CV tripminder in a TC. Where to put it?

[gadget73]

I got my proof of concept tripminder working. I hackishly wired it in with speaker wire, since thats all I had avaliable. Now that it works, I'm not sure where the heck I want to mount it. Possible ideas are to the left of the radio on that panel, in place of the stock clock, or in a center console of some sort. Easiest would probably be a center console.

I'm a bit concerned about trying to put it in place of the stock clock. I had that mess apart today, and I dont know if I can get the needed depth, and it might look bad/stupid. I'd need to remove one of the "windows" over the guages, and color and size wise it would look out of place. It would also make the dash look un-balanced or something with a guage on the left, one in the middle, and a digital thing thats the wrong size on the right.

Putting it next to the radio requires someone with some sheet metal ability to cut a hole in the dash trim for me and bevel or do something with the edges so it doesnt look like a hole hacked into the dash. I couldn't do it without it looking like someone hacked a hole in the metal. I'd also need to find something to mount it to behind that, but I can come up with some sort of deal for that. Pics of the three spots with the tripminder held up follow.

[gadget73]

Hm, those pictures don't look half horrible. I guess the secret is lots of light and use the flash.

[87mefull]

Did only the towncars equipped with a digital dash offer the same functions as a tripminder?

I wouldn't put in where the clock is, no offense but it will look cheesy with the towncar's luxury gauges. It kinda got cut off in the pic but what switch is directly to the right of the tripminder? It looks like a control for the power antenna or something else but I can't tell. That would be a prime location for a tripminder if you could fit it there plus it would blend in with the rest of the climate controls.

[gadget73]

Yes, only the digi dash cars had a tripminder. It was part of the message center and it had that row of 10 buttons and whatnot. I'd just install that, but its a huge wiring mess to deal with, and I don't want the headache. 4 wires is easy, a bundle the size of the engine harness is not.

Yeah I don't really like the idea of it stuck in the dash where the clock is either. It would look wierd. Which switch to the right in what pic? The pic with the climate controls? To the right of the climate controls is the rear defrost switch like a Vic or GM, and further right is the antenna switch. Not enough room there tho I don't think, and I'd have to come up with someplace else to mount the antenna switch.

[Lincolnmania]

we need to build some custom consoles
oh and please help me hook one of mine up

[Archangel]

I don't think it will fit on the location shown in the first pic, IIRC there was some sheetmetal right behind that panel.

[boXman]

I like it beside the radio

[85crownHPP]

I want to say it looks like theres just enough space to put it to the right of the radio... would be easier to see than to the left.
Its bound to take a lot of cutting, and it might look funny with no space between the two. maybe not if you coule work it out so that the only part of the tripminder exposed is the same hieght as the radio, maybe they could blend together thay way.

[p71towny]

Meh, remove the idiot light message center and place it there.

[gadget73]

Meh, remove the idiot light message center and place it there.

I actually thought about that. It would need to wait till I got enough guages to take the place of them all. I still do like the check oil light though, mostly because I'm one of those lazy fucks that doesn't actually check the oil. Most of the time I don't need to. It usually uses no oil, but on rare occasion it seems to eat a quart between changes. I wonder if I could re-locate the idiot light for that somewhere else. Hmm, perhaps multiple lights in the oil pressure guage. Blue for standard light, and add a yellow for check oil.

[Archangel]

Pete, to the righ of the radio it's the same deal, lots of sheetmetal behind that panel that needs to ge cut off.

Thain, how about you make the backlight of the oil pressure gauge work as a low-level warning? Like your normal backlight is blue as you said, but there is also a yellow or red light there, when the oil-level signal comes in it triggers a relay that switches power from the blue to the warning backlight.

[red91sit]

I found you! hehe, anywho. I was just thinking the same thing to myself. My plans are to, replace the vents with this, or perhaps stick it up by the roof console thing.