ghetto camcorder mount

[m911gt]

This is one of my more useful custom modifications, imo. I will be recording auto-x and drag sessions as well as a rally or two this summer. The mod would have been really simple but I did not have access to a machine shop so I had to use my kitchen as usual. Future plans include making a quick-release for the camera and the ability to independently adjust the seats while the mount is installed.

Here's where I got my inspiration from: http://www.cruisecam.com/mounts.html The large mount they sell is $90 plus shipping. I have a total of $27 in mine and that's because the unistrut was kind of pricey.


DIY
Started off with a 3' section of unistrut, I wanted the mount to span between the two headrests for added stability. The reason I chose unistrut instead of a solid piece of aluminum is due to the rigidness of the strut and the added holes to have multiple placements for my camera.

Next, I placed the strut on top of the seats (after removing the headsets) and measured exactly where the holes needed to go. Of course when one side lined up perfectly, the other did not.

Then I bored out the headrest post holes in the unistrut to 5/8" on the passenger side and drilled 1 1/4" x 5/8" slots on the driver's side.

Then I made sure the strut fit nicely in place.

After confirming a nice fit, I lightly hand-sanded the outer surfaces of the bar then primed, painted, and clear-coated it.

Finally I put the bar in place and used 1 1/4" x 2" coarse bolt, 3 thick spacer washers, and a rubber washer (for the base of the camera) to mount the camera in the center of the bar.

Since I only have one camera, I had to use it to take pics of the mount. I did take two videos yesterday and they look very stable! I'll have to take a short one today and upload it to the net.