Laptop or LCD?

[MarkhamMazda3]

Hey,

This may be a stupid question to ask for some, but i am seriously considering it. Lately i have have the urge to put in a lcd in my 3, but after getting a realistic estimate, i think it would be better to just get a laptop and somehow mount it somewhere near the center console of my 3. What do you think? I was thinkign of putting a telescopic rod to the right of my shifter where i beleive the NAV controls would be for the US models, and just somehow making a custom shelf or mounty thingy to hold the laptop in place. I don\'t really care if it going to cover my climate controls or anything. I was also thinking that for audio of the laptop when watching movies, i can just run a cable from the backof my deck and hook it up to the tape/md input and from there, drill where the telescopic post would be and run it right up to the laptop\'s audio output jac. right there i have a mp3 player, dvd palyer, navigation, and one wicked ass custom job. What do you think?

[bluntman]

Originally posted by MarkhamMazda3


Hey,

This may be a stupid question to ask for some, but i am seriously considering it. Lately i have have the urge to put in a lcd in my 3, but after getting a realistic estimate, i think it would be better to just get a laptop and somehow mount it somewhere near the center console of my 3. What do you think? I was thinkign of putting a telescopic rod to the right of my shifter where i beleive the NAV controls would be for the US models, and just somehow making a custom shelf or mounty thingy to hold the laptop in place. I don\'t really care if it going to cover my climate controls or anything. I was also thinking that for audio of the laptop when watching movies, i can just run a cable from the backof my deck and hook it up to the tape/md input and from there, drill where the telescopic post would be and run it right up to the laptop\'s audio output jac. right there i have a mp3 player, dvd palyer, navigation, and one wicked ass custom job. What do you think?

Back away from the dremel and the MDF! As soon as you wrote \"telescopic rod\" and \"mounty thingy\" or <gasp!> \"I don\'t car\" when talking about your car, take a moment and think about it again. Yes I know installing the LCD in your car is a lot of money, but if you really, really want it, save your money and do it correctly. You may end up spending more money on the project if you have to do it twice because you weren\'t satisfied with your first attempt. Your car is one of the most expensive things you\'ll buy in your lifetime, it won\'t be the last one you buy, but it will be with you for several years.

Do it the right way or don\'t do it at all.

My advice may seem a little heavy handed, but I\'m speaking from experience.

[Xenon]

LCD is nice...

There is a guy at the TOprotege mini-meet last thursday with an LCD. He hooked it up to an actual computer and stores the computer under the passenger seat. Because it\'s connected to a comp, he has DVD, MP3s Games, AV in and out for hooking up console gaming systems.... he has it totally intergrated into his car.

He did mention one thing tho... aftermarket LCDs attract a lot of attention from both cops and thieves. If you are going to get one, make sure it hides well when not in use.

His folds into his dash and looks like a CD player. BUT seeing the configuration of our consoles, it would be difficult to do that. If it\'s on the dash, have it fold away or slide into the dashboard. If you don\'t, you better have smash proof windows.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

there\'s a guy on the Toronto Maxima Forums (www.torontomaxima.com) named MiniRX7 (he may also be on the protege forums as well) that integrated an XBox into his 2003 maxima. it\'s modded and plays dvd movies, mp3s, etc as well as xbox games off the HD. he had a hideaway LCD installed also

he even interfaced it with the steering wheel mounted controls to traverse through the menu.

send him a PM on either forums and ask him about his setup.

cheers

[MarkhamMazda3]

Well it is not going to be fully integrated, it will be standing on more ofa shelf type unit that is attatched to a telescopic post. My friend\'s dad actually owns around 3 or 4 snap-on trucks and we decided to make the shelf unit usingone of the CAD tools. I actually found the perfect type of post for it when i was at home depot. it is about 1.5 inches in diameter and it is pretty stong. I triedbending itwith mty hands and it didn\'t even budge. What it looks like is a triangular peice but only with 2 sides. It is exactly like what they use in those lamps which have the magnifying class onthe top of them, but this one is much smaller. The only integration it will have will be the audio line hooked up to the back of the deck into the audio output of the laptop. I dont want a screen becasuse i have had them before in on of my previous cars and it is a paid because

A) You have to somehow install it into the dash or another part of the car to make it look decent and i do not want to start cutting away at my dash.

B) They are too small

C) Cops are a paid in the butt when it comes to those, with a laptop, we will hook up a trigger near the arm rest which will either shut off the power or act as a mouse button to switch the screen to a navigation program so the cops can\'t say anything.

Please continue to give your input since i am still very interested in doing this.

[FLIPDADY]

How about the factory navi-system screen? For that nice clean factory look. Only problem is that the price is $2900.00!! You can get a good system with that kind of money.