EXNINJA's kit car build thread
06-13-2018, 11:55 AM
#108
There's a few more things to weld so I may as well learn 
I will eventually need to make seat mounts so I'll do the non-life-threatening stuff first. I do have a friend that is experienced helping me so I don't need to worry about killing myself when the time comes to make big boy stuff.
I will eventually need to make seat mounts so I'll do the non-life-threatening stuff first. I do have a friend that is experienced helping me so I don't need to worry about killing myself when the time comes to make big boy stuff.
06-13-2018, 12:21 PM
#109
There's a few more things to weld so I may as well learn I will eventually need to make seat mounts so I'll do the non-life-threatening stuff first. I do have a friend that is experienced helping me so I don't need to worry about killing myself when the time comes to make big boy stuff.
I will eventually need to make seat mounts so I'll do the non-life-threatening stuff first. I do have a friend that is experienced helping me so I don't need to worry about killing myself when the time comes to make big boy stuff.I'd recommend starting with a stick welder. If you can figure out how to do that well wire welding will be easy peasy
The following users liked this post:
exninja (06-14-2018)
06-14-2018, 10:54 AM
#112
Thinking ahead and mostly to document my ideas, I'm thinking of making a gauge cluster/dash out of a Raspberry Pi and screen not unlike this: https://www.miataturbo.net/megasquir...acedash-92851/
I can use the current Miata dash without too many issues. I'd just have to connect wires to the correct lights and such. However, the Pi dash would be pretty cool. The only issue I see is the speedo, where I'd have to either replace the cable with an electric VSS, then input the signal to a conditioning board, or just use GPS into the Pi directly. I'm thinking the former would give me a good signal to the ECU as well (should be able to adjust the pulses/mile with HPT), but it's also expensive unless I can find a VSS for cheap (they go for about $150). I am assuming most open-source CAN bus dashes for the Pi/Linux just pull vehicle speed from CAN rather than using GPS so I'd have to figure out how to program that. The Miata has a functional oil pressure gauge which I can attach to the LE5 with an adapter so I could keep the fuel and oil pressure gauges, or plug the signal into the Pi or Arduino board (yeah I'm still figuring out how those work) and go to town with my own dash.
I can use the current Miata dash without too many issues. I'd just have to connect wires to the correct lights and such. However, the Pi dash would be pretty cool. The only issue I see is the speedo, where I'd have to either replace the cable with an electric VSS, then input the signal to a conditioning board, or just use GPS into the Pi directly. I'm thinking the former would give me a good signal to the ECU as well (should be able to adjust the pulses/mile with HPT), but it's also expensive unless I can find a VSS for cheap (they go for about $150). I am assuming most open-source CAN bus dashes for the Pi/Linux just pull vehicle speed from CAN rather than using GPS so I'd have to figure out how to program that. The Miata has a functional oil pressure gauge which I can attach to the LE5 with an adapter so I could keep the fuel and oil pressure gauges, or plug the signal into the Pi or Arduino board (yeah I'm still figuring out how those work) and go to town with my own dash.
06-14-2018, 11:13 AM
#113
Senior Member
Join Date: 01-31-16
Location: Frozen Wasteland of the North
Posts: 5,211
Received 532 Likes
on
456 Posts
GPS can be accurate, but those modules are pretty expensive even for Raspberry Pi. Your best bet is to have a counter on tire rotation (connected sensor, or wireless).
Edit: I'm talking about possibly using the ODB2 connector, not actually wiring your wheels lol. Just realized how silly I wrote it out initially.
I did see a few instructions online for this type of scenario, you just need a digital screen to feed the info to you.
Edit: I'm talking about possibly using the ODB2 connector, not actually wiring your wheels lol. Just realized how silly I wrote it out initially.
I did see a few instructions online for this type of scenario, you just need a digital screen to feed the info to you.
06-14-2018, 11:26 AM
#114
I started looking into something like that on the driveshaft but didn't get very far. Theoretically it could be easier and cheaper depending on the signal coming from it if I can skip the conditioning board (the Miata VSS outputs a sawtooth vs pulsed). Another thing I may end up doing is just get an Android tablet with GPS built in. It would be pushing the easy button, but it would be cheaper. I wouldn't have the flexibility of doing stuff like adding fuel and oil gauges or whatever else I wanted, but I could always get a second one for doing other stuff
06-14-2018, 11:55 AM
#115
Senior Member
Join Date: 01-31-16
Location: Frozen Wasteland of the North
Posts: 5,211
Received 532 Likes
on
456 Posts
If you want Google to track your whereabouts all the time sure, but finding a cheap enough tablet that has enough hardware to do the displays without lag, you'd be hard pressed. An ok-ish tablet (7" for pricing sake) would be around $170. Anything cheaper - that I found - are not worth it.
06-14-2018, 12:04 PM
#116
Senior Member
Buy a second hand android phablet for cheap. I have used digihud app on my old note 5 at work when either speedometers don't work or when I have to drive huge mudder trucks.
06-15-2018, 02:55 PM
#119
Senior Member
That would probably work. anything with a quad core should have plenty of power to give fast updating and maybe even record if you find the right app
