I finally got around to installing my expy overhead console. Special thanks to Herb101 for the overhead.
First, I took the temp sensor out of my stock overhead, and fit it to the expy overhead with a couple of metal brackets and some bondo to fill the gaps. Also, alot of sanding and trimming of the bondo to make it look right. Here is a shot of the front insert with the hvac and temp display.


After that, I removed my passenger seat, headliner, a-pillar covers, and radio surround. I removed my hvac controls, and modified the housing to fit in the expy overhead. Alot of the steps I am going through will not be as tedious as mine, (I used a console from a 97 expy) if you use a console from the same year as your truck. I bought 5 pieces of vacuum tubing, about 10 feet long each. These will be used to lengthen my existing harness for the temp mode selector. Here is my truck interior during the process. No comments about how dirty it is



I had to do some creative cutting and bondo work on my overhead to mold it to the headliner. The hvac controls are held in with brackets I made from aluminum, as well as the temp display unit.

 

Now came the "fun" part. This part was pretty much the "point of no return". I cut the five vacuum lines from the mode selector switch manifold. I went back about 5 inches, and cut them there. Then I had a buddy of mine run the vacuum lines behind the dash, and around all the stuff that would rub a hole in them, (his hands are alot smaller than mine).

After I got the vacuum lines connected to the factory lines in the dash, I put the plug back on the extensions. I used silicon on the factory line before I slid the extension on it. That way, it would glue itself to the line, and not leak. I routed these vacuum lines up the passenger side a-pillar and wrapped them in that flex conduit from autozone.

Then I ran all the wires for the other controls up the drivers side a-pillar. After that, I proceeded to cut the plugs off of the factory harness for all of the other hvac controls. I made sure I used the correct size wire, and splices for this. The smaller wires I used 18 gauge (the stock ones are 20 I think) and the fan control wires I used 14 gauge. I spliced the wires according to color of the factory wires, and used a multi-meter on the ohms setting to make sure I had the right wire. After all of the wires were run, I put the headliner back up so I could do the final fitting of the console.


After it was fit pretty good, and the bondo was dry, I primed and painted it, and primed and painted the inserts a semi-flat black. This is the result after all my hard work.


The window switches are wired, but I need a wiring diagram to splice into the factory harness. I will then delete the switches from the doors, and blank out the holes.

Any questions, just ask. Let me know what you guys think.
Justin

 

Nice job

 

Whoa....that looks nice. Good work

Brandon

 

That does look a neat job.

But a lot of work, what is your reason for moving the controls from the dash?
Or are you intending to put something else in its place?

The three gauge pilliar mount looks neat.
I am in the process of fitting one myself, interior removed and I have installed a black flex tube for wires etc to pass into engine bay.
Just awaiting delivery of parts.

The black flex tube matches the OEM stuff so looks the part under the hood.

:santa:

 

Thanks guys.

Ricki, I just wanted something different, and as far as I know, only a couple of people have gotten the ac/heater controls to work in the overhead. I am putting something there. Eventually I will have a touch screen display, but for now, I will have a billet plate with "Grimace" cut into it with purple led's behind it. I will post a pic or two when that is finished.

 

Yeah the overhead does look neat and a challenge to re-route and connect all those Vac & Cable lines.
Touch screen - Adjustable tuning on the go??
Instant read out of data etc etc - Smart. Order stuff on-line, check yer e-mails - Luv It.

A guy down the road from me has some mega quick 4wd jap motor.
Not into them myself but have to admit it looks neat & it's quick.
He has modded a flip up DVD screen and has a mini touch keypad which plugs in to adjust tuning etc.
He can flip between Data & Video, has two cameras installed and can record track / road / race video with data info on screen. He a bit of a boffin but I still done him on the lights to 150mph last year he was well peed off.
He is into circuit stuff and not 1/4 still might tempt him up to Shakespear County next season and blow his doors off JDM style....


The amount it's cost him though he could have got a 2nd hand AMG Supercharged V8 Merc awesome sound, power, road holding and braking for a heavy sports car.

Keep us posted

 

That looks great man. Exactly what I want to do. You probably have the same plans with that touch screen as I do too. Unfortunatly I have been away from my truck for the last 10 months.

It looks really good though. Looks like it came straight from the factory.

31C

 

Yeah Ricki, that is pretty much what I want. With the cameras and all, I should be able to get some good race vids, with a camera in the front bumper, and one in the rear. Hopefully the rear one will be used more


Thanks alot Charlie. That really means alot to me.

 

Looks GGGGGRRREEEAAATTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Grimace-

Looks great!

On a side note, I noticed that Expy's have a separate, smaller pod behind the overhead console, that houses the rear A/C controls. Has anyone ever used that pod, mounted somewhere in an L, to move the controls out of the dash? I was staring at my brother in law's truck this weekend and wondering if I can move my AC controls somewhere else so I can put guages in the dash.