CarPC for Cayman - Any Issues?

Welp, being a little bummed with the stereo scalability in the Cayman, I think I am going to take out the stock radio and put in a nice touchscreen powered by a slick CarPC. The area will make a perfect fit, and the last CarPC I did was great. My question is, will removing the stock stereo cause any issues? Is it hooked to the ECU, causing any errors or such if removed? Any warranty issues to be aware of? Is the wiring to the speakers setup differently than you would expect from other cars? I looks to me (I have the non-bose) it is standard front/rear left/right config. For those who haven't heard or seen much about CarPC's, take a look here, you will probably want to have one soon also (unless you already have Nav) for your CS to expand the in cabin experience. We're only talking about 10 - 15 lbs in weight also. http://mp3car.com/ http://www.carpc.nl/index.shtml I will be implementing the following: mp3 library GPS navigation/speed trap warnings dvd playback (I'll have my divx library though as opposed to DVD discs) wifi bluetooth outlook, office, etc... so I can have a mobile office for emergencies (i work in IT). It's nice to be able to pull off the road and handle a quick issue instead of lugging the laptop around. it's also been handy when there is a majoraccident on the freeway and traffic gets literally fully stopped for 30+ mins. I want to see if there are any pitfalls before I start. But once I do I'll create a right up and I am sure a lot of you will be interested in the ton of functionality you can add to your ride for less than $700.

I don't have my valentine 1 yet, but when I found this I was freakin out... a V1 -> PC interface for the CarPC. Very very neato. I like that it maps radar over routes for you too so you can mark the places you get tagged in your nav so you know before hand to look out (ie: cop favorite spots). Just another reason to get started on this. http://www.kc8unj.com/radar/ Any answers for the questions mentioned above?

azcay - You need to take a very close LOOK at this thread before proceeding. zornet

Zornet, thank you for pointing out that thread!!!! Now for the rant... /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/angry_smile.gif Why in the hell would someone make such an extraneous piece of equipment like head unit (especially a piece that so many people usually like to upgrade) so integrated with car's brain. I'm very bummed about this. I surely hope a HU manufacturer or the likes comes up with some type of pass thru harness or emulation or that Porsche will have a solution. I already was drawing up a template and was going to get my foam, bondo and fiberglass today to make a slick bezel for the the console. I'm quite disappointed. Especially because my skeptical side tells me it is to prevent people from getting their own nav without adding another 10% to the car's price. Nothing works me up more than when a company regardless of product, tries pigeon hole into buying their proprietary stuff at outlandish prices when you can get a better solution for less. I have no proof of this in this scenario, but I can't believe I can remove the deckevery otherlate model car I've encountered, but not my own Porsche, as if the computer is built intoa AM/FM/ CD player. Grrrr! Welp, looks like my dreams of packing all of the wonderful gizmos into the Cayman are on hold for now.

azcay - Here are some further details of obiwan66’s nightmare , including pic’s that would stop the most daring of us in our tracks. Were all-thankful that he shared his experience so others wouldn’t fall in the same black hole. zornet

If I read that thread correctly, the main damage was caused by the installer breaking loose a critical wiring harness moreso than the install. The error codes were cleared short of the TPMS, which would be irrelevant if one did not have it. My car is going under the knife for a pioneer z1 unit install, with xm live nav updates, integrated ipod interace, and bluetooth as well, i see them turn out 10-20 porsches a week, so hopefully I will have better luck. Will keep you all posted.