2003 Toxic Tacoma

[ToxicGumbo]

Though my 14Point7 gauge/controller #2 isn't displaying right, I rewired everything in my truck's footwell to resume datalogging, this time with a Raspberry Pi as the reader/programmer. Should be a hoot.

[Fred]

To me locker and 4wd are unrelated items. If you had 4wd then unless you were doing serious stuff an LSD would suffice. A good LSD is a great thing to have in a car, period. Makes everything better. An LSD third leg must be available for this axle. Almost every hilux here has one in it.

Looking forward to dessert flavoured datalogs soon! :-D

Dessert is twice as good as the desert. Strawberry Shortcake = dessert, Sahara = desert

Those words result in an internet search almost every time I have to use one. Sorry for polluting your perfectly good thread with my incoherent spelling lessons.

[ToxicGumbo]

To help provide dessert flavored datalogs, I've been working on a Raspberry Pi "carputer" which I'm getting close to installing. Finding the right cocktail of parts and adapters while on a budget has been painful.

Today, during lunch, I ripped my center console/waterfall apart to look at options for relocating the HVAC controls, air vents, and peripheral junk. Looking at the images below, one can see that the ashtray, bezel cigarette lighter adapter, and airbag switch can simply go away (the airbag switch somewhat links both airbags, both of which I plan to make switched anyway on a panel further to the left).







In this last image, I rotated the cover just to give an ideal of preferred layout: Computer panel at the top and HVAC vents or controls below that.

What compounds this layout is that the screw terminals and push-lock holes are all at different depths, the bezel is tapered on the inside, outside, and has a curve across the front, and some of the inner bracketing expects the bezel to be raised a little to clear them. It's all very styled to match the flow of the dash. Something can be fabbed up with cardboard, then masonite, then just sort of flexed into place and with various supports bolted around. Maybe wrapped in matte black. It would be ideal to have a slight lip on all the edges. I'd rather something with fiberglass or CF, but I won't have the time for anything of that quality.

[ToxicGumbo]

Not my truck interior, but this is essentially what it all looks like (I'll be removing the shifter island, too, since I plan to go manual).



I'd like the Pi with touchscreen to sit to the immediate right of the gauge cluster as that's the easiest location to reach. There's also a psychological aspect in that the Pi will control various display aspects of a tethered gauge cluster LCD. Line of sight from left to right is ideal, especially while driving.


-Jeff

[Fred]

What's the thing with the key in it? New to me.

I'd find a spare one at a junk yard, or online cheap, then cut out the vents and form the shape you need with cheap filler and a file by cutting bits out of the existing panel, and putting bits back in as needed after roughing up the surface for adhesion. You can use fibreglass tape with the polyester filler to give it a bit of stiffness. Once you have the shape right you could simply paint it. Taking the next step, using that as a pattern for a composite one.

Looks like the heater controls could move down a bit without too much drama. Rerouting vents should be possible too. Let's see it! :-)

These come in longer flatter variants and are great for rough shaping bog: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-Surf ... /100654913

[ToxicGumbo]

Toyota oddly made a key-based switch for the passenger airbag. It's common (due to safety laws) to shut the airbag off if a child is in the passenger seat. Modern cars have a passenger pressure sensor coupled with other factors, some just have a switch for on/off. I looked at it yesterday and the thing is genuinely an ignition cylinder lock. That makes sense since it uses the same key, but it's still pretty wild to look it.

I'm a lot more hopeful today about custom work, it's just a matter of finding the time and parts (very expensive if not ripped from a yard and there are no good yards around here within 2 hours). I want to get the center console bezel, a gauge cluster, and another radio since it has a good shell and heatsink with connector cutouts that I can use with the my new wired connectors, antenna socket, and amp board (it can also hold the hub and small USB devices). That's $50 of parts from a yard, or roughly $200 online.

The cabling for the HVAC and airbag switch all have enough slack to be moved easily. The air duct is a thin add-on to the top of a hard plastic chute and agreed that it can all be re-routed fairly well, though with reduced air flow. No big deal.

I have a variety of file similar to that and plenty of Dremel junk that might be useful. Should be fun.

Here's my Pi assembly against the console space and bezel to get a feel for size. I almost wonder if it's best to save time by throwing it where the radio went and calling it a day. Top cable clearance (HDMI, CAN-serial) is going to be a concern.

[Matthijs]

Looks like it belongs there

[ToxicGumbo]

That was my original objective and today's the first chance I had to test fit it. Surprisingly on the mark. There are some plastic bits which push it back a little, but I might pad the seam a little anyway. To mount it in place, I'd like to take an old radio and build some vertical brackets which line up with the case-to-screen-rear holes. The radio had a thick bevel, so it might be minimal effort to work with.

Still would prefer side-by-side, but alas! Maybe I can put the SD card extension in the closable ash tray.

[ToxicGumbo]

Some example dash displays and layouts.

[ToxicGumbo]

And a proof-of-concept I was working on last Spring: