David in LA

Ever since I first bought my V1 I've wanted to find a more permanent, sturdy and stealthy way to mount it instead of just using the suction cups. The idea of a 10oz chunk of metal flying around the interior of the car during an accident is not very appealing, and the windshield area above the rearview mirror (which is the best place to have a detector for maximum detection) is not the best surface for the suction cups.

Originally I was looking for a stealthy location to mount a V1 in the cab, which does not have many options (vs a coupe where you can mount a box at the rear of the headliner near the rear brake light or on the rear package shelf). There was this thread from a few years ago about possibly creating a box that mounts between the visors...as far as I know nothing ever happened with the project in the end but if someone were to make one, I'd buy 2 or 3 of them .

Valentine One stealth box thread

So having temporarily given up on the idea of a stealth mount, I still wanted a more secure and more permanent or semi-permanent mount. In this thread RallyJon discusses swapping his coupe visors for a different set of visors with a larger gap between...a gap just wide enough to fit a radar detector. In my U.S.-spec MY98 cab, these visors are standard. In his mount, RallyJon affixed his V1 to the metal strip that runs under the front of the headliner and the result is a much more secure mount than what the suction cups provide.

RallyJon's thread on changing visors to mount radar detector

I wasn't quite yet ready to drill holes into my headliner so I thought about somehow using the visor retention mounts - IIRC another Rennlister had also mounted his V1 using them.

Kika's V1 install and my inspiration

This project was for a Euro-spec MY97 coupe, which already had visors with the wider gap similar to my U.S.-spec cab. I started with a 12"x3" piece of aluminum and as I was too busy to source it from a hardware store I took the lazy route and ordered it from Amazon.com...I think it was $5-6.


After tracing the shape I had in mind, I used a combination of tin snip, hacksaw, and dremel tool to make a mounting plate. Note the size and shape that I cut out for the plugs and screws of visor retention mounts; I also sized this so that the front part of the plate is curved to follow the line of the windshield and I planned on having this portion of the plate be tucked under the front rubber gasket. I also had to make two notches towards the front of the plate. After sanding the sides to remove any sharp edges, I went over the surface with steel wool to remove and large scratches and to give the plate a more uniform satin look - I may cover this in leather or faux carbon fiber if I get tired of how it looks.


I decided that didn't want to just sandwich the aluminum plate underneath the visor retention mounts as then the only thing holding it up would be the two screws and the screws would also need to be replaced with slightly longer ones to account for the thickness of the plate - doing it this way would also slightly lower the inside parts of the visors. Instead I trimmed the outer parts of the retention mounts while keeping the inside "plugs" the same size...the idea was that these plugs would also help keep the plate sturdy and prevent it from shifting front/back and side to side.


Here you can see the modified outer portion of the visor retention mount more of less flush with the plate while the plugs fit inside the holes.


This is what the plug of the visor retention mount looks like from the other side of the plate.


I used the V1 sunvisor clip-on mount that came with the V1 and removed the metal retaining clip (this is the same piece that RallyJon used) and affixed it to the aluminum plate with two zip ties.


I used a piece of foam in between the plate and the V1 visor mount mount to lower the radar detector a bit more than 1/2" to clear the tinted area of the windshield and also to dampen any vibration. Since I used zip ties there is also a small amount of adjustment possible; my other options would have been to use rivets or screws...which was complicated by my decision to put in a piece of foam.


This is what the entire plate assembly looks like with the V1 attached:


A pic of the plate installed in the car (note that the front portion of the plate is tucked under the front rubber gasket and you can see why two notches in the plate were needed for the zip ties):


A pic of with the V1 attached to the mount/plate:


The sun visors clear both sides of the V1 and there is no restriction of movement. Because of the foam piece there is a little bit of adjustment possible - side to side and also to adjust the angle of the V1 front to back.


Right now the plate is being held by the visor retention mounts and the front gasket...it feels fairly sturdy but I may add two screws to attach it to the metal plate under the headliner near the V1 - but then the install is no longer fully reversable. I haven't wired up the V1 yet but I plan to hard-wire it into the sunroof power switch and use a remote display; I also have a remote mute switch button which will be mounted on either the windshield or turn signal stalk.

Nuff

Very cool. Nice job!

Michael S.

I have often thought about cutting two thin (1/4" thick), 1" diameter discs on my metal lathe and using them in lieu of the suction cups... The idea is to use rearview mirror attaching glue to permanently attach these two discs to the windshield, and then screw the factory mount to these discs.

Anybody think there's merit in this idea? I've never found the time to try it, though it ought to be relatively easy...

jnx

Good job.

Mark in Baltimore

Rennlist at its best; nice job, David!

David in LA

So I thought I would wrap up this thread with the final location of the remote display.

I decided to mount the remote display to the lower right of the steering wheel right above the air vent. I don't think this space is available on LHD cars as the remote gas cap release is there


Looking forward, the display is at the periphery of my vision.


The cable sticking out on the left and also the double sided stick mount are unattractive and eventually I will do something to make it look cleaner...I've located a plastic housing that will fit or I might just wrap the cable against the body.


To make it more noticeable, I had FullColorDefense modify the display so that the warning lights are green, orange, red and blue (instead of all four being red) so I can tell what kind of laser or radar is being detected not only by the sound but also by a different color light...works perfectly since the display is not directly in front of me so requires a quick glance.

David in LA

I also decided to add a mute button as the mute switch on the remote display is a pretty far stretch to reach. With my hands in a normal driving position, it's easy to reach the mute button with the end of my finger...the button uses less pressure than what is needed to flash the high beams so no accidental high beam flashes so far!


So far I'm pretty happy with the mount...the V1 is not noticeable from the rear, sides or the front of the car...you really have to be looking up to see it. I'd like to make a similar mount for a cab but the cabin light is in the way unless I eliminate it

David in LA

I'd be interested in this for a cab...I haven't found any other location for a semi-permanent mount

Black993

So this is probably the most retarded question of the day, but on a right hand drive car where is the gas door pull? Still in the same place as my LHD car?


Very cool mount though! Wish I could talk myself into picking up another detector and do a hard-wire. Right now I am using my Escort between the 993 and the WRX. Total PITA.

dbf73

fwiw, you can put a piece of heavy clear plastic tape such as packing tape over that area above the mirror which will "fill in" between those little dots and provide a suitable surface for the suction cups. That being said, your project turned out very nicely

Kika

link to other thread.
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...e-install.html

David in LA

Cool! Yes, it was your thread that was my inspiration for this mod! I've edited my OP to include a link to your thread...thanks!

Kika

WOW, I am an Inspiration!
If only my kids were so motivated!
Can I adopt you?

seriusly, though, very nice write up, I am sure it will inspire others!

ltc

I remember seeing a company that makes a CNC machined aluminum adapter which allows you to mount the V1 on the glass mounted rear view mirror. No modifications necessary.
If I can remember or find the website, I'll post it.

David in LA

You're probably thinking of blendmount.com