05 GTO CarPuter Begins!

**MMAlexander** · 03-18-2007, 02:47 PM

I've been collecting parts and info for a few months. Now that I've actually gotten the ball rolling, I figured I may as well post.

Parts accumalated/assembled and Cost associated
BioStar Motherboard $53
P4 2.6 CPU $0
CPU Cooler and Fan $20
Western Digital 80 Gig HD $0
512 DDR $39
Opus 150 $79
Panasonic Slim DVD/CDRW $48
Liliput EBY 701 $209
USB 2.0 4 Port Hub $15
USB 2.0 3 Port/w Card Reader $15
USB Wifi $20
USB BlueTooth $15
Blue Light 80mm Case Fans $8 (x4)

Various USB, IDE, VGA Cables $50

Blue Logisys Light Strips $8

All parts listed above were purchased new outside of the Opus (which I bought from a member on here). All items have been running on my "test bench", sans the opus, for a few weeks now. No issues (haven't tested the opus as I didn't have a converter available. Will place it into the equation on Monday) to report outside of the fact that my moterboard doesn't like hibernation

Still need to purchase a USB GPS antenna. Hopefully Directron will get some in soon. No rush though as I still have lots of fab work to do.

Took a few pics with my phone a s Iwent along. All images are thumb nailed, so click to enlarge

Started on the screen yesterday afternoon. Had an old 2 DIN radio kit around and decided to make it work for the GTO. I hacked it and the Liliput bezel to form this

Took that and doused it with a bit of 'Glass

I then went at it with my 4.5" angle grinder (usinhg a 60 grit flap disk.....takes it down in minutes) and a bit of 150 grit paper for shaping.

Once the shape was pretty close to the curves of the dash. I followed up with some light weight filler and more sanding. Here's how it looks with the lilliput in it

Still need to coat it with one more pass of the filler ( a low spot or two exist).
I want to make everything look as factory as possible (well as factory as a 7" monitor could look, lol ).
About the only deviation from that will be in the trunk. I'm building panels for computer and amplification system. They're going to be lined in the same material as the trunk BUT.................Will have Plexi cut outs with lighted fans and strips through out.
Got some pics of that process started that I need to get from my phone.

**MMAlexander** · 03-18-2007, 03:07 PM

For the trunk panels, I used 1/4" Birch (as it's impossible to find 1/4" MDF now a days). They will be coated in fiberglass (for strength and to resist warpage) and finished in the same material as the trunk itself.

The carputer is going in the Driverside cubby

The amp for the speakers will go in the pass side

Each will have 2 lighted 80mm Case fans attached to the plexiglass cutouts. The lower fan will blow in and the upper fan will suck out.
I'm also incorporationg various LED light strips, wih all of it beign turned on/off by the opening closing of the trunk.

Since the areas in the trunk weren't large as I'd like. I'm going to have to hide an amp somewere else in the trunk (thinking about making a "pod" and placing it on the trunk lid.........,but would kill the factory look). I'm going to use the panel for the sub amp and hide a 4 channel amp for the high/mids.

Going to start on the Subwoofer fab soone enough. I'm placing a Kicker 10" DVC on either side panel next to the back seatx. I'm going to 'glass them in to use all available space. Will be hidden behind the panel so I won't have to do any outrageuos amounts of sanding as I did for the sub system in my GT

That took about 20 hours to complete. I figure I can do both sides of the GTO in under 10.