My last update on the V1 for a while (long) (archive)

Since there's really not a whole lot happening with the V1 (funny how, when I TRY TO FIND cops, I can't find any) and since I'm wasting a whole lot of bandwidth talking about nothing, this will be my last update on the V1 until I get it hardwired.

My plans are for a two-location install. First, I'm going to just have it suction-cupped to the windshield, behind the rearview mirror. The way I cupped it last night, it was behind the mirror enough to be somewhat invisible, but the rear antenna was still poking out the side of the mirror. I'm not sure if plastic and glass (the mirror) would hinder the rear antenna that much, but better safe than sorry.

Anyway, I'll have it sucking on the windshield, and then I'll run the hardwire through the headliner where the check control panel is, up to the sunroof motor. Someone (you know who you are!) has already sent me some fairly detailed instructions on this install, so I'm pretty sure I'll know what I'm doing when I do it. So, I'll hardwire it to the sunroof motor, and then will come the (what I think will be) difficult part: the remote display.

I'm going to have it probably velcroed (sp?) at the bottom of my instrument cluster. I'll have to have a lot of wire to do this. I'll probably end up having the wire from the V1 run past the check control panel, inside the headliner past the sunroof, down the driver's side a pillar (inside the lining, of course), down into the dashboard (the hard part, I would think), and then -- somehow -- out through the instrument cluster opening. An option I've been thinking of is to run it not through the instrument cluster, but just through the farthest-left vent (since it does NO good behind the freaking steering wheel) and then on to the instrument cluster. It would be nice to have it in the vent (ultimate stealth), but I seriously doubt it will be very safe to keep craning my neck around the wheel to be able to see the display. Kinda defeats the purpose of a remote display, huh?

So, that's the first location (behind the rearview mirror). My second thought of a location is to somehow mount the V1 on the back of the sunroof opening, possibly using the visor mount. This way, if I want to open the sunroof, I can always move the V1 back to the windshield. I would think that the rear antenna would be much more accurate at this location. The only thing about this location is that I'm not exactly sure how to make a temporary, yet durable, mount. I doubt the visor mount will hold very well. I'll probably have to fabricate some kind of magnetic mount (it'll have to be strong so as to resist vibrations) and maybe cut through the gray headliner to mount it to a piece of metal. I really don't like the idea of cutting through my headliner, although it needs to be replaced anyway, so if I mess it up, it'll be okay.

I guess I'll have to put some more thought into my second location.

Any thoughts?

Peace to all,

Brad Couvillon
'87 528e

P.S. I will MOST DEFINITELY have the full installation documented. And it will be VERY comprehensive, as are the few procedures of my own that are already on my site. This will be just another one. I'll post a message when I have the installation mostly done, and I'll let everyone know the URL of the procedure.

Unofficial Bimmer.org e28ers' Gallery

Follow Ups:

Re: My last update on the V1 for a while (long) Chris Altman 21:53 6/30/2001 (0)
One more thing: False Alarms with the V1 Brad Couvillon 13:21 6/30/2001 (1)
- Longs drugstores in Ca -K band lol ,cobra detector Greg 02:58 7/01/2001 (0)

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