In-car hard drive based music system

[Tube60]

Hi all
The factory Nakamichi sound system in my Lexus is starting to slowly give up the ghost. I was never really pleased with it anyway! My question is this: I'd like to set up a 2.5" notebook hard drive in my car for music storage. I've done a bit of homework; MCM Electronics offer the hard-drives and a stand-alone adapter. I would also need, obviously, a sound card and a cpu to run a graphics interface, preferably via a touch-screen LCD monitor on the dash. Amplification would be handled in-house, of course!
I've poked around on the 'net but nothing really satisfiying has turned up. There were some similar commercial setups, but they didn't seem to do very well. I'm not quite crazy enough to think I'll be saving money with this; I just think it would be fun and challenging.
So, any ideas?
Thanks in advance!:rocker:

 

[jtwrace]

Hi all
The factory Nakamichi sound system in my Lexus is starting to slowly give up the ghost. I was never really pleased with it anyway! My question is this: I'd like to set up a 2.5" notebook hard drive in my car for music storage. I've done a bit of homework; MCM Electronics offer the hard-drives and a stand-alone adapter. I would also need, obviously, a sound card and a cpu to run a graphics interface, preferably via a touch-screen LCD monitor on the dash. Amplification would be handled in-house, of course!
I've poked around on the 'net but nothing really satisfiying has turned up. There were some similar commercial setups, but they didn't seem to do very well. I'm not quite crazy enough to think I'll be saving money with this; I just think it would be fun and challenging.
So, any ideas?
Thanks in advance!:rocker:

Get this http://store.mp3car.com/MacPac_Power_Cable_Kit_p/cbl-002.htm and a Mini and your done.

 

[Tube60]

Thanks JT!
I'll put that in line with my other ideas. Definitely a consideration!

 

[amey01]

If you've got a fast 3G 'phone, you could always try connecting that to your in-home SqueeceCentre server.

That way, you have all your library, all the time - and you don't have to worry about maintaining a separate in-car library - or disk failures due to shocks and bumps.

 

[Tube60]

Thanks all for the kind words and advice!
The system finally died over the weekend. All that remains is the right front channel, and it sounds like somebody wrapped a sock around the speaker, put it in a coffee can, and then into a bathtub! I'm going to stay away from a DIY approach; I'm looking into a double-DIN head unit with gps nav. So far I'm leaning heavily towards Eclipse. I have a late-80s vintage Zendar amplifier (ZHT-150) I've kept around, that is one of the best sounding car amps I've ever heard, and I'm also considering running the mids & tweeters with a tube amp I made for another car a few years ago, so it should be a knockout performer. Speakers I haven't paid much attention to, so I'll begin my research for that soon.