Check out my Valentine 1 Stealth Install.....

[EuroBoutique]

I've probably done well over 50+ V1 installations in various cars over the years for people.....most involved a custom bracket hiding the display in the B-pillar and custom wiring the rest the components depending on driver preference.

In my 04 nsx, my #1 priority is no cutting or detrimental mods that cannot be reversed at a later date. I'm proud to say this install is not only super stealth but not one hole or wire was cut

I also took this opporunity to add 2 strips of SMT LED's (red) under the dash to give the car bit more underdash lighting. This is activated whenever the doors are open (dome light effect) or can be overrided with a switch to turn them on while driving. (great for lighting up the pedals or your ladies toe nails...hehe)


Step 1, remove the center dash section and remove (x5) philips screws. The clock circuit board section separates from the main unit. Be sure to bag up all the screws if you ever want to put the clock back in the car!

Step 2, carefully hot glue the Valentine remote display centerd in the clock radio display

Step 3, located a good easy access spot for the remote volume control

here's what the final result should look like:

From a bit further back with the underdash LED's lit up:

Stay tuned for part II showing how I mounted the actual Valentine 1 main unit and some more pictures :biggrin:

All comments / criticism welcolme!


rick

 

[Racerxjling]

Very nice!! I just had my remote display done...will show setup when I get the car back. I want to do the LED strips as well. How long were the strips and was it easy to mount cleanly? Did you just wire it to the oem floor light? Where did u buy it?

Jeff

 

[ExCfive]

Looks great....really nice job! The new LED's rock as well!

 

[DocL]

I did the clock mount for the remote display a few years ago and have a few tips for you. Take apart the display box and remove the plastic housing, also remove the circuit board from the back of the clock housing. It will allow you to put the clock module back together again and push it all the way into the dash without it popping back out. You can cut a hole in the back of it to run the wire through. You should trim the top and bottom edges of the face of the display so you can see all of the lights once it's mounted in the clock housing. You also need to glue in a spacer so the adjustment flap lies flush. I'm a perfectionist and my install looks perfect if you'd never know that there was clock there originally.

All that being said, good job. :smile:

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[Dhalsim]

Looks great but are you able to see the down arrow?

The leds look great too and I eagerly await your write up on how to get that done.

One other question. Is it at all possible to still keep the clock display?...looks liek you have a little room to the left of the V1 display.

 

[EuroBoutique]

I did the clock mount for the remote display a few years ago and have a few tips for you. Take apart the display box and remove the plastic housing, also remove the circuit board from the back of the clock housing. It will allow you to put the clock module back together again and push it all the way into the dash without it popping back out. You can cut a hole in the back of it to run the wire through. You should trim the top and bottom edges of the face of the display so you can see all of the lights once it's mounted in the clock housing. You also need to glue in a spacer so the adjustment flap lies flush. I'm a perfectionist and my install looks perfect if you'd never know that there was clock there originally.

DocL: thanks for the tips but I'm confused....I completely removed the clock circuit board/display for safe keeping but it's not being used anymore.

I simply put the entire v1 display in it's entirety into the back of the oem clock display. It's held in place only by hot glue so can be removed and put back to stock if need be.

I don't want to modify the oem clock housing in any way so it can be put back to stock if need be. I'll sacrifice not being able to see the back arrow and just know it's there

When my display is off, the stock red plastic hides everything (almost like a one way mirror) and the v1 remote display disappears so it looks like the oem clock is still there!


rk

 

[Cozmo]

Man that looks pretty sweet. I am going to seriously consider this when I get around to picking up a V1. The clock is pretty useless if you get an aftermarket radio with its own clock, which I have.

I'm looking forward to see what you did with the actual V1 unit.

 

[pingu81]

Is the reverse radar detection arrow visible after you mounted it into the OEM clock bezel?

 

[DocL]

All of my arrows and the lower dots are visible on my clock display mod. I bought an extra clock module so I didn't care about cutting and trimming the housing. I seperated the circuit board from the back plate of the clock housing and then drilled a hole to feed the V1 cord throughthe back. Doing this allows the module to slide completely back into place. I trimmed the inside of the clock housing because when you try to do as you did, the clock housing will squeak and the display module will shift and fall back. I also didn't care about seperating and cutting up the display module because it only cost $39 and I figure I could always sell my modded clock to someone on the board if I ever sell my NSX and decide to remove the V1 install. I did a lot of trial and error on fitting and trimming. It also helped that I was able to use diamond burs that aren't commonly available along with wearing my surgical loupes to see my cuts better.:biggrin:

 

[swerve2007]

that has to be the best stealth location ever- can't believe i did not see it before!

 

[swerve2007]

that has to be the best stealth location ever- can't believe i did not see it before!

where is the actual unit located?

 

[tosugrad]

Wow! Very nice. But how will you know what time it is now???

 

[Dhalsim]

Yo....you gotz to know what time it is!!...........

yall fools be trippn.....wit no clock in da NSX.........

 

[02#154]

On my list of mods I still want to do for the car I have the V1. I think about how I might do an install whenever I think about getting the unit. I thought of putting it there behind the OEM plastic before but the clock gets a lot of glare and I am worried about the same thing for the V1.

Is glare an issue, as it was with the OEM clock?

J

 

[EuroBoutique]

Hey DocL, how much does an extra NSX Clock module cost? My entire goal was to not damage the oem clock piece in any way so it’s totally 100% reversible. I still don’t understand why you had to drill any holes because my cable just plugs into the remote display unit and trails out the back of the unit. It’s glued in there very solid with hot glue. What module are you sliding back into place?

I have no issues with cutting up the v1 remote display unit since as you said it’s only $39…maybe I should look into this further!

Right now as it sits, it’s a pretty easy installation with no cutting, sanding or other issues. I can see all the lights and the rear arrow is not completely visible but you can tell when it’s on which is good enough for me. If you are a veteran Valentine 1 user, I go off mostly by the chirps anyways. I do glance at the arrows but the dots are really not that significant since each warning “band” is justified by a unique chirp. For example the Ka band is a very different beep from the X band which is the most common one to false alarm in grocery stores, etc.

I’m going to finish building my actual V1 main unit mount today so will snap some pictures.

Appreciate all the input so far as this is what makes this community great! I also added a GP Sports Carbon Fiber rear view mirror to give the interior a unique look. I love how it’s visible through the windshield!


Rick


P.S. Roger, who needs a clock inside the car!!!! Don’t you know I never leave home without my CLOCK around my neck….haha

 

[DocL]

Hey DocL, how much does an extra NSX Clock module cost?

I bought one on Prime for $25. You need to check the parts for sale area often.

I still don’t understand why you had to drill any holes because my cable just plugs into the remote display unit and trails out the back of the unit. It’s glued in there very solid with hot glue. What module are you sliding back into place?

I put the peice from the back of the clock housing minus the circut board back on, thus I needed to drill a hole through it to pass the cable.

Right now as it sits, it’s a pretty easy installation with no cutting, sanding or other issues. I can see all the lights and the rear arrow is not completely visible but you can tell when it’s on which is good enough for me.

In time you will see the problem with doing it like this. I tried that initally and the squeaking noise bugged me, and the hot glue didn't hold the concealed display in well enough.

For those concerned about this mod, if you don't a watch or cell phone, I can see the issue for not having a clock in the car.

 

[Dhalsim]

Yo Rick your clock be hella fly.......


My reason for wanting to see the clock is just a convenience issue......most of the time I am wearing a watch and of course I can check the time on my cell phone but its sooo much easier to just glance over and see the time instead of having to pull up your sleeve (if I'm on my way to work im usually wearing a dress shirt or if I got a sweater on or jacket) or grab your phone and look at it all which require taking your eyes off the road for a bit.

Anyway I'm torn between Rick's and Docs set up. I like the fact that in Ricks you cant really se the V1 display (until it lights up) but I dont like not been able to see the back arrow. On Docs I can see the full display but the display isn't hidden when its not on.

For now I will just keep my V1 where it is......just to the left of the rear view mirror on the oem suction cup mount.

 

[EuroBoutique]

DocL: I have not driven my car even a mile yet so you may be right, I'll test this installation the next few weeks when the weather gets sunny again.

Just finished my V1 main unit install today! Proud to say the entire mount was crafted out of ABS and secured with only 3M double sided tape. I had to make it strong and rigid but not drill any holes. The actual v1 main unit is secured using velcro to the mount so I can quickly unplug it to move from one car to another. It's 100% hidden from prying eyes and the police of course! :wink:


Roger, you can easily modify the clock housing so you can view the entire display. But I did not want to sand or modify the housing that is un-reversable....by keeping the oem red plastic lense, the display is TOTALLY invisible when not powered up. I have to admit his part turned out nicer than I expected! No glare, just a vivid red letter that shows the entire setup powered up.


rk

 

[CL65 Captain]

Where did you mount the main unit? Pics?

 

[alum04org]

Tuned in.... new V1 owner. Keep the advice and install experience (with photos) coming please!

 

[EuroBoutique]

We had a local car show yesterday in San Francisco so I had a good chance to test setup out on the highway. It’s about a 45 min drive into the city and the unit worked flawlessly in the early morning hours. There was virtually no cars on the highway and the unit remained quite till it found a CHP hiding on an onramp and the unit went off with plenty of advance warning. I found the remote volume location was perfect since my hand naturally falls near the unit when not shifting so I can adjust the volume or hit the mute button for known false alarms.

At the car show I don’t think anyone even noticed the main unit location which is ideal to keep it out of prying eyes. The best part of this mount location is that it’s not only invisible from the rear, sides or front but it’s got a prime viewing angle. It’s about 2” below the rear view mirror and has a clear line of sight out the front and rear windshields for the sensors to work. An added bonus is I hand crafted the mount out of 3/8” ABS and designed it to require NO HOLES or screws to be used! 

Just 2 pieces of 3M double sided tape (one piece on the rear window) and another piece on the bottom holds it securely. I have the unit mounted on Velcro for ease of movement to my other cars. I bought multiple remote display and volume controls along with hard wire setups for each of my cars so I can just move the main unit around.

Basically I only have to unplug the RF45 phone jack and the V1 becomes a mobile unit to take on trips, etc. The volume control and remote display stays in the NSX and it’s wired into the accessory lead so it only powers up when the car is turned on.

Oh on an added note, we got caught in a rain storm at night going home from the show and again it worked out nicely identifying a few CHP cars along the highway. My girl noted the missing clock was not that big an issue. For those of you who have aftermarket radios with clocks built in this is even more ideal.


Hope this write-up helped!

Here’s a few more pictures as promised!

Rick


V1 unit as viewed from rear window:

Unit is securely mounted on custom abs bracket:

Closeup showing the bends I made to make the ABS as stiff as possible:

 

[brickdds]

that has to be the best stealth location ever- can't believe i did not see it before!


You must not have seen the InV1si
The search reveals this thread:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showt...&threadid=5857
and this:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11599

BTW you might want to get a concealed display for the main unit, cops aren't so lenient on their stops when they see these in direct view....
__________________
It's about squeezing the maximum yield out of life.

 

[Ben]

Doesn't the hump on the engine cover block the line of sight for the rear sensor?

 

[Dhalsim]

I remember when looking at this that I thought the unit is actually facing backwards......meaning when the arrow shows the radar coming from in front it will actually be from behind. Correct? I guess you could get used to it eventually.

 

[Ben]

I remember when looking at this that I thought the unit is actually facing backwards......meaning when the arrow shows the radar coming from in front it will actually be from behind. Correct? I guess you could get used to it eventually.

No, it's facing the correct way, but the rear sensor is blocked by the engine cover.