Low Cost Mirror Mount for Radar Detectors

[CageFighter_Dan]

:thumbs up yellow:

Ok I told Bill I would start doing some write ups for some of the many mods I have done to my truck, too many right now to list, but i have done them all myself. So like any other day I am bored after work I desided to do another , here are some pics through the stages Check it it out and tell me what you think

Rear View Mirror mount mod SUPER CHEAP

ok I am sure at sometime or another you have all seen the typical mounting and install of a radar detector on a windshield Typical like this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/12.jpg

and it seems someone came up with the mirror mount idea for the detector to sit out of the way like this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/13.jpg

well thats great and all and it saves from people seeing it coming head on with out the suction cups on the window, and with temp change the suction cups seldom stay there for a long reliable time. But who wants to pay anywhere from $40 to up to $100 bucks for one of this mods?

my salution was very simply it will cost you less then $2 and about 20 mins top to install here is what you will need

screw driver
flat headed short 1/2" screw
2 @ 1 inches of any type of hose, i used an old washing machine water feedline house
box cutter knife.
and thats pretty much it
oh yeah and one of these

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00049.jpghttp://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00070.jpg

a simple bike reflector you find under the seat of any bike these days, dollar stores have them as well , for about a buck

first you want to take off the red relector plate off of the bracket like so

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00087.jpg

then get your window mount bracket for your radar detector

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00088.jpg

you want to take off the suction cups and fasten the bracket to the bike reflector bracket plate where the reflector used to be, there is a better picture further down of how i attached mine

then take it to your truck and put it on your stem of your rearview mirror like this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00120.jpg

as you can see it is to loose just sitting like this , this is where the two 1 inch pieces of tubing/hose come into play, you want to slit the hose open so they look like this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00121.jpg

once you have done this fit them around the stem of the rearview mirror you may need to shorten one of the pieces so they fit snug around the stem like this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00122.jpg

then bring the bike reflector bracket over the prefitted hose pieces like this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00123.jpg

tighten the bolt/screw so that it tightens around the hose pieces and rearview stem firmly and securely , by this time you should have your window mount bracket fastened to the bike reflector braket, this is how i mounted mine with one screw. If you use a self tapping screw and fasten it right between the two existing holes on the window bracket and then through the plastic bike reflector braket ( not through either of the existing holes, use the screw to make new ones) it will fasten firmly and securly like this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00124.jpg

now take a few minutes to adjust your mirror and sitting position of the radar detector mounted so that it sits snuggly up against the bottom of the rearview and you will never have any problems with bouncing around and loosening after everything said and done, and saving anywhere from 40-100 bucks you have this

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00126.jpg

if you use a hard wire unit instead of the cigarette lighter addapter that comes with the unit it looks much cleaner and nothing in your line of sight.
like so while you are driving

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/DannyWoods/IMG00128.jpg

stay tuned for more upcoming mod tips
if you have anyquestions on any mods for a 97 f150 or most vehicles don't hesitate to shoot me a pm and i will do my best to walk you through it , or I will do another step by step such as this.

Hope this one helps anyone that has considered such a mounting position or is looking for a new idea on how to mount their radar detector

[Longshot270]

That is a really good idea. I pretty much did the same exact thing to mount a small maglite on my mountain bike so you can be sure that it is rated to over 100 degrees and handles any amount of humidity.:thumbsup:
Luckily I've got a good enough gut instict to not need a radar detector. :cool_beans:

[CageFighter_Dan]

well instinct doesn't seem to cut it out here where i am , they are sneaky lil buggers and i can't stand driving 90 km hr when even in winter conditions our highways should be atleast 110 , and since they have a no leaniancy clause even if your over by 2km hr they can be a holes and site you a ticket, this thing paid itself off in the first month out hereI highly suggest the 9500ix from escort for all those looking in the market for a radar detector, no false readings and gps directed with complete updates of north american traffic light cams and other such areas, its one fine piece of machinery

[88Racing]

Cool idea Dan!
Where did you find the cable to hard wire it or didn't you?
Blend mounts comes to mind when I seen this but they want some coin for theirs!

[CageFighter_Dan]

actually i ordered the hard wire kit for around 4.99 plus 6 bucks shipping off ebay, it came with a good healthy supply of prewired line , inline fuse and a inline mute button to mount where ever you found easily accesable, and yes i don't mind forking out some cash for a mod if it justifies the price , but 40-100 bucks for a piece of bracketing to hold my radar detector out of the way? come on now lol. So out came this little project, if you need a link to the actual seller i recieved my cable from just let me know it was pretty recently purchased

[88Racing]

I just posted a request at the admin level to open up a "How To...." sub forum.
So if Corey opens it up I'm going to move this thread there if that's okay with you.

[JWBFX4]

Very clean. Nice job :2thumbs:

[Jackpine]

Wow! I'm impressed!

- Jack

[CageFighter_Dan]

perfect and as the days go by i will try my best to do a bunch of these type of step by step manuals , if anyone has any requests for the first or most needed self help manuals just post here or send me a pm and i will work on them in the evenings, anything from cold are intakes to wiring in navigations and the vss wire which is essential for almost all true time gps navs these days,alarms , hid conversions, projector lights , even the fun little mods of led lights in place of cargo bed lights, rear air bag suspension and front end air and so forth, if you can think of the project , most likely i have done it or have seen it done first hand on a ford. look forward to trying to do my part to make this a kick butt forum and helpfull at the same time

Dan

[88Racing]

Ok the thread is going to be moved.
Any of your other tips and tricks can be added in the new subforum.
Keep them coming!
Thanx
Be safe and watch out for those mounties!LOL's

[CageFighter_Dan]

sweet , and thank you,. hopefully this makes it easier for people to find things like this type of artical :woot:

[Jackpine]

Dan, I renamed your excellent thread, because I think the new title more accurately describes what it's about. And, in the Members Only "How To" section, I've stripped most of the additional posts out of it so that it stays faithful to the topic.

I copied it back here though, with all the extra posts intact. As time goes on, this "original" post will tend to move way down in this list and will eventually become "lost". Hopefully, we can keep the more "condensed" version set up so that it's easier to find.

- Jack

[CageFighter_Dan]

awesome thanks, working on a couple more this week so i will post them there, and try to utilize the same type of title for them :thumbs up yellow:

[88Racing]

awesome thanks, working on a couple more this week so i will post them there, and try to utilize the same type of title for them :thumbs up yellow:

Post your new threads to where they apply.
So if you're doing a mod specific for a 97-03 f150 then post it there but if it covers a wide variety of vehicles then post it in the conversation pit. Then one of us moderators will take it from there.

[Jackpine]

awesome thanks, working on a couple more this week so i will post them there, and try to utilize the same type of title for them :thumbs up yellow:

Yes, do it the way Lars suggests. We'll probably get more in the way of responses that way, as people see them, and some of those responses can add to the value of the thread. We want those. Other, not so helpful responses will be taken out when the thread is copied to the "Library", so that the information is easier to use.

- Jack