Thread: 2003 Durango SLT / Project HiJackZX1 / 56K= D@mn this $h!+ is gonna load slow!

Originally Posted by monkeyracer

There are two rules to this hobby that I think are key:

Occam's Razor - The simplest answer is usually the correct one.

Making the console simple will make it easier to wrap and build, and probably be stronger, and easier to maintain.

And "It's quicker to take your time and do it right the first time, than to rush and have to do it twice."

I found this one out the hard way too when I first started building sub-boxes. I made a box that was the correct volume, but I didn't realize until everything was cut, carpetted and installed, that the volume I calculated was exterior volume. At least I was able to sell the box and get something out of it.

Now, when I make boxes, I have each step of the process in mind the whole way through, so that I make it easiest on me each step. If you think about the end step (wrap and install) while you are building it, you will be less likely to have an issue like you did with the first one.

Hope it all goes according to plan. Good luck!

I agree, the first was way to complicated. Even the upholestorer that had 30 years experience told me it was simply to hard to work around. I am playing with the idea of making the intake fan vent on the inside of the console, since there will be a gap in the back of the console to allow the arm rest to open and close. That way the front of the console will not have any chambers and cr@p to worry about. I am also planning on using this really hard foam that can be shaped to make the console more rounded. The last one was blocky except the arm rest, which looked awkward.

Since my PC still isnt back from being RMA'd, and the dash is being worked on by Nexson, I am going to go really slow with this project. So I guess a few more months with a standard factory headunit wont hurt .

oh by the way, the center console is still getting built for the jeep. I have searched this forum up and down and only found a few people putting screens into cavaliers, so both projects are now currently going, just the cavalier is more up front. Only reason, i bought it off this guy and it already has massive upgraded speakers all around. I just have to get a new dash for it, when they were replacing things they thought they knew what they were doing. Tore it all up. So now i have to source the parts to put back in the car. I am going to look into molding a screen while i get the new dash put into place. Possibly getting a whole system off someone. It has the flip out screen so might just install that one to start with and then work the jeep and come back to the cavalier.

Originally Posted by rhuller

oh by the way, the center console is still getting built for the jeep. I have searched this forum up and down and only found a few people putting screens into cavaliers, so both projects are now currently going, just the cavalier is more up front. Only reason, i bought it off this guy and it already has massive upgraded speakers all around. I just have to get a new dash for it, when they were replacing things they thought they knew what they were doing. Tore it all up. So now i have to source the parts to put back in the car. I am going to look into molding a screen while i get the new dash put into place. Possibly getting a whole system off someone. It has the flip out screen so might just install that one to start with and then work the jeep and come back to the cavalier.

Yea I would go with a molded dash for the screen.... Well actually it all depends. I know when I had the flip out screen, I hated it, it just didnt look right or OEM in my truck. I have seen some cars that have flip out screens and it actually looks good. My little bro use to work for best buy so he bought some best buy brand radio with flip out screen and it looked good in his car. I have another car also, a Ford Focus, I want to do something to that car so bad, but my Mom and her boyfriend use that car and they complain about the Sirius Radio Receiver being complicated, so I can only imagine a car pc..... Just remember to take lots of pictures.

planning on that, I already have the majority of the planning for the jeep done, thinking i am going to go along with what you said and only needing one computer for all three screens in the jeep. Oh and you'll love this part. We have discussed a new paint job for the jeep. The wife wants the joker face from the Maximum Overdrive movie painted on the hood.

Originally Posted by rhuller

planning on that, I already have the majority of the planning for the jeep done, thinking i am going to go along with what you said and only needing one computer for all three screens in the jeep. Oh and you'll love this part. We have discussed a new paint job for the jeep. The wife wants the joker face from the Maximum Overdrive movie painted on the hood.

HEHE, good luck with that. Are you going to change the color of the car itself? I would think that JEEP is hard to trick out when it comes to the outside? I went to car domain and didnt see any that werent stock.

well the jeep is simple, you can completely change the appearance by removing the aging wood panels and paint the whole vehicle a solid color. It does make the vehicle look so much better. And the cavalier is going to get a paint job as well. Its red with gray interior and a black top. Its 1 of 500 due to the power top and real glass rear window. But we are going to get it painted black to be a triple black car. Then I am going to go with blue and black for the interior and exterior modifications. The blue will be the accent pieces.

The center console for the jeep will be pretty simple to design, I am just a little weary on the build. Would it be better for me to make it out of small lumber for the outer shell of the box then wrap it in fiberglass a few layers thick. Then keep going from there. Or would i be better off making the total shell out of mdf board?

Originally Posted by rhuller

well the jeep is simple, you can completely change the appearance by removing the aging wood panels and paint the whole vehicle a solid color. It does make the vehicle look so much better. And the cavalier is going to get a paint job as well. Its red with gray interior and a black top. Its 1 of 500 due to the power top and real glass rear window. But we are going to get it painted black to be a triple black car. Then I am going to go with blue and black for the interior and exterior modifications. The blue will be the accent pieces.

The center console for the jeep will be pretty simple to design, I am just a little weary on the build. Would it be better for me to make it out of small lumber for the outer shell of the box then wrap it in fiberglass a few layers thick. Then keep going from there. Or would i be better off making the total shell out of mdf board?

Since I dont know about fiber glass, I would say MDF. All you have to do is wrap it with the same material as the seats and or floor.

Here is center console number 2. I decided to make the air intake for the PC on the inside of the compartment. The new Jigsaw made it alot easier. Here are some pix, they are blue because my flash sucks.

Here it is compared to the old one. As you can see its thinner then the old one, because it wasnt designed around the arm rest like the first one. The cabin is deeper and larger. The cup holder is from the car, I got rid of the aftermarket one.




In these pictures you see the air intake is on the inside, it isnt done, there will be grills to keep things from falling in there.





As you can see the front panel is resessed, that is so I can put shaped foam to create a curve to match the interior. I hope this isnt to hard to upholster.

Originally Posted by vincenttor

nice car for building a carpc in btw
i really could not even wait so long like u do
i try to fix it in a month or something so many nice stuff
i am also thinking of buying a roof monitor for my car for in the back or something just because i can hehe :P
good luck with ur project i can't wait to see when its finished
btw that rear mirror is that a screen also ?

Thanx, beleive it or not, this SUV is only a mid-size. It didnt go full size till 2004. So I had to be creative with space. Trust me, waiting long it better then rushing, when you rush you make mistakes. If you want the link to the screen, tell me and i'll post it up. It is the only VGA screen I found that is nice but cheap. I am also buying a touch kit to convert it to touchscreen.

Yes that is a 10.2 screen. It is connected to whats called a digital quad processor. Basically I have 3 cameras connected to the DQP and it allows me to see the rear, left side blind spots and right side blind spots, all at the same time.