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modding challenge...

G

guilTy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 5, 2004
Messages
155
i have been tasked with the transformation of an old Kaypro 2 into a powerful digital editing P4 machine.
WTH!?
i said "ok" before i even saw the damn box. it has alot of room, but after closer inspection it needs ALOT of dremeling.
my question is, how the hell should i secure everything so as when moving the HSF wont take off at full speed into any other components.
also, how the hell do i convert the RJ11 looking keyboard connector, into a ps2.

for those of you who dont know what a kaypro is, it is a RELIC. think 2 5 1/4 floppys and NO HDD, 7 inch 2 color screen, and heavy as hell (at least 30 lbs). it was the laptop you WOULDNT put on your lap (for fear of destroying your thighs, ok over-exaggeration but still). lol, my desktop isnt even this heavy.
 
heres a pic
kpro2a.jpg


i guess you could start by ripping everything out, screen, take the keyboard out of the keyboard tray (leave the tray, you could put a new keyboard in it), pull out the drives to put cd drives in, use the screen to put an lcd or fans or something
 
I've got an old luggable like that that I've thought about modernizing. Just don't have the money for parts. Are you planning on keeping any of the components or are you scrapping everything? I think it would definately be cool to replace the crt with a nice lcd. That will free up a lot of space inside and will lose a few pounds in the process. Did you want to keep the original keyboard or are you going to use a new one? If you are going for a new keyboard then you miiiiiight get away with using an rj11 connector for a usb keyboard, and then that way you could plug the mouse into the keyboard(provided the keyboard has a usb port). Or just do away with the rj11 connector.

It will take quite a bit of work to get everything mounted in there properly. It will be very cool, though.
 
I would suggest 2 optical drives where the floppies were. Replace the CRT with an LCD. Remove the original keyboard, have a new aluminum cover made to replace the one where the keyboard is currently mounted, and gut a black PS2 keyboard and mount it where the old one was making it look as though it is original. For the MOBO, you can go with a mATX like what is used in Shuttle cases. Get a low profile PSU for a rack mount system. This should leave you with enough interior room for at least one hard drive. I don't know what kind of budget you have here, what I have suggested here might sound pretty pricey, but I think it would breathe new life into what should have been a fossilized dinosaur.
 
thats huge! you could prob fit a atx mobo in that thing :eek: and some 120 mms on each side... install a bolt on heat sink if your worried about movement
 
Just ask for a ton of money and do what these people have said... it will be helaciously cool, and I demand pictures!

You'll definitely have to replace the keyboard... even if you could get it to work. That can't possibly be comfortable at all to type on. :)

I disagree with the pair of optical drives though. Get a dvd-rw and shove it in there. Use the other 5.25" slot for an HDD. This'll save some room inside for expansion cards and better cooling.

Please don't bastardize it with lights and stickers though, please! This thing is soooo extremely cool as it is!
 
It would be very cool if you could somehow take the front of one of those drives and put it on a slot-load cdrom drive.
 
LOL, i dont plan to kill it w/ lights. i want to make it seem as if it was still a kaypro2 orig, just when you turn it on BAM P4 photo editing goddess, well... with a 7 in lcd ;)

ill keep everyone informed, it may take awhile, parts and such, but ill make a thread in the worklogs sec with pictures. i have to take pics, because it is for someone else, and ill not have it for long after completion :(

buuuut... cool thing is, the guys i am doing it for has 2, yes 2 others, he wants me to do the same to, just getting more and more pricey w/ each one(this ones kinda the guinea pig ;) )

i like the usb idea, mount it in place of the RJ11 looking thingie. i gotta get ALOT of wire extensions for this thing and make a bracket similer to the ass-end of a mobo. but itll be a fun project, and my first :D
 
kleptophobiac said:
I disagree with the pair of optical drives though. Get a dvd-rw and shove it in there. Use the other 5.25" slot for an HDD. This'll save some room inside for expansion cards and better cooling.

Please don't bastardize it with lights and stickers though, please! This thing is soooo extremely cool as it is!
Click to expand...


I would make one change to the optical drive suggested here, get a DVD + - RW / CDRW combo drive. I like the idea of using the other slot for HDD placement. I must agree with the suggestion on lights........for this mod........skip it. If any lighting modification is to be done at all, make it strictly for system lights (power and HDD activity) but nothing beyond that.
 
Keep external connections to a minimum (hell, the Kaypro sure didn't have 'em) ...

So, go for a 802.11g NIC, add a wireless mouse and keyboard ... perhaps even Bluetooth for the keyboard and mouse ... opens up the options of cellular connectivity while on the road.

Good luck.
 
arg your host is dead!

http://images.google.com/images?q=Kaypro+2&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search

That's a pretty big machine should take just a little effort to mod it. Everyones suggestions are good. Just get cheap case and use it for parts. Have to get it setup with dual monitors in mind. Small built in LCD and a nice beefy 19"+ for external use.

Oh also might look at replacing the keyboard with one of the modern aluminum ones off newegg. You should be able to remove that keyboard and intergrate it.
 
lol require a lot of dremeling........heheh USE REAL TOOLS!

....that case would be a sinch.
 
Your first project? I wouldn't try this for my first project... This would be a bitch of a first project, no?

~Adam
 
In the hands of a good modder, that could turn out to be something really cool.
 
BAH! 1st or 1000th, i still have a very good picture on how i am going to do this ;)

yeah, but i really dont have to much access to good powertools in my dorm :(

...maybe if i get in good w/ facilities ;)
 
if you had the right tools, that could turn out pretty sweet.
 
like i said, when i get every thing and start, ill start a thread in the worklogs to keep everyone informed(pics for kleptophobiac;) )
 
guilTy said:
like i said, when i get every thing and start, ill start a thread in the worklogs to keep everyone informed(pics for kleptophobiac;) )
Click to expand...

*shakes fist* you'd better!
 
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