ronarndt

FYI- I just installed a satellite radio in my FD without it looking like some jury-rigged setup with wires running everywhere and the radio itself hanging off some bracket that pokes out of the dash or sticks on the windshield like a radar detector. The Audiovox Express fits exactly in the ashtray pocket on the center console.
1. Remove the ashtray from the center console (you should not be smoking in the car anyway). Store the ashtray somewhere. You will not need it.
2. Mount the magnetic exterior XM antenna on the rear roof, right in front of the hatch.
3. Carefully pry up about six inches of the weatherstrip gasket on the hatch opening in the top center. There is a metal lip in the roof panel that fits in the groove of the weather strip. Cut or file a notch in the lip to allow the antenna wire to have a smoother place to go through. Make sure the notch is not sharp or it will cut the antenna wire.
4. Run the antenna wire through the notch and then carefully press the gasket back in place. Leave enough slack in the wire between the gasket and the magnetic antenna to allow the hatch to open and close without pulling on the wire.
3. Run the antenna wire under the gasket to the drivers side of the car to the place where there is a joint between the plastic interior trim panels. Run the wire under the panels down the drivers side to the bottom panel, where it meets the carpet. You will need to loosen the plastic fasteners to get some slack to slightly pry up the panels. Also remove the shock absorber tower cover and center fold-down package access area door.
4. Run the wire under the panels toward the center console. Loosen the fastening bolt on the center trim panel and run wire under the center console panel.
5. Carefully pry up the center console top panel (with gear shift trim and ash tray area). You can now run the wire to the bottom of the ash tray.
6. Drill a hole thru the bottom of the ash tray pocket and run the wire into the ash tray area.
7. Drill another hole to run the power wire from a hard-wired electric source. You can buy a kit with the transformer to go to 5 volt or you can wire in a female cigar lighter socket and use the plug-in adapter that came with the XM radio. Position the wires under the center console area.
8. Drill another hole for the audio out wire and go either to the tape deck adapter or hard-wired FM modulator. Position these wires under the console area. If you use the tape deck adapter, the wire can run thru the crack at the front of the console to the tape deck. About one inch of wire will be exposed. The FM modulator connects to the back of the radio. You will need to pull the radio- use a DIN radio removal tool thats fits Ford and also Mazda.
9. Carefully coil all excess wire and fasten with a cable tie under the center console. Press the center console cover back in place. Make sure all interior panel fasteners are replaced.
10. Connect the Audiovox Express to the power wire, antenna wire and audio out wire.
11. Position the wires and plugs carefully and press the Audiovox unit into the ashtray socket. It fits snugly and is flush with the top of the console. There is about 1/2 inch gap at the end that can be consealed with a piece of dark colored foam or can be simply left open.
12. Radio is ready to use and looks almost factory installed. Installation takes about one hour.

Audiovox Express is $29, FM modulator is $18, hard-wired power source is $15, DIN radio removal tool is $9. Sound fom satellite radio with recently rebuilt Bose speakers is priceless.