Thread: A Mac in an Escape

Here are some new pics I took when I needed to pull it all apart again. I found that the Mini was just getting too hot this summer due to the lack of circulation, so I added some fans to help move the air about.

Here is what all my wiring looks like:

At the top is my external sound card (M-Audio Sonica Theater).
The long blue thing between it and the P1900 is a POS USB hub that I have since removed.

Here is the base to my center console in place. I have since cut a giant hole (pretty much extended the hole for the handbrake all the way across) so I don't have to keep ripping everything apart to make tweaks:


Here is the cubby in the center console where I keep the Mini. You can see the CPU fans I used:

Initially I had them running off USB power so that they wouldn't be so loud. I found that A) they didn't move enough air and B) they were only on when the system was on so didn't help that much.
I have since connected them to a 12v always on source (with a switch) and I leave them on all day. This has taken care of the heat issues (the Mini's fan barely runs now). At some point I want to make them solar power and hook them up to temp sensors so they only run when they needed, but this is good enough for now.

Here is the Mini in the cubby with my hub:


I have a couple more, but apparently the camera decided to use raw format instead of JPG so I need to convert them first.

-dave

I am planning on doing the same thing except with one of the aopen Pandora mini pc's. I have a couple of questions for you...

What make/model lcd did you use?
What tools did you use to remove the center console and the cubby in the escape?

Any other Escape centric tips would be helpful. Thanks.

Hello,
First of all I have a 04 Escape Limited. Any info I have *should* apply to older models, but the center console changed in the 05 and above so I can't help there.

If you don't know about it already, join www.escape-central.com. It is a great resource of information. Specifically poke around the Modifications forum.

What make/model lcd did you use?

I am using the the 7" Lilliput using the WRX housing. You'll need to do the following things to get it to fit:

1) Remove the dash trim panel.
2) Take out your current head unit.
3) Remove the steal guide that the head unit sat on. (actually, you might be able to use it. The plate as at the back was welded in crooked so putting the LCD on it left it skewed badly. If yours is level, you might be able to use it and skip step 5)
4) Trim the opening so it is big enough for the LCD case (including the bezel) to slide all the way in (it should stick out about a 1/4 inch).
5) Make a new platform for the LCD case to rest on (i.e. replacement for the steal guide). I used plastic card stock to fashion a platform that rests on the plate in the back that the steal guide was attached to and on the plastic frame of the dash at the bottom of the hole for the head unit.
6) Make some kind of filler to fill the gaps on the side of the LCD case. I glued plastic card stock to the back of my dash trim.

What tools did you use to remove the center console and the cubby in the escape?

You need to pull off the piece that has the cup holders. I find the best way is to stick my hand in the hand brake slot and pull up (make sure the cubby door is open). Then there are two bolts at the front that go into the floor board and two at the read on the sides that attach to a bracket. Once you take those out, the whole things lifts right out. I find it easiest to work with the front seats out.

The side panels are attached with a few hex screws (3 each I think) and have some hooks that just slide into slots. I would advise taking the panels off so you don't mess them up. There are also some star-driver screws at the top of the inside of the cubby that you'll need to remove.

The rear cup holders have two bolts hidden up towards the top. Take them out and then just pull (kinda hard) the whole panel off.

The cubby is held to the base by 4 star-driver screws. Take them out and it just pops off.

Any other Escape centric tips would be helpful. Thanks.

Originally I just cut a small hole in the front lower right of the cubby and a similar hole on the top of the base to run cable through. That proved to be a pain as it meant that I had to keep taking everything apart to do the smallest thing. I still use the same hole in the cubby, but I have since cut most of the top of the base (under the cup holder area) away.

Also cooling is an issue. I assume that you have seen my work log so you can see how I added two CPU fans to move the air. After running them up to 12v, even on 100 degree days with it parked in direct sun my Mini's fans barely spun up (the CPU fans are on an always on 12v line with a switch that I turn off at night). Prior to the fans the Mini would be howling and my 15 minute commute wasn't enough time for it to cool itself off.

Hope that helps. Let me know if there is anything else I can try to answer.

-dave

As I mentioned before - Your set-up is as wicked as it is inspiring!!

Nice Work!
Just two questions:
A) Do you have a power drivers seat? I do and I have been tinking about puttng a four channel amp under there. My sub amp is under the passenger, but it would surely suck for some one to hop in drop the seat and crush the amp or hurt my seat...
B) Why an external sound card? I don't know much about the mini but doesn't it have one built in? Just seems like extra cables and such.

All-in-all nice Escape!

Originally Posted by MochaJunkie

Nice Work!
Just two questions:

Thanks. Sorry for the delayed response, I forget to check the thread sometimes

A) Do you have a power drivers seat? I do and I have been tinking about puttng a four channel amp under there. My sub amp is under the passenger, but it would surely suck for some one to hop in drop the seat and crush the amp or hurt my seat...

Yeap, it's powered. I have my seat all the way up, but it should have more than enough clearance unless you have a weird AMP or have it raised in some way.

B) Why an external sound card? I don't know much about the mini but doesn't it have one built in? Just seems like extra cables and such.

There are a couple of reasons. The first is that the Mini has a standard headphone/line-out jack and I want to control all my channels. Unfortunately the card I have doesn't have Intel-Mac drivers so that kinda defeats the purpose . The second reason is that the Intel Minis have some weird issue where it reverts back to the internal speaker after waking up when it is in the car.

Good luck with your 'scape. I think they are a great platform for this kind of stuff.

-dave

First of all great job with the mod.

I was wondering if you have a photo of your DIN with nothing in it before the card stock was added? I have looked around and have found no pictures of the dash without the radio in it. I have a 2004 XLS Sport and I just wanted to see what I was dealing with when taking out the radio and fabing a custom look for the touch like you did. Any pics\links to pics would be great. Thanks for any help.

Originally Posted by iiooiioo

I was wondering if you have a photo of your DIN with nothing in it before the card stock was added?

Nope, what is in here is what I have. Sorry.

You can pop the factory HU out without taking anything else off, you just need a set of the radio keys (just about any auto parts store should have them).

Essentially you have an area that is a bit wider than the HU on each side (without pulling the HU, you can judge this space based on your vents. Then there is a metal guide that the HU sits on (and there is a plastic bit on the back that hooks on it) which is what I referred to removing. Then there is a bar at the very back (also mentioned) which is about 1 or 2 inches further back than the HU is long. I don't remember the space above, but I think you have an inch or two.

The big thing you have to work around is the hole in the dash itself (under the fascia). It is pretty much exactly the size of the HU and I had to cut it up for my modifications. As far as I can tell, it is part of the dash so you better be sure before you start cutting

Another option (that I didn't pursue) would be to trim the fascia where it curve in towards the dash. If you trim most of it off, you should be able to get enough room to mount a LCD behind it without modifying the dash at all. But that is a theory that I never tested (I went with the WRX housing specifically so I didn't have to do much modification myself (e.g. fiberglass).

-dave

My wife just had to get a new BMW back in March and in riding in it, I realized just how noisy my Escape is. So I started looking around and talking to lots of people and decided to add sound deadening mat.

Now for those that know me, you'll know I can't do things in small amounts. No, I have to jump in with both feet even I don't know how to swim.

Some stats:
~16 - 20 hours will have been spent by the time I get the interior back in.
~130 square feet of mat have been laid down, and I still have to do the doors
90+ was the average temp on the days I worked on it (no garage, the green you see in the picks is the tarp I stretched over it to cut some of the heat down).

I have some advice to those that are thinking about doing this themselves (especially to this extreme), if you don't absolutely and without any hesitation love your car, pay someone else to do this. It really isn't hard work, just tedious and painful (in a few ways).

Not pictured (but also covered) are the tailgate and the spare tire area.

Looking forward from the rear:


Right rear "trunk" area:


Left rear "trunk" area:


Roof:


-dave