Hiding my RD

**EerFoolWVU** · 05-23-2006, 11:25 AM

Well despite badly wanting a Valentine-One I have decided to make the safer bet and go with the Bel STi since I live in VA 4 months out of the year...so Friday when I get paid I will order mine.

Now I need to find a way to hide my RD while in use...

I have 98 Lexus ES300 and from the looks the rearview mirror is too high to place the RD above it so how can I go about hiding my RD???

I'm not really interested in putting in inside a newspaper and things like that. I'm pretty good with mods so I'd like to find a way that would more permanately hide my RD.

Hardwiring is assumed, but how can I hide the actual RD itself???

Thanks for any help in advance

**bauzer71487** · 05-23-2006, 11:34 AM

pictures of inside of car?

**spankyaf** · 05-23-2006, 11:36 AM

Given the minimal penalties of your jurisdiction I would just use a visor clip and hardwire. Avoid running it with too much brightness during the day and dark mode at nite.

**EerFoolWVU** · 05-23-2006, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by spankyaf

Given the minimal penalties of your jurisdiction I would just use a visor clip and hardwire. Avoid running it with too much brightness during the day and dark mode at nite.

where can i get a visor clip?

and i'll get pics soon, didn't think of that

**spankyaf** · 05-23-2006, 11:40 AM

Roy sells them for $4 .

You could also go above your visor depending on the design of your car

**kcryan** · 05-23-2006, 01:01 PM

Whatever you do have a kill switch just so if you know a cops comin up you can kill it, even if it is invisable

**bauzer71487** · 05-23-2006, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by kcryan

Whatever you do have a kill switch just so if you know a cops comin up you can kill it, even if it is invisable

Pull it out of the cigarette lighter

**ronsc1985** · 05-23-2006, 02:57 PM

You have to pick a place where it is hard to see from the outside but still gives good coverage down road. If your vehicle has a relatively dark tint strip you can use the suction cup windshield mounting that comes with the STI by putting the cups in the tint strip and the RD face just below the tint strip. I have done this on a C6 corvette and unless you are sitting on the hood of the car the RD is pretty much hidden from both sides and the rear. I have actually been parked next to a LEO with him looking right in the car. He couldn't see anything. At night maybe the RD illumination may be visible but the STI does have a mode where some or all of the illumination is turned off. In this case you just use the audio alerts which are easily discernible with respect to the various radar bands.

I do have a Ls 430 Lexus and although I haven't used the RD in this car it looks like something similar would be possible. With respect to a power connection check out your rear view mirror if it has something like auto dim or a compass. In these cases there is usually a switched 12 volt wire which you can easily tap into. With a short hunk of telephone cable and the connector (both supplied with the STI) you are good to go. You can usually solder some pins on the wires and jam them into the rear of the RVM connector of course assuming it has one.

**proudNMAmember** · 05-23-2006, 03:24 PM

I would be very careful using suction cups when driving thru VA. VA LEO'S are looking for suction cups on windshields folks. Mk

**novazo6** · 05-23-2006, 03:46 PM

i have a camry solara. i think my windshield is raked more steeply than yours, but I just use the suction cups on the tint strip also.

even with the display on, it is not visible from the outside at any angle, unless you squat down and know exactly where it is. from a driver's perspective anywhere around the car it can't be seen. since i'm paranoid, i've strapped a CD holder on my visor, which is black. My STI is directly in front of the visor, and with the black case/cd holder the sti blends in pretty well(since my headliner and visor are grey). I've driven past several LEO's, and none have spotted it so far with the display on during the day AND night.

on my C5, i also put in on the tint strip, and it is even more hidden just because of the low ride height.

IMHO, the visor clip is not as stealthy as the windshield suction cups. It just sticks out too far. I even tried sandwiching it between the headliner and visor and even INSIDE the headliner, but i had overheating issues with that. stick w/ the cups.