, which was a challenge with all the cr@p I have smushed into this truck. I hope that you guys like how I did things, and comment if there is something I can do better.

The NAME:

HiJack is based on a truck for a game called Ridge Racer 6, but also featured in Ridge Racer 1 & 2 for PSP, and Ridge Racer 7 for PS3, all which I own. (Ridge Racer is my favorite game.) The ZX1 is my name shortened and the 1 means 1st project. Since my truck is a SUV, I had to make the name diffrent then just HiJack, otherwise fans of the game would state the obvious, that the HiJack is a truck not a SUV. The whole outside is going to be restyled to make it look closer to the HiJack.

The SYSTEM and COMPONENTS with PRICING:

2 7 inch lilliput VGA ------------------------------ 374.00
3 PS3 Thumbpads ------------------------------- 45.00
3 3 in 1 presenter mice -------------------------- 87.00
1 7 port USB hub -------------------------------- 17.00
1 Kensington Bluetooth -------------------------- 30.00
1 SoundBlaster Live 24 USB ---------------------- 80.00
1 Morex 2677 Mini-ITX Case --------------------- 80.00
2 150 watt mini amps --------------------------- 50.00
1 Opus 320 watt PSU --------------------------- 189.00
1 OBDII Scanner -------------------------------- 100.00
1 Belkin 54G Wifi -------------------------------- 50.00
1 Bluetooth GPS -------------------------------- 80.00
2 Game Pads for Sega Emulator ----------------- 40.00
1 Sierra EVDO rev. A --------------------------- 160.00 plus 60.00 a month
1 650 watt mini amp ---------------------------- 43.00
1 Centrafuse Front End ------------------------- 129.00
1 AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-56 1.8 GHz processor ----- 102.00
2 1084 DDR2 Ram 667 --------------------------- 65.00
1 XM adapter ----------------------------------- 24.00
1 HD Radio and adapter ------------------------- 86.00
1 rear view cam -------------------------------- 52.00
1 15 inch VGA flipdown ------------------------- 220.00
1 7 inch lilliput VGA screen for HU --------------- 188.00
1 TMPS USB controller -------------------------- 32.00
1 IEI KINO-690S1 Mainboard -------------------- 258.00
1 XM Direct ------------------------------------ 64.00
1 TPMS PIC chip ------------------------------- 50.00
1 VGA 4 port splitter --------------------------- 60.00
1 10.2 inch rear view mirror screen ------------- FREE
1 Digital Quad Processor ----------------------- 70.00
10 Adapters for DQP --------------------------- 9.00
1 DVI-D to DVI-D 10ft cable -------------------- 23.00
1 DVI-D to VGA converter ---------------------- 117.00
1 TMPS tire system ----------------------------- 140.00
100 watt inverter ------------------------------ 20.00

PS: this pricing doesnt include alot of other things... basically i have become lazy and stopped updating it. i have spent just about $4,400.00 on this system.

This is a running list, I still need things like the leather covers for the flip downs, 2 cameras, and the fiberglass shell for the PC made, and the dash redone for a 7 inch.

I estimate that I have bought at least this much in stuff I did not use. Please if you want to avoid this happening to you, do really really good research before buying stuff.

Stuff not needed ------------------------------- 1800.00

PICS of the ride:

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Fact you should know:

The Durango is based on 2 platforms.... The Dodge Dakota and the Dodge Caravan. The front half is Dakota, with exact doors and front interior. The back half is Caravan with major mods, like 2 doors, and interior wise, the 2nd and 3rd row seats are full seats. To get to the back you flip a lever and a seat in the middle row tumbles forward to allow the 3rd row passengers to go in and out.

HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:17 PM

Wiring and wiring install:

I had so much wiring that I had to rethink my install for version 2... In version 1, everything was to go into the center console, but because my install was starting to get confusing and expanding, I decided to trash the crappy MoBo and go for a powerful Dual Core.... Pictures below show the cabling from start to finish.

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I decided to put all electrical connects under the passenger seat. The last picture with the panel on the floor is the finish result. Every connection is now in and works as it should. Even the wires for the stuff i do not have yet are installed.

HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:18 PM

Last weekend I decided that the sunvisors would not look good, and would limit the sunvisors. They wouldn't be able to serve their true function of blocking out the sun. So I decided to make new cases that fit on the top area of my dash. By placing them on the top, I avoid having to make major cuts and mods to the dash its self. I ordered a dremel (recieved), I am just waiting on the 10 sheets of 12x12 ABS plastic and the dremel circular saw bits. I decided to make a mock up out of card board and clay. This is a crude representation, the new one will be much more advanced and much more OEM. These were done simply to get an idea of the design I was going with.

Driver Side:

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Passenger Side:

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HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:19 PM

The other day I finally decided to hop down to a welder shop to have the plate for the 15 inch installed. To my surprise they refused to do the welds. They said that if they were to weld, it would warp the roof of the car, they also explained that I would have to strip the cars insides 100%, because the heat would burn up things from the sparks. I told him I had used metal epoxy to secure it, and that it does not feel secure. He then went and checked it and told me that I am being to cautious, not to worry it will stay up. He then told me that it should be able to withstand 200 pounds of force and that the screen is most likely like 15 pounds. I guess he realized I was still worried so he gave me this epoxy made for air crafts. I said ill try it. I took it home and realized the stuff stinks really bad, infact just walking through my house with it caused my house to smell for 2 days. I went to the car, mixed it and put it all the way around. When I went to work that same night the car smelled terrible and the smell was making me sick, so I had to park my car at work with the windows open. The whole time I had hotel guests coming in complaining that there is a truck outside with this bad smell coming from it. I didnt tell them it was mine, lol. When I left work I decided to check the plate, to my surprise it didnt move at all, compared to the other epoxy that had some flex. When I got home, I ran the rest of the cabling for the 15" inch then put the roof back in, then installed the screen. It is so tight there is no way it will ever fall off. Best of all it looks like it should be there and not like an amatuer installed it.

PS: POST WILL BE EDITED TO SHOW ROOF.

HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:19 PM

Well today I cut the holes in the secondary dash (the dash area underneath the dash plate), and I ended up not having to cut the defrost ducts like I thought I would. Infact the cuts are right next to the ducts, if I would have been even 1 cm off I would have cut into the ducts. I have tons of room to put the electronics. I managed to find a company that sells a 12 inch ZIF jumper cable for the video ribbon, but the y want $25.00 per cable and I need 2. I told them that was a rip off and if they could lower the cost since I got two 8 inch for $6.35 each. Lets see what they say.

HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:20 PM

Decided to finish the case... here are the pix..... I am finally getting closer to finishing..... The unit has a small fan on the Processor and GPU, and 3 large fans on the out side.... Doing this causes huge flow of air displacement..... The pix are in no specific order.... but you get the idea!

This final redesign makes everything fit perfectly.... its still bigger then some setups, but isnt to big for my setup.

HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:20 PM

Finally made the bracket for the PC on the seat.... i love Dodge because they make it easy to manipulate their cars. To get under the leather I simply released a clip then pulled out a card board piece which shapes the seat. I then took thick, but not to thick, partical board and cut it to the shape of the card board. I then went to home depot, bought some supplies and started. The seat is not done... I still have to have it redone, but at leat they wont have to make a bracket and charge me more. The PC is also going to be wrapped in leather to match the seat.

HiJackZX1 · 05-11-2008, 06:21 PM

Well today, I put the PC in, I had to find a way to connect all the USB devices without having hibernation issues. I have never seen a PC that is so picky. I have 8 onboard USB ports (only using 6 though) and 5 USB ports on a PCI card. It took me several tries to get it right, but finally got it. 2 USB ports are for the front of the PC for controllers, thumb drives, etc. The four rear ones, are as followed.... Bluetooth Dongle, TPMS control board (will not work on HUB or PCI USB card), Sprint USB card (coming out of hibernation, PC will say there is a device malfunction, so I have to unplug then plug back in. I dont have this issue with onboard port.), Belkin Wifi (will say not connected in belkin application, have to unplug then plug back in.) On the PCI card I have a 7 port USB HUB (all touchscreens, keyboards and PPC are plugged into that.), Sound Blaster Live Card (doesnt hibernate at all on the onboard ports, will constantly say nothing is connected), the last port is the head unit touch screen, the last 2 ports are free.

I bought a Turtle Beach 7.1 Advantage SRM, but it was so crappy in the car, so I went back to the Sound Blaster. The SRM is nice as hell, but it cant play Line-in devices on all speakers, only the 2 front speakers, which sounds bad. Im going to go head and split the rear channels and add the 2 new speakers, and simply adjust the amps to make it sound even.

I have 2 devices that go into the Line in. I tried connecting both though line in, but the HD Radio would be very low. If I connect both to the Mic-In port I do not have the issue but when turning up the volume, you here distortion. I guess I have to play with it a bit more.

Anyways more to come!

Nermin · 05-12-2008, 09:25 PM

hahahahahaha, you go Jack - nice to see you back here man

I just got Dynatron 660 which I was waiting on to complete my bazel - pictures will follow soon

HiJackZX1 · 05-13-2008, 05:18 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Nermin

hahahahahaha, you go Jack - nice to see you back here man

I just got Dynatron 660 which I was waiting on to complete my bazel - pictures will follow soon

HEHE, thanks for resubscribing.... I figured rather then make my worklog a day by day thing, I would just do it towards the end of my build. Im waiting on a welder to create a support frame for my 15 inch.... Turns out it will cause my roof to sag. Problem is he has to find a way to do it with taking up space so the AC vent ducts can go back up. Also all the electronics that were supposed to be hidden in the roof, had to be moved down, so it means I had to extend everything. I still have to find a place on the wire connection board for the TPMS board, which I got yesterday. If I want to add anything in the future, it is impossible. I have used up all my room, but as a note, I think I have installed just about everything when it comes to the car PC market, lol.

Nermin · 05-13-2008, 06:27 PM

I hear you man - keep on going!

HiJackZX1 · 05-15-2008, 05:30 AM

Well after almost a year of fabrication, I have decided to trash the sunvisor screen idea. I am now going to mod the dash, so that the screens flip out if that. The visors just caused way to many issues when it came to vanity and blocking the sun (I could not move them like before).

rdholtz · 05-15-2008, 07:02 AM

I wonder -- some cars come with dual visors; maybe there's a way to find a Dodge setup like that and transplant it. Or perhaps run two completely separate sets of visors: one for sun and one for fun.

HiJackZX1 · 05-15-2008, 12:00 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by rdholtz

I wonder -- some cars come with dual visors; maybe there's a way to find a Dodge setup like that and transplant it. Or perhaps run two completely separate sets of visors: one for sun and one for fun.

See the only issue with that is that the EBY701s are to thick. If they were thin, then a dual visor setup would work.... I know this new idea is way more work, but Im hoping I can have a professional do it. The only hurtle I can see is that there are 2 intact vents on the corners and the ducts run along the top of the dash on the inside, i may have to relocate them.

Bxsteez · 06-16-2008, 11:09 AM

Nice build so far. Ur budget is exactly where mine is lol.. .I guess there is no way to map out a decent budget.