From Nissan 350Z & 370Z Wiki
The Nissan 350Z is ideal for the installation of a Carputer. There is a lot of room for the installation, either entirely within the dash (with the removal of the Bose Sound System) or placement in the space behind the passenger seat.
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Components needed
Motherboard
Of course one could use a normal sized motherboard for the carputer, but where would the fun be in that. There are three main sizes of carputer motherboards:
Power Management
Both cars and computers (for the most part) run on 12v DC power. There are many "intelligent" 12v -> 12v power supplies available for Carputers. This removes the need to have a bulky, and inefficient inverter to supplier power to the carputer using a conventional computer power supply.
When choosing your power supply, one my be aware of how much wattage your carputer will draw.
Computer Components
HDD vs SSD
Normal Hard Disk Drives (HDD) can be used in carputers quite successfully. The 350z has harder suspension than some other cars though, so you may eventually find the HDD dies from being exposed to too many vertical Gs. This can be mitigated by storing the HDD on it's side, so that when a bump is hit, the HDD's Heads simply moves out of allignment, instead of crashing into the HDD Platter.
Solid State Disks (SSD) are a relatively new technology. They had Greater Speed, Less power requirements and greater durability than standard HDD. However they are very expensive. A 128GB SSD can cost upwards of $300 USD. (Check NewEgg For Prices)
A cheap way of getting solid state reliability, while not breaking the bank is to use an IDE->Compact Flash Card Adapter.
Displays / Monitors
Unlike most other cars, you have a few choices in where you place our monitor, and what size it is. You can install an single Din head unit and a single Din fold out touchscreen, Or you can install a headunit (single or double din) and put your monitor in the "cubby hole" above it.
Human Interface Devices
Control Dials
Griffon Powermate - Price $45 USD
The Powermate is a programable USB control nob for Windows. It allows for the following functions to be programmed for each application window, or globally:
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- Short Press
- Long Press
- Dial Right
- Dial Left
- Press and Dial Right
- Press and Dial Left
3dConnexion "Space" Series - Price $59 to $399 USD
A much more advanced control knob, the SpaceNavigators allow control three axises. See individual product pages for more info. Much more powerful than the Powermate, as it is a 3d Mouse
Software
- See also Car Computer Dashboards.
Installation into 350Z
Installation Dash
Installation behind passenger seat
External Links
- Mini-Box Manufacturer / Seller of small form-factor motherboards and powers supplies, as well as complete Carputers. based in CA, USA.
- Mini-ITX Seller of many small form-factor motherboards. Based in the UK.
- MP3Car Seller of Carputer components and full systems. Based in MD, USA.
Explore and learn more about 350Z and G35 components and modifications. If you don't see a part on the following pages, it either does not exist, or we missed it. In which case you can help us by adding it to the page.
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Audio & Video Tunes, movies, and navigation. |
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Electrical
Systems Electrical improvements. |
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Exterior Set your Z apart. |
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Interior Comfort and looks. |
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Brakes Improve your stopping power. |
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Engine Response and performance. |
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Forced Induction Need a lot more power? |
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Suspension Stick to the ground. |
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Drivetrain Put the power to the ground. |
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Exhaust Flow more and sound aggressive. |
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Intake Breath easier. |
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Wheels and Tires Grip and bling. |
