Headlight Conversion

[sama]

there is no accounting for taste! (not sure who said that, but they're right!)

on the subject of the damned climate buttons... I'm sticking in a carpc in my 850CSi, and I'll be accessing the climate control from the carpc. Here are some early pics (The OBC will be beneath the screen):




more detailed info here:

http://www.digital-car.co.uk/forum/s...ead.php?t=7535
http://www.digital-car.co.uk/forum/s...ead.php?t=7596

[Koizumi]

Wow, what a great project.

You know, I really liked the Alpina B12's Climate Control System being moved to the "arm rest area". But your touch screen is a killer.

Cheers

[SupremeBein]

Please keep use posted with updates

[whale]

I would think a simpler choice would be the latest Alpine Multi-media with 7" retractable touch screen. I have an older version in my 840. That way you don't have to modify your dash panel. It just slips in in place of your factory radio.

[8eights]

That's exactly what i have, Alpine iva-900, You get indash MP3, DVD, CD, Ipod ready, Nav plug in, Rear view plug in, TV tuner etc...................................... It does it all, Takes as much space as a standard radio.

[sama]

You can get a flip out VGA screen to do exactly the same, but it's not quite as factory looking. Besides, a center console is cheap to buy from the dealer (£27 which is approc $50)

regardint HU vs carpc... a carpc blows the hell out of the best headunit, and then some more.

I had one in my previous 5 series and did:

All the things mentioned that the alpine can do
+ GPS (maps of whole world)
+ Steering wheel integration
+ Google earth plugin
+ live traffice updates
+ internet browsing
+ wifi (to update music when close to house)
+ ibus integration

And that's just what I had. what you can also have are:

OBD interface to hook into car's engine data
Gyro adjusted GPS for cleaner sugnal
Gyro to measure BHP and 0-60 times
IR night vision (someone doing this already)
Pure digital sound using Digital out to a Digital amp (not all headunits do this)

as you can see the possibilities are endless

[SupremeBein]

I went to that site that sama gave a link to and found this link, interesting stuff http://www.fluxmedia.net

[SupremeBein]

Sama, wouldn't nigh vision vision pretty much be a novality unless you could project it on to the windshield?

Can you read all the functions of the dashboard and MID and the EKM?

Can you read OBD I info?

You got me curious as hell.

[sama]

hehe, that's what happend to Tony when I talked to him about it, and look what he's done now!


See his worklog here

The s/w you're looking at there is cetnrafuse. That's only one of the front ends available. There are other free ones, like RoadRunner (which I use) and other payable ones like StreetDeck. Have a look at www.mp3car.com and www.digital-car.co.uk for more installs etc

Regarding the MID and EKM questions. You could do with with the E39 as MID info was available on the ibus. The E31 is the mother of all modern BMWs and the ibus was first introduced there. I've not tinkered around with it yet, but it's all possible, it's just finding out how EKM is just another bus with some protocol, and it works on a serial interface.

OBD is possible. This is not something I've been involved in yet, but I intend to for sure. You can get the plugs from ebay for very cheap (around £25 I believe)

A guy called Martin on ClubE31 managed to stick an E39 multifunction wheel and wire it up to his carpc. This is on my list of things to do do.

I'll start up a thread on here to show the end product, but if you're really interested in this stuff, you ought to join digital-car as that's where there are 2 current E31 carpc worklogs.

[sama]

oh, re night vision

you're right as it's not 100% usable as is. But potentially (and this doesn't exist yet but I'm working on it), you can do some filtering on the image and highlight only very light objects, and potentially only showing problematic things on the screen.

but yes, a novelty indeed, much like the car :p

[BORGERDING]

IMO the 8-Series does not look dated, the front end is modern!

It doesn't look like Fkn NightRiders TransAm. I don't see how you could compare the two.

My E36 looks dated, and everyone thinks it's new.... WTF!

[vawrvawerawe]

IMO the 8-Series does not look dated, the front end is modern!

It doesn't look like Fkn NightRiders TransAm. I don't see how you could compare the two.

My E36 looks dated, and everyone thinks it's new.... WTF!

haha I thought you were talking to me, and then I realized I haven't even posted in this thread about that. I started a different thread about that. It DOES look like something from the 80's, the front end, that is. I want to see what one looks like with regular headlights.

[NickF]

Sama - i'm loving your carpc - i'm jealous (even more jealous of your CSi - maybe one day...). I assume that will liberate your horrid old climate controls. Fancy selling them to me as my horrid climate controls are horrid and broken. I'll take your horrid ones if they work? PM me if you're interested.

[wokke]

On quite the contrary, IMO the E46 is the most attractive bodystyle of ALL Bimmers. All years, too. I like the E46 M3 the best of all BMWs.

I almost agree with you if there wasn't the Z8

[mshab356]

theres a SWEET 850CSi at my friend apartment complex. red, lightly modded, but gorgeous!!! i love the 8 series!!

[smokum]

Bump

[TxGR8White]

Bump

why?

[TPIOlds]

I'm working on projector lights to replace the FTP's

[vortexring]

Newbie (kind of) from Bimmerforums UK here. A lot of people with 8's I talk to consider modernisation but surely you wouldn't have bought the car in the first place (if you love 8's) and try turning it into something else. My 840ci sport is AC Schnitzer tuned, M6 alloys, black vented all round disks...and every light replaced with either HID's, LED's or Zenons. the car (bar wheels) looks stock.

[Noggie]

Think the car looks weird with the pop-up delete... the hood is just to long.

[Big Rob]

The pop up headlights are so well done. They give the front end that bad@zz look.

[smokum]

If they were the angel eyes it would look much better, like the black mystery race E31.

[cdnalpina]

The main reason I could see to delete the headlights is to make room for some forced induction love for the car. That said, I like how BMW designed the pop-ups in a low profile manner, very sleek looking.

[smokum]

Just thinking out loud, i wonder if its possible to make the lights open up only a couple inches and use a stronger beam to make up for it???

[Garethf]

I love my pop up headlamps. Beats driving around in a 50's/2011 porsche 911, god they all look the same what ever century they are from!!! Just looking at chrisbummermd's avatar???

Gareth

p.s. I love my 840 for its beautiful lines and it is the only BMW that I can honestly say I really like