I'm removing the K40 that came with the car and trying to install my Valentine 1. I've been reading the archives (and yes, the p-car.com install that everyone links to) and I was puzzled when people talk about mounting the V1 to the windshield above the rear view mirror.

Then I discovered on an old thread that the sunvisors on '95s are wider than on '96 and later. Just enough to fit a radar detector in between.

Has anyone updated sunvisors? Or modified wider sunvisors for clearance?

Here's a pic from a '95:


And here's one from a '97:


Part numbers...
-95 964.731.031.01 left and 964.731.032.01 right (add color code, e.g. CA9 for black)
96- 993.731.031.00 left and 993.731.032.00 right (add color code, e.g. 70A for black)

 

Humph,
Good to know. Thanks for posting.

 

In my experience having a 96, my V1 sits above the rearview mirror to the left of middle. When the sun is directly ahead and I need the visor down it blocks the V1. I plan to have tint installed on the upper part of the windscreen like you see in alot of racing cars. I think the V1 instructions suggested avoiding any tints with any metallic composition. That seems alot easier than swapping or modifying sunvisors IMO.

 

Is that between the visors, or somehow over or under them? How is it attached to the windscreen or roof?

 

I just used the suction cups that come with the unit and mount it just above the rearview mirror so there's about 2/8ths of an inch between the lower part of the dector and the top of the rearview mirror. I then ran the electrical wiring just under the window seal all the way around and down. At the moment the wiring is tucked under the dash but I plan to hotwire it to either the cigarette lighter or to the interior light power.

 

Sunset has a great price on the later visors: $72.28 each, but they're apparently special order form Germany.

 

The more I think about it there's really no great reason to go with new visors if you just simply tint the top of the windshield.....at least those were my thoughts as I drove to work today heading into the blinding sun! I really like having my V1 way up top above the rearview because its in a great spot and I look at my rearview mirror frequently while driving. Another benefit is without going the route of the remote display (as with the V1) your detector is pretty much out of sight to police driving alongside or behind and helps to avoid catching the eye of thieves.

 

In addition to the wider visors, the '95s apparently have less blacked out area above the mirror. There is a nice little strip of blackout up there. I'm figuring with the narrower '96 visors, and the smaller '95 strip, there's a perfect little window of clear glass above the mirror for the V1 to see through. I played around anc could not get the suction cups to stick to the blacked out strip (which appears painted on the inside of the glass), so I'll use some hardcore velcro tape like EasyPass uses.

 

Got my package from Sunset.

Old visors:



New visors:



Valentine finds a home:

 

Nice install! Did you use the suction cups to mount it? There was a post a while back, someone made a bracket and riveted to a tab above the windshield......Id be interested in doing that.

 

There is a metal bar about a half inch back from the windshield molding. I drilled two small holes through the headliner into the metal. Then I took the V1 visor mount, removed the spring steel clip, and screwed up through it, through a hard rubber block I cut, into the metal.

Had a few trial and errors with the rubber block to get it level and the right distance from the roof. It's very secure.

 

Great install. Does the window tinting you see in the pics reduce effectiveness?

 

Don't know. I'll see soon enough. According to the Valentine web site, it shouldn't affect the radar much, but all windshields with any tint affect laser detection to varying degrees.

 

I like what you've done there RJ. Nice work!

 

Hi Jon - I'm resurrecting your old post as I am looking to do a more rigid V1 mount like you've done. Drilling into the headliner makes me a bit nervous...I felt around the location you described and it seems the metal bar you described is maybe 3/8"-1/2" wide at most. Did you use a dremel or a punch to make the initial hole?

Also, do you recall what length sheetmetal screws did you use? Has your mount held up the past two years?

Thanks!
David