Started work on the computer for my truck..

bwhite757 · #1 11-16-2007, 11:59 PM

Well, my dash bezel and touch screen came in today, so I got some work done. Somehow I got the measurements wrong, but no worries, I'm gonna make this big ass 10.4" screen fit into this dash... So here comes the trusty dremmel:

Navigation Bezel before:

Now we had to slightly make the opening bigger for the touch screen:

Now, took the front off the touch screen to mold it into the bezel, didn't fit exactly, so out come the dremel again

Ok, everything fits now, time to glue the front plastic touch screen piece to the bezel:

Mask it off, and prepare to mold the sides:

Ok, done for the night, going to do a little more in the morning before work, will keep you guys updated...

Parts/Service · #2 11-17-2007, 12:16 AM

looks good so far.........

bwhite757 · #3 11-17-2007, 12:37 AM

The only thing that worries me is I'm going to have to cut out the supports marked by the red box in the picture.

I haven't looked real well at it, as I lost the sun light, but is this a seperate piece that can be taken out? And can I buy this piece so I can have a spare??

JD1500 · #4 11-17-2007, 12:52 AM

I beleive that is all one big formed piece. You would have to buy that whole center section. wont be cheap. or find it in a yard

stratusguy02 · #5 11-17-2007, 04:43 PM

Yeah, good luck with that. It is a huge piece for the whole dash. When you cut out the support, how are you going to mount your nav screen? I am interested to see how this one turns out.

MoparRob · #6 11-17-2007, 04:48 PM

Lookin good so far keep us updated... What touchscreen are you using... its not running Windows CE is it??

tdmopar59 · #7 11-17-2007, 05:04 PM

dang lookin good!! pretty cool.... cant wait to see a finished product!!!

bwhite757 · #8 11-17-2007, 10:20 PM

The screen is supported by the bezel, it's actually glued into place. I'm not too happy with the way the initial mold came out, I'm going to sand it back down and start over on monday. After looking at it, with putting the screen at the angle, it may actually clear the supports without me having to cut it. (Keeping fingers crossed) I really don't want to have to mess with the stock setup too much if I don't have to, especially since that piece is so big, and replacing it would be a pain.

The touchscreen is a Samsung 10.4". The computer uses Windows XP, with RoadRunner front end software. I've got the computer done, just waiting on some time to really sit down and do some sanding on my bezel. That's the hardest part, and my original shaping didn't look right at all, so sand it all down to square one and try something else. I did this on my last truck, and it took me almost 2 months to get it good enough where I finally put it in the truck. I will keep you guys updated, but no pictures until I get something worth looking at finished...

The Peddler · #9 11-18-2007, 02:56 AM

Lookin great so far! That kind of stuff is not for me to do.

bwhite757 · #10 11-18-2007, 04:39 AM

It's really not for me either, my only saving grace is I'm really good with computers, so having one in the truck just makes sense. Sure, you can take the easy way out and go with the factory navigation, but it's a lot cheaper, and you can get a lot more out of the computer set up. By the time I'm done, I'll have sirius radio, a 4,000 song music library, a 50 gig video library, bluetooth phone capibilities, a TV tuner (not really needed, but I have the tuner already from my old setup), regular radio tuner, DVD player, and internet. I use the internet just to download gasbuddy prices while I'm on the road, it works with your GPS and shows you where the cheap gas is on your trip. You get all this for under a grand. Actually right now I think I have about $700 into the system, the biggest part being the touch screen.

Touch screen: $239
Sirius Controller: $80
Computer: Old Desktop so theoretically nothing, upgraded Hard Drive: $100
Power Supply: $80
Cables: $50 - 60
Amp: $65 (Your getting rid of your factory radio, have to have something to push the speakers)
Navigation Bezel: $60
Fabrication Costs: Around $40-50
Roughly: $740ish total..

Great thing about it, you can spread your costs over a couple of months instead of 1 big hit, and you still come out cheaper than the factory Navigation. Of course this isn't for everyone. I'm an impatient person, and doing the fabrication KILLS me, it's sooooooooo time consuming, and tedius. But I also can't just throw something into a $25,000 vehicle that doesn't look right, so I just bite the bullet and work on it until it looks right....