Camera Mount Above Clock - 1*2

[pastymaster]

I'm looking at different ways of mounting an 'action' camera in the front of the car ready for track days (in my case a Contour camera) and have seen a thread where a forum member mounted a camera above the clock in the dash.

We've bought the following mount for a few quid with the idea of a couple of self tappers running through the base of the mount and into the top of the dash.

We've also got a spare rubber insert for the recess above the clocks ready to cut up and screw into (and keep on perfect for a cover for when not in use).

Do any of you know if there are any cables (or anything else not to be tampered with) directly under this area in the dash. Any ideas on what size fixings would be best to use?

Either that, or are there better permanent fixings to be used?

 

[imprezaworks]

@MarkCup will surely know.

 

[MarkCup]

I've no idea!

I did toy with that exact idea myself for a while when I had my 172 Cup...but back when I had the Cup my camera was a heavy Sony tape camcorder so I ended up sticking with the headrest strut mount.

I kept meaning to ask what was beneath there but never got around to it.

 

[Coops Mk1]

It's only few bolts whip dash off, I'd then drill couple of holes and bond some nuts to the underside. Then you can use some small bolts through the camera mount and remove when not in use. If you did that with self tappers the holes are going to pull through pretty quick after couple of refits

 

[pastymaster]

I didn't realise it was that easy to take the dash off. Taking the dash off has always scared me on previous cars although I might give it a go on this. It seems a bit extreme for a dash mount though, although I suppose it's worth doing it properly.

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

I didn't realise it was that easy to take the dash off. Taking the dash off has always scared me on previous cars although I might give it a go on this. It seems a bit extreme for a dash mount though, although I suppose it's worth doing it properly.

10 minute job mate. That includes making a brew :up:

 

[pastymaster]

Awesome, I'll have to have a look in the guides. :up:

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Does the field of view look ok from there?

Check the window wipers aren't in view beforehand :smiley: And speaking as someone that removed their Clio dashboard a few times more than necessary I wouldn't remove it for that, just glue it?

 

[pastymaster]

I've not actually checked the field of view yet - I need to do that first. I could always glue it to the replacement rubber insert that I've bought and then velcro that down (or something similar) so it's easy to swap out. I'm not sure the track day organisers will be happy with that though?

 

[pastymaster]

Well the mount has arrived and it's not bad quality for a few £. It should do the trick nicely. I can gut a hole in the replacement rubber mat to poke it straight through and it should look neat.

I just need to check what it looks like before I make it more permanent:

 

[pastymaster]

I had a proper look at the camera mount again today to see what everything looked like. If the camera is mounted in the dish thing it does just get a lot of the wipers. It'd have to have something to raise it up which would looks a bit messy really.

The other place I've thought of is here:

It does give a better view, would be easy enough to mount with glue/nuts/bolts as the trim comes away. Has anyone else mounted a camera here?

 

[Pauleds]

My gopro has been mounted there, it's pretty good.

 

[pastymaster]

That does look pretty good actually. How did you stick it down?

 

[Pauleds]

That was just stuck on with the standard 3m sticky pad gopro curved mount

 

[Dr Fox]

I realised that Cadwell Park didn't allow suction mounts so had the same dilemma at 10pm the night before the track day, it may not be elegant but I came up with this... I use my phone and Harry's Lap Timer to record on track and I was happy with the positioning of it.

The block of wood is currently held on with a couple of screws through the dash but I'm planning to take it out this week to paint it black and attach it more securely so watching this thread with interest. That said, it worked well and survived a full day at Cadwell! Here's the view from it...

 

[pastymaster]

The angle on there does look pretty good from the footage. You can't beat a nice block of wood .

That'll do the job all painted up though.

 

[pastymaster]

That was just stuck on with the standard 3m sticky pad gopro curved mount

Spot on, have you done any track days and had issues with the sticky pad? Or do they tend to be allowed?

 

[Pauleds]

I also made a mount that clamped to the seat for track days and competitions so tended to use that as it shows the driving more than just a front view. I only occasionally used the dash one. Works well facing backwards too

 

[Louis]

Rather than drilling though, could you not just use a heavy duty velcro? 3M double sided would obviously work fine, but if you didnt want it there all the time it'd be a bit of a pain.

 

[AlanWak]

I use a suction mount on the windscreen for Autosolos and Sprints. For the first time I was picked up on the Great Western Sprint at Castle Combe as I didn't have a further restraint with the suction mount. Some fishing line attached to the passenger sun visor and mount did the trick.

 

[Dr Fox]

The angle on there does look pretty good from the footage. You can't beat a nice block of wood :smile:.

That'll do the job all painted up though.

Haha thanks, the lens is cracked at the moment so a new phone will improve the footage dramatically. I'm planning to take the dash out (I'm sure there was a guide somewhere) and put a metal plate underneath the dash and then bolt the bit of wood (painted) to that through the dash. That should definitely be solid enough and I'm planning to run a power cable through the hole so it's more out of the way and doesn't reflect in the windscreen.

I've experimented with heavy duty Velcro before and although it won't come off, there was a bit of wobble in the footage from it flexing. Sadly some tracks don't allow any form of suction mounts regardless of how well it's tethered so I wanted to create something that should be safe anywhere.

 

[Stevef175]

Took this using my iPhone montes in a quad lock case and bracket. Obviously from the passenger seat!

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[Dr Fox]

I gave the mount a bit of an update over the weekend... The longest part was waiting for the paint to dry but I think I spent about an hour doing it if you don't include the wait time.

Firsty, I gave it a coat of Matt Black so it blends in with the dash a bit better as I want to leave it in place

I then followed the guide to remove the dash (sub 15 mins) and wanted to bolt through the wooden mount and dash to keep it firm so needed something to spread the load slightly. I realised I didn't have any penny washers so I made some 2-penny washers...

I'm not sure if that other hole is original or not? But chose to ever so slightly widen the existing 2 holes that the standard rubber mat goes into. I then put some bolts through the lot and bolted the bit of wood to the dash...

I then put the whole lot back together, I haven't got a picture of it but I also made a small hole to put a cable through and ran this up through the dash. The other end sticks out of the back of the cup holders so I can plug it into the 12v socket there. I then attached the parts of my RAM Mount and I'm really impressed with how solid it is and I think it looks ok all things considered...

 

[Andymac1981]

I then followed the guide to remove the dash (sub 15 mins) and wanted to bolt through the wooden mount and dash to keep it firm so needed something to spread the load slightly. I realised I didn't have any penny washers so I made some 2-penny washers...

I'm not sure if that other hole is original or not? But chose to ever so slightly widen the existing 2 holes that the standard rubber mat goes into. I then put some bolts through the lot and bolted the bit of wood to the dash...

Do you have a link to the guide? I have mine on with a 3M go pro mount but would like to put power to it through the top of the dash some way. I'm not a fine of leafs trailing down.


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[STEVE.M]

What a bunch of Faries.

 

[Dr Fox]

I agree with you about the leads, especially on track, the guide I used is http://www.cliosport.net/content/guides/fubar/ph2_dashboard.pdf

@STEVE.M Fairies?

 

[Andymac1981]

Thanks for this!!

Will have a look later and the weather is nice here today so if it holds until after work might have a crack at this!

 

[Darren S]

Awwww. You're gonna get done and told off..... :tongueout:

Epic work though - looks a good job.


Section 10 of the Coinage Act 1971 says quite categorically (if at some length)...

"Restrictions on melting or breaking of metal coins..

(1)No person shall, except under the authority of a licence granted by the Treasury, melt down or break up any metal coin which is for the time being current in the United Kingdom or which, having been current there, has at any time after 16th May 1969 ceased to be so.

(2)Any person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section shall be liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £400;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.

Defacing by drilling a hole through the coin (and through the Queen's head) would count as destruction.

 

[Dr Fox]

Haha that'd be an interesting conversation in the prison yard telling them you were serving 2 years for drilling a hole in a picture the queens face... There's probably people in there doing less time for killing someone!

Used the mount on the way into work this morning and it's very solid, would definitely recommend!

 

[STEVE.M]

@STEVE.M Fairies?

I meant that with the exception of yourself, other people on track seemed to have wandered onto the circuit from the A153 and were looking for a way back, rather than getting their head down.

 

[pastymaster]

I gave the mount a bit of an update over the weekend... The longest part was waiting for the paint to dry but I think I spent about an hour doing it if you don't include the wait time.

Firsty, I gave it a coat of Matt Black so it blends in with the dash a bit better as I want to leave it in place

I then followed the guide to remove the dash (sub 15 mins) and wanted to bolt through the wooden mount and dash to keep it firm so needed something to spread the load slightly. I realised I didn't have any penny washers so I made some 2-penny washers...

I'm not sure if that other hole is original or not? But chose to ever so slightly widen the existing 2 holes that the standard rubber mat goes into. I then put some bolts through the lot and bolted the bit of wood to the dash...

I then put the whole lot back together, I haven't got a picture of it but I also made a small hole to put a cable through and ran this up through the dash. The other end sticks out of the back of the cup holders so I can plug it into the 12v socket there. I then attached the parts of my RAM Mount and I'm really impressed with how solid it is and I think it looks ok all things considered...

That looks like a great job. Was it really that easy to get the dash off?

 

[Andymac1981]

Just tested out my mount which is a 3M go pro above the clock and I'm just getting a frame full of wipers!

My wipers seem to sit abnormally high is this just the way they are?


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[pastymaster]

Mine did get a lot of wiper in the shot from there which is why I'm considering moving it backwards a bit. Bloody wipers...

 

[Andymac1981]

I tempted for a go pro mount on the window! Don't do any track days mine is just for a dash cam.


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[Dr Fox]

If it's just for on the road and you're not going on track then yes, I would probably go with a suction mount. When I had this, I ran a 3m power cable from the cigarette lighter out behind the cup holders, behind the carpet in the passenger footwell, up the door rubber tucked in behind the trim and then wedged behind the trim around the windscreen, no dash removal required and it kept it a lot neater.

Yes the dash removal was a lot easier than I thought it would be, honestly less than 15 mins to get out. Slightly longer to put back in as I lost a screw that attaches through one of the top vents and had to find another to replace it so just be careful not to drop any of those 3 on top.

For all those who are getting footage of their wipers in action, this is why I needed to use the wood. I could have mounted it just using the 4 inch extension bar but even that was a bit too low so I used the wood to raise it as well as giving something secure to attach on to.