Some newer things that I will be trying to install on my car at some point as the build progresses on it, using either OEM components for retrofit, or
- Fully Electric Power Steering Rack - Active Grille Shutter - Blind Spot Monitor System - Side Mirror Turn Indicators - Dimming Side Mirrors - Reverse Proximity Sensors
The steering rack is from an S2000, and I should be able to fit it in with some new brackets to mount it to the crossmember, and tie rods of the appropriate length for the Fiero.
I don't have the dimensions for the Cruze Eco shutter assembly, but it may be able to fit under the stock aero nose. The design of the aero nose isn't the best suited for the shutter system, so a more appropriate bumper cover may be necessary to really make use of it. A shutter system may still be helpful reducing drag and emissions, with the stock nose, though the benefits would be greater with a bumper designed for it.
The blind spot system and mirror indicators shouldn't be too difficult. The hard part is finding a set of mirrors with the warning light and signal indicators, which also has auto-dimming, and are a good match for the Fiero's body lines.
The reverse proximity indicators should be reasonably easy to do as well, using OEM parts.
I am adding a CarPC and a 11.2" screen to my center console. I have a ways to go, as I have to custom build a center console to house everything, but functionality wise it is working 100%.
I originally had a small form factor PC that I was going to use, and install behind the passenger seat. It would require that PC and a separate touch screen and a VGA cable run to the dash. I decided to go with a Slate PC instead. The one I have, a Samsung Series 7 Slate Tablet PC runs the full version of Windows 8.1. On top of that, with Blue Stack software, I can also run android app's as well. It seems like the perfect solution...... it's got an 11.2 inch screen, and it's less than half an inch thick. I picked it up on eBay for $240 some time ago.
I did the first preliminary test of it being controlled by the steering wheel controls. (1996 Firebird Steering Wheel with steering wheel controls) Here is a short video of the first test in the car with the steering wheel controls:
The specs on this are pretty impressive for a tablet! It has a Core i5 processor running at 1.6 Ghz, 4 gigs ram, 128 Gb Solid State Hard Drive, Windows 8.1. I also added a 2 Terabyte external mobile hard drive with over 80,000 MP3's and a few hundred movies.
As far as media, its got about anything you would want. Sirius Radio, AM/FM/HD radio, Pandora, Slacker and around 3,000 Internet radio stations from Shoutcast Radio set as a list of presets in the radio interface catagorized by genre. I have a wireless charging dock that I am installing in the console. When I set the phone on the console it will charge and Tasker will enter "dock mode" & activate the HotSpot on my phone, that the tablet will connect to automatically for Internet access. Tasker will also trigger Bluetooth connection of my phone to my head unit for making / receiving calls automatically.
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 01-15-2015).]
Originally posted by JohnWPB: I am adding a CarPC and a 11.2" screen to my center console. I have a ways to go, as I have to custom build a center console to house everything, ...............
I like it, giving me some ideas for my own set up.
Just food for thought, I went with a custom built stalk type mount, off of the center tunnel. might work, for your setup.
Question: Can you do a backup camera with your system?
------------------ 88 GT Choptop, Vertical Door Hinges Lowered Suspension w/ 13" Brake Disk CarPC - WinXP Pro (GT Sport Edition) + a lot more.....
Originally posted by Orig88GT-NC: I like it, giving me some ideas for my own set up. Just food for thought, I went with a custom built stalk type mount, off of the center tunnel. might work, for your setup.
That is a nice mount you fashioned. That should be really sturdy, and a nice angle to look at.
I am going for more the built in look with he tablet. I have everything planned out and measured, it is just a matter of fabricating it now.
quote
Originally posted by Orig88GT-NC: Question: Can you do a backup camera with your system?
Yes, I actually have one, and it will trigger when the reverse lights come on to display on the screen. (Or a button is pressed on the screen)
As for the capabilities of the system, it is a full blown Windows 8.1 machine. It is capable of everything that my desktop PC is capable of. I bought a 10 port 12v powered USB hub to expand it. I will use it to connect the external 2 Tb hard drive, the Noise canceling mic, GPS receiver, Sirius Radio receiver, the AM/FM/HD radio receiver, the steering wheel controls interface, Reverse camera, and whatever else I decide to add LOL.
It really is the PERFECT CarPC, as when I turn the car off, it will go into standby mode. That can maintain it's memory for a few days. If it is longer than that, it will then go into hibernation. This way, when I start the car, it is 100% booted up and resuming music in under 5 seconds.
Here is another video when I was bench testing the power controller to turn on and off the tablet when starting and stopping the car:
I'm wondering why you would want to do this instead of simply going with an android tablet. A tablet would be MUCH easier to do and could probably do most of the things that a PC can do (with the right apps).
Originally posted by PaulJK: I'm wondering why you would want to do this instead of simply going with an android tablet. A tablet would be MUCH easier to do and could probably do most of the things that a PC can do (with the right apps).
Did you read the rest of that post? He is using a tablet.
I can't say that I like either option though. Most existing apps that do the CarPC interface don't really look so great, and shoving a tablet into the dash doesn't tend to fit well with most car interior designs. Even the design of the touch screen interface on OEM navigation units tends to not be so great.
I might get around to building a custom head unit myself at some point, based off an OEM navigation unit. I'd strip everything out of it and use the shell as a base for fitting the screen and electronics in. I don't need 80,000 MP3s in my car. Nobody ever actually listens to all of their massive MP3 collections. I certainly don't.
Originally posted by PaulJK: I'm wondering why you would want to do this instead of simply going with an android tablet. A tablet would be MUCH easier to do and could probably do most of the things that a PC can do (with the right apps).
An iPad or Android tablet simply can not compete in this arena. The RideRunner software that I am using, I created my own skin for, and is customized in more ways than could be calculated. I wrote the skin, and made it available on the MP3 car forums. The thread is the largest thread in the history of their forums, and the skin has been downloaded and installed over 10,000 times world wide.
If you notice on the video, the top of the screen shows the currently playing station/MP3/stream ect. It remains on ALL screens when you are going to GPS, the OBD Gauges, ect. The same with the lower row of buttons for access to track/volume ect. Everything is embedded into the same setup, and you are not switching between different apps that look and are laid out differently that you have to minimize and maximize apps to switch between. Here is a quick video I put together some time ago when I was using the old hardware. It still gives an idea of some of the basic functions.
I also have the hardware that I am tying in to control the A/C, windows, door locks ect.
There is no way all of this can be done on an iPad or Android tablet, and keep it all seamless in it's operation. This software was written from the ground up to be used as CarPC software.
Note: in this video, 100% of the control is done by voice, and the screen is never touched once:
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 01-16-2015).]
Just installed a tire pressure monitoring System in my Fiero. It displays the temperature, and the pressure in all 4 tires. Gottal love OCD I spent 20 minutes getting each of the tires to exactly 36 PSI LOL!
I purchased it on eBay, Just search for: Car Solar Wireless TPMS LCD Tire Pressure Monitoring System w/ 4 External Sensor
I did not include a link, as the link will be broken when the item ends.
I did not need the solar feature. I got this particular one due to the slim look of it. It fits either on top of the center console, or on the center light console, where I prefer it.
Just installed a tire pressure monitoring System in my Fiero. It displays the temperature, and the pressure in all 4 tires. Gottal love OCD I spent 20 minutes getting each of the tires to exactly 36 PSI LOL!
I purchased it on eBay, Just search for: Car Solar Wireless TPMS LCD Tire Pressure Monitoring System w/ 4 External Sensor
I did not include a link, as the link will be broken when the item ends.
I did not need the solar feature. I got this particular one due to the slim look of it. It fits either on top of the center console, or on the center light console, where I prefer it.
is it slim enough to fit in that goofy blank in the instrument cluster opposite the mileage counter? That'd be a good spot for something like that maybe.
[This message has been edited by f85gtron (edited 06-12-2017).]
Originally posted by f85gtron: is it slim enough to fit in that goofy blank in the instrument cluster opposite the mileage counter? That'd be a good spot for something like that maybe.
I was thinking the EXACT same thing. The only problem is there are buttons on the top for canceling alarms and such. I am not good enough with a soldering iron to begin to take it apart and solder wires to move the buttons to a remote location. If someone is good with micro soldering, then this would definitely be the ideal location to put it right into the instrument cluster.
An iPad or Android tablet simply can not compete in this arena.
They probably couldn't then, but they can now. I bought this and am really happy with this unit. 1.6Ghz ARM Cortex processor and really most of the functionality you'd want in a car built in. Display is a little small compared to a tablet solution but it fits in the dash without serious modifications (like building a whole new console). I have found that it is really fast car based Android tablet.
battery rundown protection for the interior lights would be a nifty thing to have. im too tired to search for a module that does this.
but i do want to add that having something connected inline with the battery that cuts it off at a low voltage point isnt all that great. having maybe a separate module for the interior lights and one for the headlights/parking lights that turns off after 10 minutes or so is ideal. it can probably be rigged up with a defroster relay and a spdt automotive relay. but thats kind of primitive for a feature like this.
Theyve had those for decades already. Ive had them on a lot of my own vehicles. Right now one is in my minivan, and one in one motorhome. It automatically disconnects the battery when voltage drops to 11.3....enough to start. Some have a manual button to reengage, some auto-reconnect when you turn on key. Just google 'automatic battery disconnect'. There are tons of them out there to pick from. Most just connect to a battery terminal and ground...5 min job.
The rest of the stuff on the list are just things to break down at worst possible time. Cars now are so complicated because of all the gadgets, you cant work on them. Fieros have the best possible defroster (dont think Ive ever seen one without OEM defroster), the open area between the glass and engine cover lets hot engine air melt the ice and snow plenty fast enough. I never needed to turn the OEM one on...in fact on the Ferrari kit, i wired it up for use as the radio antenna.
On the subject of infotainment systems, I was getting my youtube fix the other day and found a guy by the name of Kevin Krinn who designed an infotainment system and modular LCD gauge cluster for the Delorean similiar to what JohnWPB did with the Fiero. Here's a few vids on it. The first is the dash in action, the second is how he designed it with no prior coding knowledge, and the third describes how Tesla designed their infotainment system. I included the last vid for reference since I think Tesla's layout is extremely intuitive and it's the benchmark used by Kevin Krinn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtJ6ejG3IVE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hu5uEYGmX4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgDMbJN4GNo
Ok, another little thing I added to my car. An RFID fuel door popper. It is quite simple, but I find it handier when getting gas than unlocking the dfoor, opening it and reaching behind the drivers seat for the lever.
Ok, another little thing I added to my car. An RFID fuel door popper. It is quite simple, but I find it handier when getting gas than unlocking the dfoor, opening it and reaching behind the drivers seat for the lever.
It's pretty cool John that you went to that effort. I gotta ask though, what situations are you in where you have already locked the car and then need to open the fuel door? I mean when I'm at the gas station I don't usually lock my car then open it up again to fuel it up
I used to always want a pc in the car had a 2000w+ stereo but as I have got older I don't even drive with a radio or answer the phone. I am afraid my interest for this for myself has faded but do like what you guys are achieving I wish I still had the patience for it.
[This message has been edited by Australian (edited 06-26-2017).]
I am doing a CarPC in my Camaro but for the Fiero I decided to go with an Android headunit from Joying. I will be putting that in sometime next month when I get back stateside.
what situations are you in where you have already locked the car and then need to open the fuel door?
I guess I must be a little different than most. When I get to the gas station, I usually get out lock the doors and head inside to get something to drink. I always pump the gas when I come back out of the store.
I guess I must be a little different than most. When I get to the gas station, I usually get out lock the doors and head inside to get something to drink. I always pump the gas when I come back out of the store.
I am doing a CarPC in my Camaro but for the Fiero I decided to go with an Android headunit from Joying. I will be putting that in sometime next month when I get back stateside.
I was going back and forth between Ownice and Joying, why did you pick Joying? They do have some cool options, but I think ultimately I didn't pick them because of some issues with marshmallow, and their being well known as having poor audio. I'm pretty happy on that front with the Ownice.
I was going back and forth between Ownice and Joying, why did you pick Joying? They do have some cool options, but I think ultimately I didn't pick them because of some issues with marshmallow, and their being well known as having poor audio. I'm pretty happy on that front with the Ownice.
I chose Joying because I have been following them from the beginning, additionally I have asked others that have had them and they are pleased. It is best for you to go here Android Auto for the information that you seek. The audio if you are running speakers of the headunit can be done better by changing out the audio chip for a Pioneer Mosfet one. (how to in the website). You can also increase the sound quality but using Viper4Android (again how to in the website).
I chose Joying because I have been following them from the beginning, additionally I have asked others that have had them and they are pleased. It is best for you to go here Android Auto for the information that you seek. The audio if you are running speakers of the headunit can be done better by changing out the audio chip for a Pioneer Mosfet one. (how to in the website). You can also increase the sound quality but using Viper4Android (again how to in the website).
Thanks Spades, I am on there already. My Ownice has what I think is great audio quality ouf of the box, pretty sure they use a different amp chip to Joying. I am aware of the pioneer mod but there is no way I am able to do soldering like that I am quite happy with the audio, especially with the sub I made. The eq in Poweramp takes care of the limited function 3 band in the OS.
I am quite happy with the audio, especially with the sub I made. The eq in Poweramp takes care of the limited function 3 band in the OS. 
