Batboard

Ok here ya go everybody (especially Matthew ), I finally got around to taking a few pics of the Tahoe install, particularly the Troy Console, which I highly recommend.

One photo is below, the rest can be seen at:http://www.morgancomm.com/tahoe/
*Caution, these are high-res photos*

Console is a Troy MC-22, w/22"s of faceplate space (not even in their catalog yet, I was one of the first to order one). On the console you will see 2 CDM1550's (1 VHF, 1 UHF), a Garmin Streetpilot GPS, Whelen Traffic Advisor Controller, Federal Switch Box, Cobra 19+ CB, Code3 VCon Siren, and the cup holders. On the console I have a Motorola cell phone mounted, map light and the thing on the left of the console is the brains for the Kenwood TM-D700A remote head you see mounted on the lower dash, just above the console. The mic for it is just under the remote head. Tahoe has a Whelen LFL Mini-Edge on the roof, Whelen Traffic Advisor on the roof in the rear, 2 Whelen Dash Miser strobes mounted in the rear window. Siren speaker is a Federal Dynamax, mounted behind the grill. Has a total of 8 antennas mounted, 2 VHF/UHF, 1 VHF, 1 CB, 1 scanner, 1 cell phone, and the last 2 are the factory OnStar and AM/FM antennas. All antennas are on the glass or NMO on Cushcraft mounts. Next is the laptop mount....

YAY! YAY! YAY! How the heck did you want the speaker? Im trying to mount a Dynamax behind the grille and it just wont fit! ive been told you have to cut into the grill? Any ideas?

Code3Response wrote:YAY! YAY! YAY! How the heck did you want the speaker? Im trying to mount a Dynamax behind the grille and it just wont fit! ive been told you have to cut into the grill? Any ideas?

DON'T cut into the grill, it isn't necessary. It took some fancy rigging, but I got it mounted with 2 "L" brackets. Hard to describe but I'll try...

Pull the plastic shroud off the top of the grill area, and pop the grill itself off (looks hard but is fairly easy). Now you see the triangular metal braces dead center. The bottom brace has 2 holes pre-drilled in it. Take an "L" bracket and mount it to the right, long side on the bottom and bolt it to the right hole. Attach the speaker to the part of the bracket standing straight up. Now bolt the other "L" bracket to the other side of the speaker (should be towards the center of the grill) and bolt the lower section of the bracket to the left side hole in the bottom brace. Make sure bolts are tight where you connect both "L" brackets to the brace and you will be fine. That thing directs sound through the grill fine and is loud as heck!

Hope this helps, and I will see if I can get a pic to show what I mean.

I luv it.
Well soon i will have my tahoe 2003 hopefully this week.
any info/ ideas/ suggestions/ help welcome !

John

Looks good an similar to what I have to do in the 2003 Suburban.

However the suburban has a full size one piece console that fits up against the dash. I have a feeling when I remove it for the Troy setup there will be a large hole in the dash.

They changed the console styles from 01 to 03 - it was a 2 piece in 01 as I verified in a friend's tahoe.

APCO- Yup there is a big hole there. Signal911 - A pic would be great - its a little tough to understand

APCO,

Go to your local dealer and have them order the blank cover that goes
on the bottom of the dash in a pickup, without the full console

It's less than $20.00

hvacesu78 wrote:I luv it.
Well soon i will have my tahoe 2003 hopefully this week.
any info/ ideas/ suggestions/ help welcome !

John

Thanks John!!

Not sure of the differences between my 01 and the 03's, but I will tell you one thing, taking the seats out to get the factory console mount out and put the Troy console mounting plate in was a pain in the ao ! The front of the seats are held in with studs and nuts, and the back of the seats were just bolts. My Troy mounting plate didn't fit quite right and it made putting the seats back in kinda difficult. I wound up stripping one of the bolt holes out and had to re-tap it. No big deal, they are only nuts welded underneath near the tranny; although easily fixed it just wasted a lot of time.

I ran my power through the gromet in the firewall as described in other pics here and it worked quite well. Other wires were easily routed behind plastic molding which is just held in place with small metal clips, and also under the carpet. After I took the factory console out there was already a hole in the carpet where wires came through for the rear power point and rear radio controls, so it was a good place to run wires through. Made for a really neat and custom looking install. I left the factory powerpoint connected and it is still useable from the back seats.

Hope this helps some. Good luck with your installs John and apco25!! Hope we get to see some pics when you are through.

BTW apco25, the 2 piece console is nice in my opinion. I got to keep the tape player and the part of the console that is left hides wires, speakers and all kinds of stuff.

Well all of this stuff is going to help the rest of my install as well. If you can, get the pic of the dynamax. Yes, the seats are a pain! Both of my seats had to be removed to get to the center console, and I dont think Im putting them back in until I get my console! I DONT want to have to go through that crap again! LOL. The carpet is VERY Tight to run cables under - still working on that. Where did you find a grommet to punch through in the firewall? I havent been able to find anything. Thanks again!

Ok ordering a blank panel from GM - I knew there was a way to hide the hole.

I noticed the seats are studs, nuts and bolts with funky looking star nuts. Looks like I'll need a special tool to remove them

What did you do with the rear seat audio controls? Remount it on the Troy console?

Also I think there is something inside the front part of the console - any ideas? I know its not the radio and in dash CD-changer that's swallowed up by the big dash area. I don't have a tape player since I ordered the in dash CD changer.

THe troy I've picked out is the CC-24 mod-con style one piece which is pretty close to the factory console lines

THe factory console is nice too bad I can't put the radio stuff in it.

I don't run cables under carpet - too easy to get stuck on the padding unless you can't take the carpeting out completely which isn't an option here.

Just run cables under the door channel plates up to the dash and then back to the console. No exposed wires and you're not dealing with genenrally pain in the backside automotive carpet.

RE: The star heads. I thought so too - but just for kicks I tried some regular sockets. I tried a 1/2 inch for the rear and it worked! I think 1/2 inch anyway. And a 15 or 16 mm socket I think for the front - its a bit loose but it doesnt strip the heads or anything. - Glad I didnt need to go buy a special bit! Experiment a bit and you will find the correct socket.

apco25 wrote:I noticed the seats are studs, nuts and bolts with funky looking star nuts. Looks like I'll need a special tool to remove them

What did you do with the rear seat audio controls? Remount it on the Troy console?

Also I think there is something inside the front part of the console - any ideas? I know its not the radio and in dash CD-changer that's swallowed up by the big dash area.

Ok Matt, here is a diagram that will show you what I mean way better than the pic which didn't do much to show what I was talking about.
I had some pre-made brackets and with the length they were, mounting it this way was really the only option I had. It is VERY secure, even if it doesn't look like it. If you have custom brackets made your mileage may vary. I definitely could not figure out a way to use that big, clumsy "universal" bracket that came with the Dynamax.

apco25/Matt - As far as the funky looking star nuts, just get the proper tool from a GM parts dealer (not sure what it is called) or do what I did for $5, and get a 6 point socket which fits so close to perfect you can't tell. Go for a shallow one and a deep one for the most versatility.

apco25 - As for the rear audio controls, I re-connected mine but have not had the time to find a way to remount them. They are nice and square (no funky shapes or anything) so if there was a way to cut into the back of the console it would probably look better than factory.

Not sure what is all behind the 2nd part of the console (I honestly never looked), besides the cassette deck and the heat/air ducts which are towards the back, but I felt and made sure nothing sharp or hot was back there before I started placing things inside.

Matt and anyone else who missed this tip about routing wires through the firewall on 99 and up Chevy's (not just P/U's), this board member explained it well in a post on Mar. 15....

fire-medic8104 wrote:Access can be easily made on all 99-up Chevy p/u by using the grommet for the main wiring harness on the driver's side. If you are standing in front of the truck and look at the firewall closest to the driver's side, where the firewall and fender meet. There will be a 90 degree brace in that corner. Right underneath that brace there is a large grommet with a large group of wires coming out of it. If you push a pullrod down on the side of the grommet closest to the driver's side of the vehicle, it will come out right by the emergency brake underneath the junction box under the dash.

I have fit 3 8ga and 6 stobe cables through just that way.

911Radio/Code3

Hmm. ok great thanks for pointing that out about the seat removal.
I will take that into consideration.
I am soo eager to get the new ride !

also if you can post/email the pics re: the siren install that would be appreciated.

You are all certainly layin the tracks for me ! Once I begin operation(s) i will prob be bothering all of ya !

I have console delete option so theres nothing in the center for me to remove once I begin.


thanks
John

Great Looking install. Only one thing that I would be concerned about would be the way the Kenwood "brain" is mounted on the side of the console. Maybe move it to a place that it cannot be bumped with the arm. It looks like those connections are fragile and It would probably damage the radio if those connections were damaged.

Just my .002 Cents.

Ryan

Very nice job indeed. I agree though, you need to move that Kenwood away from harm's way. Too easy to break those connectors. And while not expensive, it'd be an easily avoided pain in the rear.

Great job, thanks for sharing!

LOL, thanks, but the Tahoe was traded on an 04 Dodge Ram QC a while back. I still host the pics on my server so they will show up here in the forums so folks can see what I did.

What model cell phone is that?

I am pretty sure it is a Motorola TX200, 3 watt. I can look and make sure. It is in the basement right now.

That's the same console I have in my truck... Very very nice, just ot deep enough.

What did you end up paying for it. I think I got mine around the same time.

-alex

Unfortunately Troy consoles are expensive and I got enough faceplates to fill it up, plus I added extra mic clips, a map light etc. I think it was between $400 - $500. I would have to go back and check for sure.

It is unofficially for sale if anyone is interested. I do not have a price in mind but could come up with one. It is in beautiful condition.