Vol. 03: Mod Your Rod

James Bond depended on Q to trick out his cars. But with Make's guide to car hacking, you'll learn how to turn your ride into a fully loaded, grease-eating, MP3-blasting, Wi-Fi-transmitting monster machine.

By Rob Elam, Tor Amundson, Damien Stolarz, Phillip Torrone, Dave Mathews

Digital Edition

SUBSCRIBERS:

Read this article now in your digital edition!

Get Make:

Subscribe to MAKE and get the best rate!

+ Downloads & Extras:

The Mod Your Rod section in Volume 03 includes these features:

Hackable Platform on Wheels
Your car's 12-volt wiring is loaded with opportunities for enhancing your vehicle in ways carmakers only dream of. by Damien Stolarz

Making a Macswagen
Adding a Mac mini to a VW: a pro tells us how he did it. Matt Turner is a professional fabricator and installer of mobile electronics. He's been working in the industry for 12 years and has built numerous award-winning show vehicles. His latest project brings hope to all car owners hoping to Macify their ride. by Phillip Torrone

Uber Tester
Make your own 4-in-1 car wiring diagnostic tool. The Uber Tester is a gadget that won't remove door panel clips but does test for most wiring conundrums you might encounter. by Dave Mathews

StompBox: Mobile Hotspot
Turn your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot, then use GPS and webcam input to map your current location online and auto-generate a photo travelog. by Tor Amundson

Making Biodiesel
The best way to learn how to make your own backyard biodiesel is to start with a one-liter batch. It's easy to make a small batch that will work in any diesel engine. You won't need any special equipment--an old juice bottle will serve as the "reactor" vessel--and on such a small scale, you can quickly refine your technique and perform further experiments. by Rob Elam

Biofuels Today
The nation's #1 Mock Newspaper for Make readers intersted in alternative fuels. Front page news: "Grassroots Network Offers Alternative to Big Oil," "Deep-Fried Ride: Veggie Oil Inside," "Slippery Characters Steal Fryer Oil, Leave Mess," and "How Eco is Bio?" by Dan Gonsiorowski, Xeni Jardin, Polly Powledge, Paul Spinrad

Hardwired iPod
Want a better way to play MP3s through your car stereo than using an FM transmitter or a cassette adapter? Cut the static by connecting your iPod to your stereo's aux jack. by Damien Stolarz

� MAKE: NOISE — Discuss this article

You must be logged in to post a talkback.
[ Display main threads only] [ Oldest First]

Showing messages 1 through 1 of 1.

ipod switch for car (simultaneous)
You must be logged in to reply.

I've seen denison's multisource switch for cd changers, ipods and xm-radio connections. However, this seems to be overkill. I swear I read an article in Make that showed how to set up a simple toggle switch to go between a cd changer and a hardwired ipod in a car. I can't find it. Can anyone point me to it?
Posted by drmike on October 19, 2005 at 08:39:27 Pacific Time

Showing messages 1 through 1 of 1.

Join the conversation -- every MAKE article has an online page that includes a place for discussion. We've made these RSS and Atom feeds to help you watch the discussions: subscribe.