Which car pc to buy?

[Salil]

Hello,
I have an old Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder 2008 and I wanted to add a car pc to it. The main aim is to be able to play music, podcasts, start navigation without taking out my android phone. If I could get hands free operation that would be great. Even better would be if I could get side and rear view cameras. I researched a lot but not sure as to which reliable name brands can I buy. Any ideas?

 

[DaTT]

If you have a double DIN radio, would it not be easier to just get one of those?....or if not, have a custom double DIN install?

I have personally never heard of a car PC.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you have a double DIN radio, would it not be easier to just get one of those?....or if not, have a custom double DIN install?

I have personally never heard of a car PC.

They were a thing for about 15 minutes in the late 1990s.

 

[mooncancook]

Just get one of those cheap double din Android head unit. I got one with 4-cores 32gb storage and 2gb ram and Android 7.0 and 600p capacitive touch screen for just over $200. It works really well, turns on instantly, and you can use google maps and pretty much any android app, all you need is a hotspot from your phone.

 

[bradly1101]

I fitted an old Dell laptop behind a panel in my old minivan connected to a Dolby DSP/amps for audio and a manual slide out/up display. Mini van surround sound with nice speakers/sub is great when you can't turn up Mahler too loud in your apartment.

Not wanting an alarm, I removed the very old original Toyota head unit's face to fit over the display's front edge to hide it and, using a hacksaw, cut the panel that hid the laptop so I could get to it easily and quickly. I soldered a reset button to the lappy's power daughter card so I didn't have to reach back but rarely needed it despite parking outside in SoCal heat.

It was an incredibly fun project. I didn't have cameras, but with a full-fledged PC in there you can do so much.

The only problem I ran into was the damn ribbon cable in that fold out display kept failing.

If you're well alarmed and don't park in dicey areas, I recommend a fixed display.

When the panels were out for speakers and everything I installed sound deadening.

 

[jlee]

An Android Auto-compatible head unit is the best way to go today, IMO.

 

[WhiteNoise]

I just have my phone linked to the headunit for apple play which provides everything I need right from the headunit. I never have to touch my phone other than when I first get into the car to plug it in.