Introduction

Ever since first seeing the Mini-ITX website I wanted to do my own computer conversion. After doing an engine conversion on my Supra, a computer should be a piece of cake. The main thing I wanted was to look like just a car, and it had to have a purpose.

I saw the HTPC cars on this site, and on a few others and realised with my experience in computers/RC cars/engine conversion this was the task I was made for.

Construction

I originally had the Mini-ITX 800MHz motherboard, a 10GB Laptop HDD, Slimline CD ROM and 60 Watt Power Supply inside an original Mini-ITX motherboard cardboard box. I cut it all out with my pen knife, and actually screwed all the components into the cardboard.

The server stayed in this configuration for about a month, and had no problems with heat even when I shut off the side fan as it was too noisy.With the server not being a HTPC there is very minimal cabling needed. Just the power, LAN and modem.

This was only temporary, and as I serve a website about my car, I thought it should be a car. It couldn't be any other car than a Supra!

I ended up buying a JGTC Supra remote control car shell, wheels & tyres, translucent red and black spray paint, 2mm aluminium checkerboard plating and 1mm angle-aluminium.

First of all, I marked out the base from the shell.

To cut through the aluminium a bit quicker I "modified" my wood jigsaw to a metal jigsaw by putting a hacksaw blade into it. This worked well until the blade got hot and bent (perhaps not a good idea after all...)

The fine edges were done on the bench grinder and later cleaned up with a file.