Where do i sign up? excellent work. I can't wait to see the integration with the cars computer.

 

Yep I do have a DC>DC power supply that is wired to the OEM radio circuit thus retaining the OEM power scheme: Key off but it will stay on and playing untill i open the door and which time the power supply sends a shutdown signal to the motherboard giving it a clean shutdown. After 15 minutes of it being off it prefroms a hard-off completly disconnecting the PC so i dont drain the battery. Ive got a nice hacked version of XP that will cold boot to playing mp3's in 15 seconds. My systems specs are:

Hard:
Via EPIA M10000 miniITX motherboard 1GHz (6.5" x 6.5" PC!) integrated video and audio
512 samsung RAM
80 Gig 3.5" black top hard drive.
7" Touchscreen
M2-ATX dc>dc power supply.
MS GPS unit
802.11b wireless network card
2 alpine amps
Rockford PUNCH 12" sub in custom box

soft:
modded XP pro corporate, utilizing XPE minlogon
Roadrunner Jan 2006 release frontend running CFX skin
winamp 2.95
iGuidance 2.1 (GPS mapping)
'bout 60 gigs of mp3's, DVDs, music vids, p, and other random media
AVS visualization studio
sick spectrum anaylizer
Diagnose

You can hear me coming thats for sure. This is also custom built. I design for a metal fabrication shop so it was quite easy for me to fab out the .063" Finished Aluminum Case

 

Ah, so the powersupply is just a modded ATX? Cool. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna have to set this up. Man, I love the idea of just pulling new media off my network in the morning before I head out to work, and then just connecting the pc to the network at work and dumping the media to my pc, there. Hehe. Certainly make wardriving easier, eh?

 

The Power supply is not a modded ATX. The model number is M2-ATX, because its for an ATX motherboard, but this is a specific DC>DC power supply. Here is a picture of the power supply when i was bench testing the PC.

[IMG]local://upfiles/29076/3EF23E8FE7C644E49C170EB512C6C692.jpg[/IMG]


Also Here is a good shot of the GPS running





[IMG]local://upfiles/29076/68FC6D71DE604CD89811976559FF3DD3.jpg[/IMG]

 

My god thats sick man! I always said Mustangs need more tech stuff. GOOD JOB!

 

I'm been wanting to do an In-car PC as well. What is the software that system uses to manage the different functions (GPS,Phone,Audio,Etc.)

 

I'm gathering all the parts to do this myself. You're an inspiration, blk06v6! I hope mine will turn out close to that good-looking.

He's using the Roadrunner Front-End with "CFX_Green" Skin. Read his writeup on the MP3Car forums. It's a great writeup!
Link To Writeup On MP3Car Forums

 

This is what I have installed in my car. Sorry I have no pictures to post yet. But this is the entire order.
Bought from MP3Car.com
Price $1225.00

MP3Car Custom Car Computer (Ampie)
Motherboard - VIA EPIA M10000 Mini-ITX Mainboard
Keyboard - Mini PS2 Keyboard
Hard Drive - 2.5" 100GB Seagate 5400rpm
Memory - 512MB DDR RAM PC2700 184-pin DIMM Memory
Operating System - XP Home
Monitor - Liliput touchsreen monitor withg FM tuner
CD/DVD - Panazponic Slot Load DVD-Rom/CD-RW Combo Drive
Power Supply - M1-ATX
Sound - On Board

For an extra 50 or 60 dollars MP3 car will put the computer together and upload the software for you.

Currently I do not have a DC-DC Voltage regulator installed. The computer works fine without it. However at high volumes I am having some electrical distortion from the alternator which a DC-DC regulator should eliminate. The computer is installed so the computer boots up prior to ignition start. You do not have to manually shut windows down. The system shuts down on its own. For faster upload I placed the computer in hybernation. This way when you turn the car off, windows goes into hybernation rather than shutting completely down.

For anyone thinking of doing such a project, here are a few things to be aware of:
- Make sure all cable (USB, VGA cords, Firewires, etc.) coming from the computer to the monitor are as short as possible. I overestimated on many of my cables and had to replace most of them. The shorter the cables the better for power and data transfer. I had 10' VGA and USB cables going from the computer to the monitor and the monitor kept flickering and their was horrible electrical distortion. I recently shortened all the cables which eliminated the monitor flikering and cut down most of the distortion. Also, make sure to use quality RCAs. Use ones that you would usually install on an amplifier. The thicker the better. Remember thick short cables work best. Another thing to take into consideration, when installing an aftermarket radio into a 2005-2006 mustang be aware that crutchfield offers aftermarket wiring harnesses which include the 8" sub woofer RCA conversion kit so when installing the new radio you dont have to cut the original wire harness and you dont loose the function of your 8" subs if you have them. I didnt know this and cut the wires anyway. Not a big deal, but the wire harness from crutchfield is a cleaner install.

Next message will have the pictures I promised. Hope this information is useful to you guys. If you have any questions, post them and Ill check back as soon as I can.

 

cheremisinoffPA....I'm glad you've posted! I had just priced out that exact system on mp3car.com yesterday (minus the keyboard) and was going to post a question to see if anyone on this forum had gone that route.

Question: I've installed MANY car stereo/audio upgrades in the vehicles I've owned...but have VERY little experience with anything computer...is the install similar enough to an aftermarket stereo install? Just want your opinion

Did you mount the Ampie under the seat?

Any regrets? Changes you would make on what you actually ordered?

Any pics you have would be appreciated, I'll probably think of more questions later and pm you...

thx

 

I bought my computer from MP3Car.com. www.mp3car.com. There are other merchants out there, but MP3Car seemed to be the most fairly priced. You can create your own computer to the specifications you want and they will put it together and upload the software for you at an extra fee of course. Or you can put it together yourself. They have plenty of computers to choose from. And they are very helpful for troubleshooting problems when installing the system.

This is an updated listing of what I have installed in my car with current prices.

INVOICE
MP3 Custom car Computer Case (Ampie) - $394.00
Motherboard: VIA EPIA M10000 Mini-ITX Mainboard - $399.99
Keyboard: Mini PS2 Keyboard - $25.16
Hard Drive: 2.5” Hard Drive 100GB Seagate 5400rpm - $225.00
Memory: 512MB DDR RAM PC2700 184-Pin DIMM Memory - $95.00
Operating System: Windows XP Home - $100.00
Monitor: Lilliput 7” In-Dash Motorized Touchscreen. - $469.99
CD/DVD/ with external enclosure: Panasonic Slot Loadf DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive - $80.00
Power Supply: M1-ATX - $74.99

If going with a touchscreen, the monitor will most likely require both a VGA and USB extension in order to reach the computer in the trunk. The best results would be if you could directly connect the monitor to the computer without using extensions. But I believe most people install the computers in the trunk, so extension cables will probably be needed. Remember to measure as precise as you can. The shorter the cables, the better it is for both power and data transfers. I made the mistake of overestimating the length or cables and had to replace almost all of them to get the screen and sound just right. Too long of cables could cause distortion in the music, flickering of the monitor, and slow data transfer rates. I suggest trying to mount the computer closer to the monitor, so you don’t need extensions. But remember that wherever you put the computer, there needs to be some air flow in order to cool the system. Im not sure how hot the computer can get. In the summer heat, who knows. Amplifiers put off a lot more energy than computers and I have had situations where my amps would shut down due to overheating. A computer may not have the same problems being that they draw a lot less energy. I still mounted mine in the trunk. But if you can get it under your seat, more power to you. 2005-2006 mustangs don’t have lots of room under the seats, so choose wisely as to where your going to mount the computer. If you do install in a tight closed in area with little airflow, you may be able to install extra fans in the computer. My computer has slots for two extra fans if I ever found I needed them. My personal opinion is these computers don’t draw a lot of heat and may be OK in a small area, but don’t quote me on that.




My suggestion is to draw out a schematic of the system and how you want it installed before you begin. It will help when it comes time to purchasing the cables. My computer came with 2 external usb ports and 2 internal USB and 2 internal Fire wire ports. I use the firewire port for my CD/DVD drive. I use one USB for the touchscreen, the other three are for GPS, wireless internet, and data devices such as memory sticks and portable hard drives. I have even begun to customize the center console so you can plug usbs directly into a small panel in the center console.

All owners of the 2005-2006 mustangs should also go to www.crutchfield.com and purchase the wiring harness adapter they have. (Ford Wire Harness Receiver, 2003-up, Item# 120705521, Price $19.99) This will make installation of any aftermarket radio much easier and cleaner than having to cut the factory wire harness. They also have the RCA adapter for the 8” subs so you can reconnect them. I made the mistake of not using this wire harness so I cut the manufacturers wire harness and respliced all the wires. Whichever way is fine, but the wire harness adapter is a much cleaner install.

In addition, you will need the radio installation frame/din. (Ford F150 Pickup Kit, 2004-Up, Chasis Size E, Item# 120995807, Price $14.99). Yes I know it says Ford F150 pickup, but the F150 and Mustang use the same din size. It will work. This is what I used. The din package includes a double din and a single din with small storage compartment. Crutchfield has what you need. Depending on the monitor you choose, you may or may not need to do modifications to the din itself. I had to do slight modifications in order to get my monitor to fit correctly. But it can be done. In my case I used the single din with storage compartment. I had to install the monitor in the top half of the din, but I had to flip the din upside down in order for the installation to work. The actual din is upside down, although you cant tell. The reason was because when installed the monitor came out and blocked off the air vents and was hitting the dash causing the monitor to tilt at an angle rather than staying straight up. So I flipped the din and put the CD/DVD drive in the top din and monitor in the bottom. So the din is actually upside down. The storage compartment is on top now. One drawback is that now the holes to connect the radio din to the dash don’t match. I had to do some modifications to make it work. The result was that the din is not actually screwed into the dash at all. It is being held in place by the control panel that has all your control ***** for air vents, hazards, etc. The control panel screws on over the din to secure it in place. Now you may say this is a stupid idea and probably would not do it this way. But Ill tell you that the din doesn’t not need to be screwed. The control panel once put back in place holds the radio with a perfectly tight fit, like its actually screwed in. May not work for everybody. There are several ways to make these mods. Do which ever way you feel is best for you. The other draw back to my modification is now my external DVD/CD drive is blocked when the monitor is open. I may change this myself at some point, but as of now, I don’t really use the DVD/CD drive as much as I thought and it has not caused me any problem. I just insert the CD/DVD prior to opening the monitor or I close the monitor and then insert the disk. The cool part about this mod is at night the CD/DVD drive gives off a blue light which radiates out the sides of the monitor when its open. It looks pretty cool. (Important to remember: some dvd/cd drives may require an AC cigarette lighter to work. Mine runs fine off the firewire alone. Try and get a CD/DVD drive that runs off USB or firewire alone or a CD/DVD drive that is internally installed in your computer).

I suggest for a head unit that you go with something that has an FM transmitter on it. Very few monitors come like this. Take a look at the one I installed. This one comes with an AM and FM receiver, 2 AV stations for cameras and dvd players, etc, it also has a TV tuner, and PC monitor. You may find that you never use the FM tuner ever again once all your music is uploaded to the computer. However, the time when you do want it, and its not there, youll regret not having an FM tuner. When I first purchased my system I originally bought a monitor without an FM tuner. I assumed that since its going in a car, an FM tuner would be a no brainer and every monitor would have this feature. I was wrong. Lucky for me they were out of stock on that unit and they messaged me about this other one that did have an FM tuner. So I got the one with the tuner. Good lesson, never assume anything.

If doing the installation yourself, be aware that this is a computer and not a radio. You may find it to be a bit more sensitive to electromagnetic interference. Noise dampening systems such as ground loop isolators and voltage regulators may be required. But if installed correctly and all power wires are separated from the sound wires, and all grounds are secure, you should