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Hello all, I have owned an aerostar in one form or another since 1994. I have been reading all the threads for the past few months and have found them very informative. My 95 XLT shorty finally gave in to rust and I traded up to a 97 ext awd with 175,000KMs. I found your list while searching for parts and was wondering if anyone has ever installed an overhead console? I am wondering if there was a stock item available or do I have to go aftermarket. I am also looking for a center console as well. Any and all thoughts are welcome,
Carl
Mississauga, Ontario
97 AWD
Carl
Mississauga, Ontario
97 AWD
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From: Southern California
Hi Chuckles:
Welcome to our FTE forum
What kind of overhead console are you talking about? A flipdown LCD TV?
I did put one in myself, and it's very time consuming and rather difficult if you want to do it safely. In retrospect, I think it would have been far easier with one of those cheap ones you hang on the back of the seats.
Welcome to our FTE forum
What kind of overhead console are you talking about? A flipdown LCD TV?
I did put one in myself, and it's very time consuming and rather difficult if you want to do it safely. In retrospect, I think it would have been far easier with one of those cheap ones you hang on the back of the seats.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: SoCal
Chuckles,
The stock version of the overhead console for the Aerostar is an extension of the digital instrumaent panel. It has the trip computer display and controls, and a couple of map reading lights. To use it, you will need the rest of the digital instrument panel.
On the other hand, if you want an overhead DVD player, most of the aftermarket systems have installation kits that help you install it into your car.
Either way, I believe what Copper says; it will require a lot of work to do a clean install.
The stock version of the overhead console for the Aerostar is an extension of the digital instrumaent panel. It has the trip computer display and controls, and a couple of map reading lights. To use it, you will need the rest of the digital instrument panel.
On the other hand, if you want an overhead DVD player, most of the aftermarket systems have installation kits that help you install it into your car.
Either way, I believe what Copper says; it will require a lot of work to do a clean install.
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Houston, TX
Originally Posted by xlt4wd90
Chuckles,
The stock version of the overhead console for the Aerostar is an extension of the digital instrumaent panel. It has the trip computer display and controls, and a couple of map reading lights. To use it, you will need the rest of the digital instrument panel.
On the other hand, if you want an overhead DVD player, most of the aftermarket systems have installation kits that help you install it into your car.
Either way, I believe what Copper says; it will require a lot of work to do a clean install.
The stock version of the overhead console for the Aerostar is an extension of the digital instrumaent panel. It has the trip computer display and controls, and a couple of map reading lights. To use it, you will need the rest of the digital instrument panel.
On the other hand, if you want an overhead DVD player, most of the aftermarket systems have installation kits that help you install it into your car.
Either way, I believe what Copper says; it will require a lot of work to do a clean install.
The stock overhead console DOES NOT need the digital instrument panel in order to work. All the signals (except one) are available in the wiring harness of the dashboard. The one that is not there (Fuel Flow Input - to Pin 6 of the console) is available at the plug to the EEC module under the hood. I had to play with mine for a while to get the DTE value to work, but it does work with the anolog dash. As for the center console, the Eddie Bauer center console obviously fits perfect, and as another user has posted, if you have captain's chairs in the second row it can also be fitted there.
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Thanks for the quick replies. Copper, I am looking for an overhead console up front that has outside temp, trip display, map lights etc. I am not sure if there is such a beast for a 97, but if there is something similar from an earlier year maybe I could use that.
As for a DVD player, I have one of those portable ones that swings between the front seats and keeps the kids happy.
Does anyone have a link or pictures of either consoles that I could see?
Thanks again.
Carl
97 EXT AWD
As for a DVD player, I have one of those portable ones that swings between the front seats and keeps the kids happy.
Does anyone have a link or pictures of either consoles that I could see?
Thanks again.
Carl
97 EXT AWD
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: SoCal
Thanks Cookkd for the information. I don't know if this was an option; analog instruments and overhead trip computer. But it's neat that this could be done.
Chuckles, unless Ford changed designs along the way, I don't believe the Aerostar had an outside temperature guage. They were available on other trucks.
I can take a picture of my stock overhead console, but I'm still not sure of how to post it.
Chuckles, unless Ford changed designs along the way, I don't believe the Aerostar had an outside temperature guage. They were available on other trucks.
I can take a picture of my stock overhead console, but I'm still not sure of how to post it.
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From: Houston, TX
Take a look at one of my websites.....
My restoration pics
There are two pics of the "Trip Minder" (as Ford calls the overhead). The others are various pics of my restoration process (making a 91 XLT into an Eddie Bauer), so any grey that you see is the old car. That's all gone now and the entire interior is the beige color. There is also a shot of the console. The captions are in German, sorry.....
The trip minder displays avg mpg, inst mpg, dte, avg mph, distance, fuel used and it switches between imperial and metric. As you can see from the pics, I also moved the lit make-up mirrors and the automatic rear-view mirror, along with all the other power goodies. The overhead also contains two reading lights.
BTW...if you are going to put this thing in, when you get your module from the junkyard make sure you get the attaching bracket along with it. The fittings to attach the brackets are under the front headliner, you'll just have to cut two small rectangular holes.
My restoration pics
There are two pics of the "Trip Minder" (as Ford calls the overhead). The others are various pics of my restoration process (making a 91 XLT into an Eddie Bauer), so any grey that you see is the old car. That's all gone now and the entire interior is the beige color. There is also a shot of the console. The captions are in German, sorry.....
The trip minder displays avg mpg, inst mpg, dte, avg mph, distance, fuel used and it switches between imperial and metric. As you can see from the pics, I also moved the lit make-up mirrors and the automatic rear-view mirror, along with all the other power goodies. The overhead also contains two reading lights.
BTW...if you are going to put this thing in, when you get your module from the junkyard make sure you get the attaching bracket along with it. The fittings to attach the brackets are under the front headliner, you'll just have to cut two small rectangular holes.
Last edited by cookkd; Dec 28, 2006 at 02:30 PM.
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Wow, Cookkd. I like what you did. That's kind of what I am shooting for. I'll look around the local wreckers. Thanks for the link.
Carl
97 XLT AWD
Carl
97 XLT AWD
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