Thread: Scion xB '06, in-dash Atom 330, Lilliput 889GL; details, pictures, links. Index: pg 1

Case:
I was looking for a PC case about 8"x12"x3" because that would fit very nicely between the seat rails. I did a bunch of web-crawling looking for electrical boxes, project boxes, cash boxes and even lunch boxes and cookie and candy boxes. They were all the wrong size or outrageously expensive.

I decided to go the build-it-myself route. I went to Home Depot and got a galvanized steel stud drywall track, which would be almost perfect for 3-1/2" sides. I did some test bends. It bends fine across the web, but when I went to bend the flanges, they simply broke when I got to 90 degrees; apparently, the material is work-hardened from manufacturing. Bummer. I aborted that plan.

Then I found the Hammond Manufacturing (www.hammfg.com) boxes. They produce lots of sizes, and the 12"x8"x3" seemed perfect. It's Hammond part # 1441-24BK3 (box) and 1431-22BK3 (cover). The box is black powder-coated 20-gauge steel, and is $36 plus shipping from Mouser Electronics (www.mouser.com) and other dealers. Canadians can find Hammond boxes at Parts Connexion (www.partsconnexion.com). I'd have used this box if I wasn't so impatient, but I decided to build a duplicate of the Hammond box from some sheet metal I have on hand. I'd never done much with sheet metal, so this seemed like a good way to learn.

The sides and bottom are a single piece of 22-gauge galvanized steel (HVAC duct material from Home Depot) formed in a $30 lightweight bending brake from Harbor Freight (www.harborfreight.com). The front and backplate are from the same material. It's riveted together using 1/8" stainless steel pop rivets. If I do this again, I may try solid rivets -- the pop rivets work fine, but they don't look very classy.

So I had the basic box, not quite as pretty as the Hammond box, but done in a day. It wasn't too hard, but I did a LOT of fit checks between steps.

To turn the bare box into a computer case, I drilled holes in the bottom for the motherboard and power supply standoffs; the standoffs attach with serrated locking washers and cap nuts. I cut a 1-3/4" x 6-3/4" hole for the interface insert panel, and hand-filed it to finish size. In each side, I drilled a pattern of holes for inlet air. The hole pattern duplicates the power supply cover of an old PC case I have.

With plenty of fit checks along the way, I also added holes for four additional USB ports, a 12-pin Molex connector for the various electronic connections (switch, LEDs, etc.), plus a power port from an old PC power supply. The power port isn't the standard 115V, but instead the reverse one generally used to power the monitor; it requires a special plug. I used that because I didn't want anyone -- or even me, in a moment of brainfade -- to plug in a straight 115V line and fry the system. The Molex connector is on the opposite end from the power plug, because I like to keep data and power cables away from each other as much as possible.

Here's the raw case:

Click images to enlarge.

The top is made of heavier 20-gauge pre-painted steel that was previously the side of a computer case. It fastens with four standard computer case screws that go into automotive-type 6-32 speednuts in the case. I drilled a pattern of holes -- similar to the ones in the sides, but larger -- centered over the processor cooling fan.

I paint-prepped both parts with an abrasive pad. On the unpainted steel, I followed with a vinegar (acetic acid) wash, followed by a water wash and air drying. Then I gave both parts several light coats of textured satin black Rust-Oleum paint. I left the inside of the case bare metal; with all the heat it produces, I don't expect corrosion to be an issue.

Here are the case and top after paint:



The top, which was probably powder-coated, has shown fine scratch resistance. But I wasn't so lucky with the previously unpainted galvanized steel. The paint initially seemed to adhere just fine, but it had pretty low scratch resistance, and I scraped paint off in several places just using it for fit checks when I built the mount (see below). So I stripped it back to bare metal by wetting it with acetone, waiting 30 seconds, and lifting off the paint with a plastic scraper and an acetone-soaked rag. Yep, I used latex gloves so the acetone wouldn't soak into my skin.

This time I gave it a phosphate wash, and, after drying thoroughly, a black epoxy base coat. It still didn't stick well enough. Stripped it again and phosphate washed and rinsed it twice more. Once it was dry, I gave it a some light coats of the textured satin black, and they stuck. Whew!

A local powder-coating company had priced the job at $30. I just figured the phosphate wash would be inexpensive -- a quart of the phosphating chemical cost $7 at Home Depot -- and would be good experience. What about a professional appearance? Well, yes, I want it to look nice, but this box is going to live under the seat, so learning about the phosphating and painting processes was more important.

Mistake Avoided: I dodged a mistake by luck. I decided to go extra wide on the case by about 1/2". It's a good thing I did, because I needed that space at the back so I can reach in and attach/detach the power supply connector, which sits right at the back of the motherboard. Next time I design my own case, I'll be sure I leave that little extra bit of space, instead of trying to get it all to the absolute minimum dimension. That extra space also makes it easier to neaten up the wires that connect the PSU, the motherboard, and the Molex connector.

PC Mount:
The PC sits under the passenger seat near the front of its travel, raised off the floor about 3". This position provides plenty of airflow around the case. The mount is built much like the laptop holder that I'll use until this PC system is up and running. The how-to-build instructions on the laptop holder are here. The mount is soldered 1/2" copper tubing, covered with hot-water line insulation, a gray foam material that lets the PC float on a foam cushion for shock absorption, and provides positioning. I painted the caps on the legs black, because they're the only copper that will show.

Here are the soldered-up mount, and the mount with insulation cut and ready to install:



The legs extend up from the base far enough to hold the case in position, but are low enough that they don't interfere with the top. The rear passenger floormat extends all the way up under the seat, and I cut holes in it for the legs. The holes will keep the mount positioned, and it's stable enough that the weight of the system should hold it firmly in place. If I were going to take my car off-road, I'd devise something hold it tighter, but this is a street machine.

Here's the mount completed, and the nearly-completed case nestled into the mount:



The power connection on the left side and the 12-pin Molex connector on the right side ride up against the foam on the legs, so they'll maintain the case's position on the mount laterally. The legs keep it positioned fore-and-aft.

In under-seat installations, especially where the ports face the rear, backseat passengers' feet can do damage without the passengers even knowing it. In this installation, all the connections are in the front face seen in the photo. I'll still have to devise a way to keep rear seat passengers' feet off the back of it, but they're unlikely to damage anything since there are no cables or switches there.

Phase 1 is almost done, Phase 2 is coming up soon, and Phase 3 is Completed.

Monitor location:
Here's a picture of the stock dash on the xB:

Click images to enlarge.

I originally wanted to put the monitor into the dash, but not actually build it in. I wanted to keep the monitor intact because some test fitting indicated that removing the case wouldn't gain me much. I eventually caved in to the idea of building it into the dash at some point. Moving the 2-DIN head unit from the top to the bottom of the panel means I'd eliminate the cubbyhole and the lighter/ashtray panel seen in front of the shifter. Here's the dash with those components out, and then a test fit with the head unit moved and the monitor stuck into the opening it left:



To build into the dash, I'll have to fabricate some brackets and extensively modify the bezel, but I won't have to make structural changes to the dash itself. I'll also have to extend the radio and antenna wires. The major time involvement will be fabricating brackets for everything and making the revised bezel.

Because I want to leave the HVAC controls where they are, the monitor may rise about 1" above the current top of the panel, but it won't obscure the dash readouts when I'm driving. Here's a driver's-eye view with the parts temporarily placed:



The dash slopes forward -- away from the driver -- quite a bit, but I want the monitor to be vertical to eliminate as much sun as possible. It will have significant space behind it in the area previously occupied by the 2-DIN radio -- an area roughly 7"x4"x6". I originally thought I could build a metal box the same size as the radio, use the radio mounting brackets to install it, and mount the monitor to the box. I considered using the box to hold the powered USB adapter and mounting the monitor on rails in such a way that sliding the monitor out would provide easy access to the hub. I eventually abandoned that idea.

I also considered locating the monitor below the HVAC controls. This option would also require mount fabrication and bezel fabrication, still with no structural changes to the dash, and would mean I don't have to move the head unit. But I decided it would also place the monitor so far out of my line of sight that using it there would be too distracting. I want it closer to eye level.

DVD player/CD writer:
It looks like the best option available is to mount a DVD player below the climate controls and above the relocated head unit. That will entail more brackets and an opening in the bezel, but will only require a 4-foot cable to the PC.

Your off to a great start!! Lots of good custom stuff in here. Kepp up the good work.

Thanks, redls1bird . . .

Hard Drive Installation:
I decided to mount the hard drive up on the inside of the lid, close to the vent holes, figuring that would make sure some air flowed around it to keep it cool. I allowed about a 1/4" gap between the hard drive and the lid. I'm not very worried about shock mounting, because the entire case rides on a foam cushion.

Using 20-gauge galvanized sheet metal, I cut two strips 4"x5/8", rounded the ends with snips and a file, and drilled 1/8" diameter holes, 5/16" from each end. Then I drilled two 3/16" holes in each piece, 1" from the center. A quick pass through the bending brake making bends 1-3/8" from center, and I had hard drive brackets.

After drilling matching 3/16" holes in the lid, I bolted the brackets in using standard hard drive screws and 6-32 nuts; there's a fiber washer under the head of each screw and a serrated locking washer under each nut. Here's the top with the brackets mounted, plus views of the top with the hard drive in place, seen from the inside and the outside:

Click images to enlarge.

Fcastle, it's good to hear from another xB owner. Do you have pictures?

To make the cuts, I used a combination of tools: drill, sheet metal snips, a Ryobi rotary tool (like a Dremel, but bulkier and 18v), and an air-powered nibbler. I could have done it without the rotary tool or the nibbler, but this project was a great excuse to buy toys for the shop. The air nibbler was about $25 from Harbor Freight, and the Ryobi rotary tool was about $40 -- without battery or charger -- from Home Depot; I already have the batteries and charger from other Ryobi tools.

I used a center punch to mark hole centers so I could drill the holes where I wanted them. To guide the cuts, I put a wide Magic Marker line about where the cuts would go, and then scribed the exact location in that mark. That gave me perfect lines to work up to. If I do any more of this, though, I'll get a can of layout dye.

All the cuts were hand-filed to final dimensions and finish. Because the USB port openings are too small to use my regular files, I bought a set of little hobby files at Lowe's (www.lowes.com).

I tested my skills on scrap before doing the real thing. Even so, I ended up building a couple of parts over. I learned a lot about sheet metal doing this job.

I learned a lot about painting and paint prep, too. And I learned that the satin black texture paint hides little screwups.

Phatsacks, I'm working on making it look OEM. It appears that by doing some major bezel work, I can encase the monitor in the bezel. I bought a spare bezel on eBay and have already started hacking at it. I'm slurping up the the tutorials from turbocad6 and gorky and lots of information from others.

I didn't want a smaller monitor. Unfortunately, this 10.4" monitor conflicts with the a/c vents; there's 1/2"+ interference on either side. I'm thinking of cutting the bezel and building it deeper and wider. I'd essentially be moving the outlets an inch further apart, and making the bezel deeper by 2" or more at the top, but the same depth at the bottom. That will allow me to build the ducts around the monitor, and to keep the screen relatively upright rather than laying back and being unreadable in sunlight. It will also mean completely reshaping the bezel. That will be interesting, since I've never done bezel work before.

I don't think the new bezel will be silver like the original; I'll probably go with a satin black similar to the rest of the dash. Turbocad6 points out that subtle is better than flashy. When that monitor lights up, that'll be flashy enough to suit me.

When I get the space in the dash made, I'll post more pix. Since this car is my daily driver, and since we still need a/c here in sunny south Florida, I work to keep everything functioning as I modify.

I think I've resigned myself to building this permanently -- not being able to go back to stock -- but I still want to build a bezel I can easily remove for maintenance.