Guest ON3GO Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 hey guys ive been not very busy, just really packing my crap for the move to texas, but im taking a time-out and i had a thought. i have a Engine Management system on my Z. that i can use a laptop on, well ive been looking for a cheap laptop i can use for this, and also so i can connect it to my reg desk top computer and put all my 1000+ songs onto. Also i have a pretty nice Panasonic head unit that i can plug a dvd/ flip-up tv onto... and i found one for a great price so i was thinking this. install the tv/dvd player along with my cd/mp3 head unit. put the lap top into the glove box. hook up the tv to the laptop so i can have the lap-top closed and still see everything from my TV. then plug in my wireless keyboard (which i prob wont need, maybe i will) and my mouse up to the laptop so i can pick different menu's and sounds and also for the EMS. is this possable? i really would do this.. i mean heck ive gone so far already with this car why not spend some more money. i know the real hardcore racers will say "you dont need that stuff" and ur prob right but heck its my daily driver and i think that would be so PIMP. im already getting my JL speakers all ready and looking for a small sub or 2. let me know.. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Mike, PLEASE get used to the Z first. You will your hands full playing with it and tuning it for a while. Don't complicate things for yourself. While your futz'n with the engine, you're not going to worry what song is on, if you ven have the radio on. Babysteps !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 oh i know but i need to get a lap top and i can get a Killer and i do mean KILLER deal on a flip up panasonic dvd/tv... im not gonna be able to get on this damn car because of the rear end so crusing is all i can do, and i cant cruz without tunes. im prob never gonna wanna drive the Z in texas cuz of no A/C and the cracked hot as hell seats... so i need to find away to make myself drive it when its hot.. plus i dont want ppl to steal my wheels or the car itself. thats what my daily driver is for mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 hey mike, check out this guys website: http://www.mswanson.com/audi/Interior%20Upgrades/lcd_screens.php he did something like that, but using a direct output from his ECU to the displays. kinda cool, and you could get some good direction from his site. ALSO, your going to be living in a LARGE metro area with one of the higher rates of theft in the country. I hope that you have a good alarm and a lojack just in case. (wheel locks too!) Your car has alot of pretty-pretty parts on it, and its going to stick out like a sore thumb with a "steal me" bandaid. the last thing i want to see on the boards is a post from you about how someone jacked your shizt. so maybe instead of adding more crime bait to your car, you should protect it. my .02c and in other news, my car might finally be getting back from paint on nov1st! over a year later. woo-hoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greimann Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Mike, I have seen a setup like the one you describe. If your laptop doesn't have a TV video output then you can get a convertor that takes the monitor output and converts it to TV video. The major drawback is TV screens don't have the pixel density like computer monitors, and the resolution of the screen is really poor. Combine that with a small size and you might struggle to even read the largest characters on the screen. The application I saw was with a DOS based text display and that was marginal. A windows type of display may be totally unreadable on a 5" TV, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Yeah, try to type in your fuel management settings on a 4inch screen! Don't try this while driving either.... I'd rather have a camera in the rear so I see what the hell I backed into after hearing that clunk! This would be easy with those B/W mini cams on ebay, plus one mounted into the passenger mirror facing forward so I can see around those damn SUVs! Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 well its a 7in screen, and i did my reading up on it and it should be pretty clear when using with the laptop. oh and i wont be messing around with it when im driving. and yeah im getting locks.. im going tomorrow and getting the 81 maxima door locks, and prob something else.. also all my stuff is detachable so. i also have wheel locks, and the funny thing is unless the guys that are trying to steal my wheels have a racing jack they cant get there jack under my car... hehe its that low... mhahwehwhahaha mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiD-ViD Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 I had a computer I had built in my car to play mp3s for awhile. I built a really small computer and set it up in the trunk. I had no display at all. I had the keyboard programed so a different key would go to the next song, turn random on and off, skip through songs, etc.. it was an awesome setup and with 4k mp3s you never hear the same song twice. I could also hit j and type in a song name and jump to a specific song. most of the time the passanger just held the keyboard and hit whatever I wanted them to hit or they could search for what song they wanted to listen to. I took it out when I started to try to sell my car. I think I will put it back in though it was a ton of fun. I really do suggest doing the laptop mp3 thing. but as they say the display might be smaller than you want it to be when it comes to tuning. but you could always pull the laptop out and use it when tuning. If you have the money go for it and dont forget to tell insurance about it so if it does get stolen you can get it back. also check out http://www.mp3car.com lots of good info and examples on that site even though it is a bit outdated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 yeah im gonna do it.. im gonna start saving and do it correct.. maybe even do few jame bond'ish type things too. i dont want to make it a show car but just a cool driver you know. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean 83ZXT Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Mike, you're going to UTI in Houston right? If I were you I'd not do anything too fancy that you don't want stolen in the first month. My twin brother went to that UTI and his car was broken into twice, and then stolen. This was in a 6 month period!!! My father and I drove a spare car we had out there in a weekend. That's from Sacramento to Houston in 3 days. Did I mention that when the car was recovered days later, the police took approx. 2 months to notify my father and then charged him fees for storage. So needless to say, watch your car like a hawk, and make the thing look as un bling-bling as possible. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when it'll be broken into and how much stuff will be lost. I've always said a garage is the best alarm money can buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 well i have a garage in my apartment complex, and the only place ill leave my Z parked outside is either at UTI or when im out to eat.. but at work ill bring my truck or if i find a altima before i leave ill get rid of my truck for that. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxs666 Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 Now you did it: I just got all the components you are talking about, except add a 7" touch-screen in the dash with a built in dvd player in a single din set up. Also, add the touch screen compatible GPS unit and a Pentium 2 IBM laptop with a 10" screen for my apexi power fc. My idea is to disassemble the laptop and mount the keyboard on the back of the glovebox door with a long retractable cord, disconnect the laptop screen from the computer body and then put the 10" screen on a pull out arm that comes out fo glovebox. Certain keyboards have a keypad mouse so you dont need anything too complicated beyond that. I plan to use the computer as my mp3 drive and for diagnostic programs and mapping, and set the dvd player to play on both screens. My head unit also controls a remote camara so i will probably add a back up cam with nite vision down the road. BEST PART.... the IBM computer i used is an IBM 240 !!!!! The stereo video stuff is Kenwood 911 series and gps stuff is 2100 series and touchscreen compatible. JUST GOT A MONSTER ALARM TOO... wired directly to my Glock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 well i what im doing also is you know that touch mouse that the new laptops have? well im putting that and the mouse keys like on the lap tops on my center console type deal where my ash tray is now. im also looking for a bigger screen for the in-dash TV/DVD player. the laptop im looking out has voice command so im trying to figure out to use that with.. my headunit i have no plays mp3's but i have so many songs on my computer that i can just put on a laptop.. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxs666 Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 i will send you some pics as i get the stuff together. You do the same. You can email me direct at mxs666@att.net. Are you using a stand alone or piggyback managment system? Which one are you using? Let me know. - Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 stand alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxs666 Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 is that the Blizt unit? I am not familiar with it if it is. I am running an apexi power fc and am just getting into it. I am trying to get all the wiring stuff sorted out now and thats why i decided to do the computer and stereo stuff, at the same time the alarm and power windows and doors are done. If you need an alarm i just got a killer deal on a clifford unit that has good relays that tie right into all the other stuff going in. If you can run maps on your system its a great idea to hardwire a laptop. I am planning on keeping mine hidden when not in use. Check out the ibm 240 (gotta love that), it has a 10" screen, a keypad mouse and external drives, also the keyboard is slightly smaller than standard. Even a standard laptop keyboard will fit almost perfectly on the back of the glovebox door if you take off the inside finsher. All my electronics are now waiting for me in san diego. I am in nyc right now and cant wait to get home on wed. xxx-MAS in October ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 no i have a Microtech Engine management system. I have a Blitz SBC i-D boost controller and Blitz Powermeter i-D which allows me to set boost at different RPM's and gears. and dyno's my HP, 0-60 speeds and 1/4. also displays MPH and other things too.. its very badass. see i dont want a laptop showing at all. ill have a loptop touch mouse built into my dash, along with the bottons. the keyboard ill have would be small and accsessable from like under the dash. ill have my JL door speakers soon, along with the rear soon. not sure on a sub yet but need stuff light weight. my TV/DVD will be wired into the laptop so i can play mp3's from my computer. and also because ill have internet access from my Sprint Cell phone. which is pretty fast.. faster then 56K dial up and i can download crap when im driving.. hehe. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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