Radar detector project.

[bebop]

I recently got an 89' 325 and it came with a fancy 1988 integrated radar detector. I will follow up with pictures but heres the description of the system currently.

Brain with sensor in the trunk, device is labeled to be pointed forward through grill so i dont think it wants to be in the trunk.

Wires come forward into the car for a directional <left,right> sensor, 2 led's mounted in a blank panel for a switch next to the rear defroster and a rotary volume dial placed below the steering wheel and to the right in a terrible place. It also ties into the stereo system.

Overall I really like this system it does well at detecting those unmanned speed boxes but not much more than that because its so darn old.

So what is this tread about? I want to clean up the install and make this look like it came from the factory. I want to ditch the rotary switch and bring everything into one bmw button.

Ive got some ideas looking to get opinions.

Blank bmw swtich for window locks and keep the led pannel
Heated seats switch with the lights for left and right (three pos switch for on low volume off and oh high volume)
air conditioner switch (blue light for on would be cool the recycler on off for low/high volume)
4 way flasher switch (I would lose the left right ability but the big red lit button would look good.

I am also thinking about where there might be free led positions on the dash or the high mounted error console to use for this project. Having the left right turn signals blink red was a thought i had this morning as I would really like to have this information front and center if i could.

I would like to preserve the left right alert and having variable volume but less variable than the full rotary dial would be nice also.

[StereoInstaller1]

Wow, that might be an early K40.

[bebop]

Thanks for that little bit of info, ill get a picture of the brain asap but i googled k40 and found out it seems to be common to integrate the left right into the upper dash which is interesting. I do want to get back and figure out more about this detector at some point.

Of course this kinda defeats the apparent intent of this being stealth but i still hate the switch so some sort of modernization is still wanted.

[StereoInstaller1]

found out it seems to be common to integrate the left right into the upper dash

not following you here, man.

The K40s were the shnit back in the day. generally, I most often did the front and rear pickups. There was no external "brain" per se, but it was integrated into the front sensor.

Generally I added 2 LEDs, sometimes 3 depending on the system. I preferred to install them in the instrument panel for reason of stealth.

I also dealt with the later models' dual knob, being 2 knobs in a concentric setup, which didn't allow changing knobs easily. Outer knob was for sensitivity, inner was volume.

I got to do one of these in a Countach back in about '85 or so. I charged the guy $2400 installed...he said that was the deal of the decade!

[bebop]

just meant my led's are in the center above the stereo and some installs i saw were right in the instrument cluster. I'll get a picture of whats in the trunk see if you recognize it.

[harv]

Throw it all in the trash and go buy a V1.

I know... Period correctness.

I have an original Escort that I'm going to see if Mike Valentine would "modify" for me so it acts like a V1 (stealth arrows?). That would be period correct! Imagine a honkin huge old magnesium case Escort on the dash?

John

[CabrioPunk]

Is the BMW factory radar to have a brain box along?

not following you here, man.

The K40s were the shnit back in the day. generally, I most often did the front and rear pickups. There was no external "brain" per se, but it was integrated into the front sensor.

Generally I added 2 LEDs, sometimes 3 depending on the system. I preferred to install them in the instrument panel for reason of stealth.

I also dealt with the later models' dual knob, being 2 knobs in a concentric setup, which didn't allow changing knobs easily. Outer knob was for sensitivity, inner was volume.

I got to do one of these in a Countach back in about '85 or so. I charged the guy $2400 installed...he said that was the deal of the decade!