LCD Screen - just speculation, not actual...

Eldorado · 08-19-2005, 06:58 AM

hey guys, I've been browsing around mp3car.com...

Just sitting here speculating *what* I could do with this car of mine... I'm probably never actually going to implement anything, but it's nice to dream, 'aint it?

I know the idea about putting the LCD where the center speaker is... but that LCD would have to be relatively small.. (anyone who has done this, I'd like to see a picture just to appease my imagination.)

I was thinking.... I've got a new deck in the car with a clock, my Oil gague is busted and only works *some* of the time (even if it was functional, it could be relocated to the driver's side bar to the left of the windshield).. and I have a couple switch blanks in the center console to relocate the fog light switch... Also, my A/C has no Freon....

SO...

yes, you probably know where I'm going with this... I dont need any of that! lol

Why not take that whole center control console out... get some clay and make a mold of the shape of the faceplate (the one with the big a/c knob).. pour some fibreglass (or some sort of acrylic) and put in a custom frame and LCD? am I the first one to come up with this? probably not...

just my brain running wild... feel free to wrangle it down into reality if you see fit.. lol

AFJuvat · 08-19-2005, 07:56 AM

Do a search, someone on here has done it already

AFJ

bryanthompson · bryanthompson's Garage

AFJ, if I remember correctly, he got angry about all of the criticism he got about the project and deleted all of his posts.

Eldorado · 08-19-2005, 09:35 AM

nah, I think you're talking about the dude that put in LCD displays for his gagues... i read that thread (pretty funny)... but I'm talking about putting a video display in there instead of the current setup... seems to be just the right size

PhillysMostWntd · 08-19-2005, 11:03 AM

i was thinking about putting in a navigation system with a small screen to replace the center speaker but then it hit me.... i know where everything is in my town from memory and i dont trust to drive it out of town

dont want to play dvd's though a lcd screen on there because i have enough fun driving the car, thats why you see 10 lcd screens in a honda civic, they are boring cars to drive so the driver needs to entertain him/herself

seaboltman · 08-19-2005, 04:57 PM

sounds like it would work, go for it. use a nice touch screen and a rollup keyboard from a laptop and you will be golden. I might be getting a 83 944 here soon enough, and that sounds like it could be pretty good idea for the center speaker

Eldorado · 08-19-2005, 08:25 PM

i think the center speaker is actually too small for the lcd I was thinking of...
I couldn't fit a 7" touchscreen in the center speaker spot.. and finding one that's 5"-6" is nearly impossible...

I was talking about the console where the big a/c knob is... remove that entirely, relocate the important bits, and add an lcd in there.

PhillysMostWntd · 08-19-2005, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eldorado
i think the center speaker is actually too small for the lcd I was thinking of...
I couldn't fit a 7" touchscreen in the center speaker spot.. and finding one that's 5"-6" is nearly impossible...

you could fit a 6.5 in there with a little fabrication... i did measurements a while ago, just over 5 inches wide if i remember correctly, im still trying to think of something useful to put there..., maybe ill just keep the carpet dash mat on and pretend there is no speaker grill in there

livewirevoodoo · livewirevoodoo's Garage

Panasonic toughbook CF-7:

I have two of these at the house that I'm playing with for work. Full on computers running windows xp with touchscreens. the computer is a brick you can put in the glovebox and it communicates wirelessly to the screen. pretty neat technology, but after having it in the car for a day I found it too distracting. Using it as a video jukebox or thowing a really cool screensaver up there is bad ass but a lil too flashy for me.

If i had wi-fi in the car i'd use it for gps on trips and to manage the network at work in a pinch while off site, otherwise i could take it or leave it.

What would be interesting is if there is a way to integrate the pc with the car and get some feedback like air/fuel mix, temp reading.... basically run the dme through software. has anyone heard of this bieng done?

princetonprep17 · 08-20-2005, 05:21 AM

I have looked into doing the same thing. Here's the problem I've run into with pouring fiberglass molds, they never come out like you expect them to. I just got done building a custom center console for my 66 Mustang, and while it came out good, it's not something that came out as good fitting as I had hoped. That being said, you could build a fiberglass mold to house a 5.8 inch touch screen from either pioneer or alpine that is specifically for their nav systems. If I did the measurements correctly then it will work out that it fits rather snugly in the dash. There is one guy on cardomain.com that has done this. He lives in South Africa I believe.