TM-D710A install for '00 Lincoln Towncar Executive

[FFPM571]

That is a short circut or fire waiting to happen. Never run wires though hinges, under foot, or over a hot engine. That is basic common sense. Also not to mention those fuse holders and connectors are not water tight, I know in MI the winters are brutal and the wires will get wet and there go your connections and short out your KWood.

It looks like a temporary install at best. If you dont want to drill a NMO at least use a trunk lip . It's not the best but way better than any Mag mount. The town car is on the same chassis and body line as a Crown vic. It is very easy to install any type of two way or ham rig. I not trying to bust balls but by doing the job right will save you time aggrivation and money in the long run.

 

[W9WSS]

That is a short circut or fire waiting to happen. Never run wires though hinges, under foot, or over a hot engine. That is basic common sense. Also not to mention those fuse holders and connectors are not water tight, I know in MI the winters are brutal and the wires will get wet and there go your connections and short out your KWood.

It looks like a temporary install at best. If you dont want to drill a NMO at least use a trunk lip . It's not the best but way better than any Mag mount. The town car is on the same chassis and body line as a Crown vic. It is very easy to install any type of two way or ham rig. I not trying to bust balls but by doing the job right will save you time aggrivation and money in the long run.

FFPM571 knows EXACTLY what he's talking about. He should know; he did my install, and he's a pro.

 

[CVPI4Ever]

No, dont drill for the antenna. Buy a trunk lip mount instead. I hate drilling if its not necessary, especially where someone can see the hole afterwards.

Hide the wires. Hide the wires under the trim and carpet. There should be a grommet in the fire wall you can use. The wires going through the door to the engine compartment the way you have it is asking for a fire. One day at the dealership, I went in for an airbag monitor replacement in my former 1997 Crown Victoria and the idiot tech rewired my CB this way. It started shorting out and smoking. 6 techs came running out with fire extinguishers and the car was pulled back in to the bay and rewired like I had it. Luckily, it didnt catch fire.

 

[bReed11091]

Update

I've done some modifications to my setup over the past few months. Lets start with the trunk.

I've cleaned up some wires in the trunk by placing them in looms. I've left the power cable outside of the loom to prevent electrical interference with the blue mic cable. There is a slight ticking noise in the background of my signal, but it's been reported that it is unnoticeable unless it is listened for, but even then it is not annoying.

This is my primary antenna that is mounted to a Diamond K400S trunk lip mount. I still have the other antenna and mount as backup. This antenna works really well in rural areas, but is pretty long. In order to clear the garage entrance, I need to fold it over.

The wires have been cleaned up inside the vehicle. I found that the bench seat in the back was not secured very well and pulled up easily so I could hide wires under it. The power cable runs under this seat and then under the panels on the opposite side of the vehicle. I did this to reduce the amount of cable that runs throughout the engine compartment.

This is where the fuses used to stick out. They are now under the back bench seat away from much of the moisture. The blue mic cable is still clearly seen.

Hidden within the headliner is the cable for the remote head. This starts out running under the floor panels and then comes up where the driver's seat belt is. I made sure that it doesn't interfere with seat belt operation, and the cable is tucked tightly between the liner and trim to prevent the cable from wrapping around anything.

This "center console extension" is the newest addition to my vehicle. My seats are basically bucket seats, but with the center cushion taking up that space, I needed an alternative to mounting equipment near the front of the vehicle. I mainly built this to mount my mic hanger on, but there is a lot of extra space that I can use for something else. It is pretty strong with about 1/2" thick plywood screwed together and wedged tightly between the center cushion and seats. There are no sharp pieces of wood or anything else sticking out from the extension, so I don't have to worry about tearing the leather. I'm sure I can add an extension for a laptop mount here if I wanted to, but I'll have to put it through its paces first.

The radio itself with the amber back light setting active.

Let me know what you think, especially for the console extension. I want to add other things there, so suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for looking!

 

[rabidjade]

How's the engine bay look?

 

[K8TEK]

The loom should surround the power cables. I would be less worried about your CAT5 shorting out then the power cables.

 

[Rob_K]

The center console extension seems like a creative idea. Have you thought about getting some carpet that matches (or closely matches) your interior? I've picked up black from Home Depot before. It will really clean things up.

Looks like you are heading in the right direction!

 

[jparks29]

Ugh.

The towncar has the sam tunnels along the PS and DS as the crown victoria and grand marquis that are perfect for running wires. Just pull out the trim, it's held by friction clips...There is an existing hole in the firewall in both the PS and DS as well....

 

[texasemt13]

The center console extension seems like a creative idea. Have you thought about getting some carpet that matches (or closely matches) your interior? I've picked up black from Home Depot before. It will really clean things up.

I second this. At least carry your seat in to the nearest paint store and do a match (that was a joke). That Lincoln is too beautiful to leave plywood exposed like that.

 

[wogggieee]

I'll second the trunk lip mount suggestion. It causes minimal damage. No more than a mag mount would. And they look a whole lot better than a mag mount.

 

[1150RT-P]

I'll second the trunk lip mount suggestion. It causes minimal damage. No more than a mag mount would. And they look a whole lot better than a mag mount.

....

This is my primary antenna that is mounted to a Diamond K400S trunk lip mount.

 

[tekshogun]

First off, great job going for it in the first place. I saw the original pictures and I see the updated stuff. Good job taking in suggestions and having the personal drive to do this largely yourself. It hobby is learning process and you shouldn't be expected to know everything off the cuff. With that said...

Personally, I like trunk lip mounts. I don't see the issue with a good trunk lip mount. I have use a Comet CP-5 NMO trunk/hatch mount that can pivot on several axes. I use that with a Comet SBB-5 NMO antenna. Several of my radio buddies get on me about screwing holes into my vehicle. I drive a Chevy HHR and if you've seen this vehicle, it won't look good with a 38 in antenna sticking out of the top of my roof. I have considered it for mounting lower profile antennas (such as unity gain antennas, can-tennas, GPS antennas, etc for reception only) but when it comes to a TX/RX antenna, I will make a balance of looks and function. I want a nice antenna setup that looks good and I'm actually pretty proud of my non-drill setup.

 

[Stevew2smw]

I would not worry about resale value on an 9 close to 10 year old car. A dealer would wholesale a car like that or sell it to a cab company. Most of the indepentent cabs in Western NY are old Town Cars or old Crown Vics. Take a look at Kelly Blue and see what you car is worth. When I get through with a car it has many antenna holes in it and whta I get in trade is what I get. Do not let that get in the way of a proper install

 

[1150RT-P]

This whole antenna mount debate makes me laugh ... Is there a performance difference between drilling into your car or using a lip mount? I understand the want for a "clean" installation, and would wince at the idea of a lose wire on top of a car - but done right, I don't see the need to drill.

As for resale value ... its not really up to any of us to judge value for this gentleman. Its his car, value is in his eyes only.

 

[N1BHH]

A magnet mount makes it easy to remove an antenna when you want to, like in a high crime area, or to go through a low car wash. Those are some of the reasons some people go with it. But the best is to have a center of roof permanent mounted antenna. I have mag mounts presently because I haven't got any radios permanently mounted in the van as yet. Resale of a vehicle for a hole or two don't matter since they make hole plugs for such.

That is a very good install.

 

[tekshogun]

One can steal your antenna whether you are using a mag mount, permanent mount, or a trunk lip/mirror mount. The antennas screw on and off. You may be left with just a mount/base but the antennas are not steal proof unless you find a way to lock the antenna down.

I personally like the trunk mounts because if I change antennas, I may need to change position of the mount to get better performance or my needs may change. I think I've stated this already but in my vehicles case, a permanent roof mount would look awful most antennas unless they are small unity gain and/or low profile antennas which I don't really care for because you never know when you'll need that "better" antenna.

The main idea is, as someone stated already, go with what works for you and makes you happy.