1986 Vauxhall Calibra Carputer (or VCC)

Hello everyone!
I am from Italy.
It's started! I finally started the making process of my Vauxhall Calibra Pc-beast!

In calibra we want to:
1. Remove the old dash, take out the divisor (radio / keyholder)
2. Make a custom mask for the monitor (or glue lilliput one in)
3. Glue the mask in [epoxy] and finish it with bondo-or-similar
4. Make mask for DVD drive and USB card reader (if possible)
5. Fit, glue and bondo again
6. Take whole ready-to-go dash to professional painter for a same coat as car.

after

1. Take lower tunnel out
2. Make housing for previous head unit (pioneer CD-player - has to stay it got SUBW controller builtin)
3. Glue, polish
4. Take whole ready-to-go dash to professional painter for a same coat as car.

Stuff I will be needing
+ 1 TFT 7" (got lilliput)
+ 1 DVD-ROM Drive (got toshiba notebook)
+ 1 IDE to USB2.0 Adapter
- 1 Notebook CD-ROm Interface to IDE Interface
+ 4 USB Extension lead (Touchscreen, DVD-ROM, Card reader, extension Plug)
+ 1 VGA Extension lead
+ 1 TV Card (got asus TVFM)
+ 1 WiFi Card for connectuing at home (got dlink)
+ 1 HDD For OS and other stuff (got 80gb Seagate)
+ 1 PC Card reader USB 2.0
- 1 GPS Antenna
+ 1 Cool case (got dell optiplex 270)
+ 1 Pentium 4 (1.8Ghz) 512mb ram

(+) = Already arrived (-) = Has yet to arrive



Next post will be for photos.

http://img149.echo.cx/img149/6531/dsc00708b4pq.th.jpghttp://img149.echo.cx/img149/5692/dsc00709b8jr.th.jpghttp://img149.echo.cx/img149/5363/dsc00712b2qx.th.jpghttp://img149.echo.cx/img149/9265/dsc00710b5mi.th.jpghttp://img149.echo.cx/img149/8133/dsc00711b6rm.th.jpghttp://img151.echo.cx/img151/9528/dsc00707b5cd.th.jpg

U can see the wooden mask, applied to the dash, and the Italian bondo :D also you can see the lower tunnel which I'll need to mod.

Good luck, can't wait to see more pictures. I have a vectra from 92 with identical dash and I'm also planning something similar.

Abandoned the idea of using a wooden mask; it is way too complicated to reproduce the button holes.
Started filling the gaps in the dash (it was divided in two) with epoxy, result: great and very elastic.
Tried bending the plastic to some extent, perfect. No cracks or peelings.

In the photo first gap closed and friend epoxy :D

http://img243.echo.cx/img243/6972/dsc00714b7me.th.jpg

The first gap is already sanded as u can see

First Calibra project...Nice...!

I loved my Calibra, it was a fair while ago now but fond memories, I envy you!

Sorry to digress!

Chris.

http://img191.echo.cx/img191/962/dsc00718b3cj.th.jpghttp://img191.echo.cx/img191/4859/patched0tn.th.jpg

Completed the gap-filling and sanding (two views)

http://img191.echo.cx/img191/5479/re...ment2pg.th.jpg

Reinforcement behind the gaps to keep more elasticity and robustness.

After that I have to mask the frame that surrounds the monitor (it will remain black in the final version).

http://img191.echo.cx/img191/444/masked0ph.th.jpg

Notice the LILLIPUT logo has gone as well :D

... and then we are ready for the welding process which takes a whole day to dry out (3 layers of epoxy)

http://img193.echo.cx/img193/6150/weld9yp.th.jpg