Crown Victoria bench seat mounting

DaBigBR · Post by **DaBigBR** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:33 pm

Okay...

Picking up an '03 P71 tomorrow, but it has the 50/50 split bench. I need a way to mount a C7 spectra and BC785D scanner. I have tried the 10" contour console in my '00 P71, and it didn't work out. I am only 5'8", and with the console installed I could not move the seat forward at all (it only fit all the way back). I also much prefer to have cupholders.

So...

I am open to suggestions on mounting that equipment in this new car. The current thinking is to use the U bracket from the BC785D on the tranny hump and velcroing or otherwise adhering the C7 control head to the top of it (I'm not liking that idea). I know that there are radio racks out there, but I have to be able to use the cupholders.

Suggestions?

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:31 pm

one suggestion. get buckets!

AVFD2922 · Post by **AVFD2922** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 3:00 am

Would suggest you do the following. Myself and a friend both have CV's with bench seats. We removed the arm rests and custom built consoles to fit where the armrest were. His console is bolted to seat mounting brackets, so his stays staionary when he moves his seat. Mine is bolted to the seat, so when I move my seat it moves with me. They work very well and some state police units and sheriff deputies wish their cars were setup the same way, go figure. Guess it is because it puts everything within easy reach and makes a good arm rest to boot.

DaBigBR · Post by **DaBigBR** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 3:31 am

AVFD2922 - I would appreciate it a couple of pics if you could wrangle 'em.

The car is coming from http://www.kcpolicecars.com , I know some guys don't like them, but this will be my second car from there and they seem alright to me. They did not have a car with the right color (all cloth) buckets and rear seat with a power seat, and were not sure how to swap power to non-power now that the switches are in the door panel - I don't blame them. So for the time being, the bench is staying, and since the car only has 29k on it, it's going to be tough to find buckets with similar wear, or lack of.

The first car I bought from them was a '00, and it had the 50/50 split bench. I purchased a set of '03 seats (front only), but got sick of the non-matching front/rear, so I bought a set of front/rear seats from a '98 town car and installed those. Then I decided I didn't like leather.

My car should still be on their website, the stock number is 125916. The last time I looked the large picture links were broken.

fineshot1 · Post by **fineshot1** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:21 am

I have been installing motorola radios in crown vics for quite awhile now.
Alot have come in with bucket seats and they always get a console(Troy) in between the seats. The ones that come with bench seats get a radio mounted on the hump. The seat goes all the way back and an angle bracket gets mounted to the hump just forward of the bench seat front. The angle bracket is adjustable(Tessco part # 17211) and gets angled such that there is still just enough room to open up the ash tray/coffee cup holder. The MCS2000 radio gets mounted to the angle bracket and perhaps another small low profile item (control box or whatever) gets super velcroed to the top of the MCS2000 radio. Thats all there is room for in a bench seat config unless you do a total custom job. Good luck....fineshot1

resqguy911 · Post by **resqguy911** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 1:55 pm

I just did a 2005 CVPI with bench seats, and boy was it a pain. This vehicle has the optional side-impact airbags, so messing with the seats was not an option. Since I already tried a Jotto Desk Contour Console (did not come close to fitting), I had removed the ashtray and 12v accessory panel. Then I modified the ashtray mounting bracket to make a secure attachment point for a Havis-Shields C-AS-840-8. No holes were drilled in the floor, and the customer now has (2) W7 and (1) W9 Spectras mounted, along with a Federal Signal 650 siren.

Leadenwah · Post by **Leadenwah** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:10 pm

Gamber-Johnson makes..or made. a nice console which slides into the same rails as the ashtray rides on. This requires removal of the ashtray, of course, but it's a very clean and professional looking console.

It can hold 2 or maybe 3 dashmount Spectra sized radios, the whole radio, or 1 such radio and a Systems 9000 control head. Some faceplates are made by Gamber-Johnson, but you use the Troy type faceplates and blanks in this one. I don't know the model number, but you might dig it up from GM.

DaBigBR · Post by **DaBigBR** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:02 pm

resqguy911 - you didn't happen to snap a picture did you?

I installed my spectra today, just screwed it in to the floor, and it's adequate. The BC785D is not going to fit without the remote mount kit, which is $475...which is more than the scanner cost in the first place.

Maybe I'll grab a quick photo tomorrow/

wa2zdy · Post by **wa2zdy** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 5:37 am

When my wife had an old Grand Marquis with the split bench, I ended up with just a GM300 on the locking trunion screwed into the hump. It happened to be fitting considering it was my wife's car but if I'd wanted to do more anyway, the options were few.

Good luck.

rtech · Post by **rtech** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 2:17 pm

I have an idea for a bench seat console that would effectively have 16 inches or so of face mounting space and 12"-14" of depth in about half of the console.

I am keeping it under wraps just in case I can make some $$ off the design. Any idea of who or how I might market this to? I hate to send it to a company just to get ripped off. I am researching a patent right now. I can get a temp patent for a couple of hundred dollars.

I do have evidence of the date of the design and I have several witnesses to the design.

I might be tempted to share with members here on a limited basis.

I have design pictures and a mock up sitting.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested.

resqguy911 · Post by **resqguy911** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:27 pm

DaBigBR: This is a pic of the console mid-install. I will try to get an updated one soon. Pay no attention to the missing screws, loose wires, and whatnot...

DaBigBR · Post by **DaBigBR** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 6:42 pm

That looks pretty good...I really don't want to loose my cupholders, but I am missing my BC785D.

kb9suy · Post by **kb9suy** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:11 pm

Mount the spectra bracket to the underside of the ashtry/cup holder. Then mount the scanner under neath the spectra super double sided tape or they make this bracket that the spectra can slide into and you can bolt the scanner to the underside of the bracket.

DaBigBR · Post by **DaBigBR** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:30 pm

Newer vics have two things that make that impossible:

The ashtray has a flip down piece which equals less room to hang anything from, and there is some ducting under the carpet under the ashtray which makes it not deep enough for the scanner.

Plus it looks tacky.

EVModules · Post by **EVModules** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:21 pm

rtech wrote:I have an idea for a bench seat console that would effectively have 16 inches or so of face mounting space and 12"-14" of depth in about half of the console.

I am keeping it under wraps just in case I can make some $$ off the design. Any idea of who or how I might market this to? I hate to send it to a company just to get ripped off. I am researching a patent right now. I can get a temp patent for a couple of hundred dollars.

I do have evidence of the date of the design and I have several witnesses to the design.

I might be tempted to share with members here on a limited basis.

I have design pictures and a mock up sitting.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested.

Been done, or similiar to it. Troy did a batch some time ago for customers who had bench seats. It was an "L" shaped console where the long side was horizontal over the seats and the short side was vertical & bolted to the floor plate. It's excellent if you have shallow components to fill up the back half of the console like remote heads (radios & sirens) while allowing 2 regular length components towards the dash. With this setup, you can easily add cup holders.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 7:36 am

here's my OLD install, yanked out the cupholder,used self-tapping screws to mount the CH bracket,cig plug was screwed in with the CH's, it can't go anywhere,Siren DEK mounted above CH.

NO ... DONT ASK ABOUT WHATS ON THE DISPLAY,lol

the picture is so crappy because I took it with my cellphone..

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:04 am

kb3jkp wrote:NO ... DONT ASK ABOUT WHATS ON THE DISPLAY,lol

What's there to ask about? It's pretty clearly one of the FBI's Balitmore field office channels.

Now, I highly doubt you're authorized to have that in a transmit-capable capacity... and I doubt you have the appropriate crypto keys (or hardware) anyway.

You would likely have the appropriate channelization on the display if you were an authorized user.

Now, I dare say driving around in a wackmobile with "FBI" on the display of a radio isn't the brightest thing in the world. Posting pictures of your wackmobile with "FBI" on the display of a Spectra probably isn't very bright either. But that's an argument for another time.

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:15 am

like I said, it's an OLD install.....
it was meant to be a joke, to call attention to it, as in HAHA...

secure CAPABLE, but no key,and rx only, they DO run in the clear quite often, although they're boring as hell to listen to....all the "good" stuff is done through nextel or crypto.the few FBI installs I have seen are all astro W3's...

lol.. the pic was taken that way on purpose, just for kicks...

I bet this zone display......

would equally disturb you.....lol..

the guy wanted ideas on how to mount stuff, just throwing an idea out there to help him out.......

there's nothing illegal about "listening" to anyone....and thats assuming I even have it programmed up

...I could just have put that as a display and have a local 2m frequency, so it'd look like I'd be talking to the FBI(HEY!!now THERE'S a HAMSEXY IDEA!!)

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:41 am

Meh, it wouldn't disturb me. Whether or not it disturbs your friendly LEO when you get jacked up for driving your wackermobile is a different matter.

If nothing else, you would have some 'splaining to do after the cop calls the local FO and asks about you.

firegood · Post by **firegood** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:06 pm

What kind of portable base is that on the right?

kb3jkp · Post by **kb3jkp** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 5:48 pm

firegood wrote:What kind of portable base is that on the right?

Ericsson/Comnet/GE/MA/COM Panther 400,600,625 series

same as Tait Orca series.... just with GE*Star and Ericsson logo's..

REALLY nice radios...

500+ channels,alpha, 440-530 Mhz, 125$ BRAND NEW... cant beat that...another 125$ for the "enhanced Vehicular charger"

firegood · Post by **firegood** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:03 pm

it looks like i want me one

resqguy911 · Post by **resqguy911** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:29 pm

I can't believe I forgot to add newer photos. Oh well, 2005 CVPI with bench seats:

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:42 pm

Havis Shields makes a console that slides in the ashtray rails that's good for about 2 control heads.

Also look at their shorty angled series consoles. The 9 inch should fit and is similar to the troy pic posted above.

007 · Post by **007** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:26 pm

The Havis unit:

firegood · Post by **firegood** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:52 pm

That is pretty sexy. My next vehicle is going to be a crown vic.

motorola_otaku · Post by **motorola_otaku** » Wed May 24, 2006 1:27 pm

*bump*

Anyone have a part number for that short Gamber-Johnson Crown Vic console, or know if they're still made? I've been all up and down their website, but all I see are the MCS Epic consoles.

I'd also be interested in a part number for the individual Spectra brackets. It looks like they'd save half an inch or more of console space versus the Troy or Jotto Desk faceplates.

Leadenwah · Post by **Leadenwah** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:23 am

That Gamber-Johnson console which slides in on the rails after ashtray removal is discontinued. It was the neatest looking of all possible installations. You could easily put 1 Systems 9000 head and a dash mount Spectra A5/A7 radio as well.

You won't see it on the G-J sites at all. I do not recall the part number, but you might look for Gamber-Johnson distributors in your region for new old stock on that one. These are usually the suppliers to fleets, law enforcement which have been around a while. A lot of them have web sites and you could describe it as the " in dash " which replaces the ash tray for Crown Vics from at least as far back as 1998, maybe older.

motorola_otaku · Post by **motorola_otaku** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:01 am

Heh, I ended up going with a MCS-EPIC box in between the seats. And then the car got totaled in a wreck in December, so the point is now moot.

If I could make one fit in an Impala, though, that would be boss. The car I'm in now came with a baseplate tht I'd like to keep, but it takes up too much room for the Jotto Desk Contour console to fit. One of those, however, would be perfect.

edit: Found the Havis unit. It's C-VS-700-CV on their website.

High_order1 · Post by **High_order1** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:37 pm

on resqguys picture, what is the keypad to the left of the center radio?

-Shawn

spectragod · Post by **spectragod** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:40 pm

High_order1 wrote:on resqguys picture, what is the keypad to the left of the center radio?

-Shawn

Federal 650 siren\light controller.

SG

Leadenwah · Post by **Leadenwah** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:01 pm

It DOES appear that the Ford Crown Vic from, say, 2003 up has a different shape in the transmission hump than from 2002 back.

The Gamer Johnson console for bench seat CV's which could simply slide into the dash on the ash tray rails once the tray was removed doe NOT seem to fit on the 2004 CV.

What's immediately under the carpet on that part of the hump?

I don't mind drilling holes in the hump, but I don't want to hit critical items.

motorola_otaku · Post by **motorola_otaku** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:25 am

Leadenwah wrote: What's immediately under the carpet on that part of the hump?

The air duct to the under-seat vents, which I believe are for air intake. Cut/drill at your own discretion.

Leadenwah · Post by **Leadenwah** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:34 am

Well, that's worth having a close look

With my luck I'd hit a tranmission oil line.

Thanks.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:29 pm

When I need to perf the floor, I pull the carpet up and do away with that damn air duct.

Crown Victoria bench seat mounting

Crown Victoria bench seat mounting

try this