So right now I have the main V1 radar detector on the rear hatch area, and the concealed display on top of the rear view mirror. My idea is, can I mount the concealed display inside the gauge cluster? I have not heard of anyone doing this setup and this would look ultra stealth. ANyone who has opened up their gauge cluster think a concealed display will fit inside?

 

It can be done as the concealed display can be take apart. If you are not doing it yourself (which you shouldn't be if you need to ask how) that it can get somewhat expensive to have done as it is somewhat labor intensive.

 

I'm pretty comfortable installing and dismantling my Z, so I'll do the work. Just never heard of anyone doing it. Also I took apart the concealed display (and put it back together for the hell of it) but I can always mount it inside the gauge cluster without the casing however, I wonder if I'll be able to see its innards? Hmm many questions.

I also have to figure out the routing for the power wires hmmmmm....

 

The biggest question I see is "why do you want to have to look down, away from the windshield, to see the display"? That's why the rearview mirror integration is so popular. If anything, do a heads-up display on the windshield.

 

Do you mean the main gauge cluster over the steering wheel?

What are the dimensions of the display? You might be able to fit it in either of the areas circled below but it would not fit flush as the circuit board is right up against the housing that the gauge face lays on top of.

I think you could snake thin power leads in there by notching the housings.

I've taken this cluster apart several times doing LED conversions, not terribly hard but would have to be careful figuring this out so it goes back together clean.

 

Best way to mount the v1-stealth display https://my350z.com/forum/audio-and-vi...w-compass.html

 

Not a valid link

 

Another option, not dash mount, but it's very clean.

http://www.blendmount.com/showthread...FRYiagodqB5ueA

 

Heres the link https://my350z.com/forum/audio-and-v...ed-mirror.html This has got to be the best mod for these concelaed displays. I don't think Acree is doing them anymore though. I was thinking of trying, but I don't know how to get the mirror ecthed. Acree said in one post that he had someone do that work, anyone have any idea of how or where to get the mirror etched. I know I can do the rest of the mounting.

 

You are correct in that Acree is not doing them anymore. He ran into problems for a while getting somebody to do the etching so he eventually started doing them himself. Now that he's no longer doing them, you'd be stuck learning how to do it yourself too.

 

Any high-end audio shop will be able to etch the concealed display into the rearview mirror.

 

Audio shops have laser etching capability?

 

My stereo shop does...

http://www.performanceoutfitters.com...9%209500ci.htm

 

I've been looking into this .. but without etching the mirror so it is hidden when off


kept searching and searching how some have done it .. today I figured it out whilst I was at work ..


a two way mirror works perfectly (or one way, w/e you call it) .. you can put a tv or something on the hidden side and it shows through just fine .. but when off all you see is a mirror


now I just need to find the money to buy a valentine radar detector and concealed display then I'll try it myself ..

 

The problem with the two way mirror is that the lights have to be bright enough to shine through. You're not going to get that to happen, especially in daylight. That would be my only complaint about mine now, in daytime, the LEDs are difficult to see, especially when "off axis"

 

It really depends on the type of two-way glass but at the end of the day it is a trade off. To allow greater visibility the glass needs to be more transparent which can make the display a little more visible although when it is in the car it is far from obvious.

The mirror below for example uses two-way glass and when illumninated the display is very clear and while you can see the display below this is mainly due to the flash from the camera, it is almost invisible when off.



Another option is to remove less of the silvering, this is tricky but can help a little. This is a generic mirror, OEM in many cars that is lightly etched, the etch is very distinct under flash but is much more subtle in person.



The last option which I have not tried but is intruiging is to vary the etch such that it looks more like a compass or a gauge for something else, the idea being you know there's something in the mirror but it isn't clear that it is related to a radar detector.

Lots of options but it takes a lot of experimentation which can be time consuming and expensive, the biggest perceived downside I have heard regarding two-way mirrors is sacrificing the auto-dimming capability.

Chris.

 

That two way mirror option seems less of a hassel than getting the mirror etched. But I defintly think the etched mirror looks way better. I contacted the above audio website about getting my mirror etched and I think they quoted me at 400 dollars. This round 5 months ago, but I do remeber it was expensive. I didn't think it would be expensive cause its a small design, but I was wrong. Any ideas where or how to get the mirror etched for a lower price? Also I was also told once I got the mirror etched I would lose the auto dimming feature.

 

Acree did this for me on my mirror and it still auto dims. Also, its worth mentioning that only the mirrors from 03-04 with the homelink have the correct depth to mount the V1 remote behind the glass. Keep looking for a place to do the etching at a more reasonable price, IIRC that was not the bulk of the expense in this mod.

 

To answer the OP, I used 3M double-sided tape and mounted my concealed display at the base of my gauge cluster on top of the steering wheel base. Cost me about $1.50 and there are no wires running anywhere (ran them up the center console).

That way I can see it whenever I am looking at my RPM's - not intrusive or counterintuitive at all.

Just my 0.02.

 

I did some etching for Acree once upon a time. The 03-04 limitation is not accurate, it is more difficult in the tighter space but quite workable with some effort. The limitation you hit is that the mirror will often dictate where the display has to go when there's a lot of other stuff packed in there, for example on this mirror I'd have preferred bottom right but there wasn't sufficient depth.