[ciento44]

Has anyone done this? My GF and i attempted this this evening, and i can get the actual piece in, but the box built into it, that the door is over, will not physically fit in the metal cage of the center console.

Is this different for the LX? Seems to be a pretty common modification, i wasn't expecting it to not fit.

I should have pics up of the issue fairly soon.

Thanks!

 

[nezwick]

Yeah, in order to get the Protege cupholder console unit into the Escort (LX and GT are the same), a little of the metal cage has to be notched out. I couldn't tell ya off hand exactly where to make the notches, but I can take pics for you if needed.

 

[ciento44]

Yeah, in order to get the Protege cupholder console unit into the Escort (LX and GT are the same), a little of the metal cage has to be notched out. I couldn't tell ya off hand exactly where to make the notches, but I can take pics for you if needed.

A pic would be great if you don't mind. Is there even enough room for that bigass box back there? The electronic box that tries to take up the same space seems to be a bit vexing.

My girlfriend is driving the car full time now, and we spent a few hours at the junkyard yesterday after reading through your project picture thread a few times.

 

[nezwick]

Hmm, I never had to deal with the electronic box (airbag computer) that lives back there... since my car doesn't have air bags. It won't hurt anything to relocate the airbag computer if necessary though. You can always just push it aside or bolt it somewhere else.


Pic in a couple minutes - my camera is still charging.

 

[nezwick]

Pics, as promised. The red circled areas are where the notches need to be made and the tabs, circled in blue, need to be bent in to be flush with the frame in order for the "bigass box" to slide in correctly.

Hope that helps. Do post pics of your finished product.

Driver Side:

Passenger Side:

 

[ciento44]

Cool! That makes things easy.

Now... next question, or two.

1) With the MX3 arm rest/rear center console, the shoulder belt doesn't want to come out smoothly, or retract on it's own. Did you have to do any modifications for it to work smoothly?

2) That same console doesn't seem to line up quite right. It's a bit too far back for the stock bracket to line up with the screw hole. What's the generally accepted mod to take care of this? I can dremel out the screw hole in the MX3 console to reach the escort metal bracket. Just wondering how most people do it.

Thanks again!

 

[nezwick]

1. You have to get the MX-3 seatbelts (make sure you get the bracket with the metal "loops" too... The bracket with the loops brings the belts down low enough that they easily slide out the cutouts in the bottom of the MX-3 console.

The other option there is to cut the console... basically just extending the cutouts upward so that the Escort belts slide out comfortably. It looks like crap though.


2. Getting the proper seat belt and bracket will resolve this issue too. Otherwise, Dremel away.

 

[ciento44]

Oh ok, cool deal. So we just have to wait for a clean set of black belts to show up in the junkyard, and it'll take care of both our problems at once. We wanted the black seat belts anyways, so we'll just deal in the meantime. I'm sure i can track some down next weekend.

You're the man, by the way.

 

[ciento44]

Annnddd.... while we're on the subject of setbacks...

I went to install the Kenwood HU today, and ran into a problem. There doesn't seem to be anything back there for it to hold into place. The stocker wasn't in there good, either.

Is there supposed to be another section of the cage back there?

 

[nezwick]

Usually the stock head unit just snapped into the HVAC surround and was removed by using the Ford radio removal tools.

When installing an aftermarket one, it should come with its own "cage" that you insert into the HVAC surround and bend out the tabs so it stays in place. The head unit should slide into the cage and snap into place, to be removed with the universal head unit removal tools.

There should also be a bit of metal sticking up with an oval-shaped hole in it, and some head units have a bolt coming out the back which will line up with this hole and keep the head unit from falling backwards.

 

[300ZXRB26DETT]

Annnddd.... while we're on the subject of setbacks...

I went to install the Kenwood HU today, and ran into a problem. There doesn't seem to be anything back there for it to hold into place. The stocker wasn't in there good, either.

Is there supposed to be another section of the cage back there?

I have had 3 different receivers in my car and never used anything but the supplied metal sleeve. The car used to be driven up and down nasty rough dirt roads when I lived in WA and never ever had a problem with the receiver falling out or skipping.

 

[ciento44]

Usually the stock head unit just snapped into the HVAC surround and was removed by using the Ford radio removal tools.

When installing an aftermarket one, it should come with its own "cage" that you insert into the HVAC surround and bend out the tabs so it stays in place. The head unit should slide into the cage and snap into place, to be removed with the universal head unit removal tools.

There should also be a bit of metal sticking up with an oval-shaped hole in it, and some head units have a bolt coming out the back which will line up with this hole and keep the head unit from falling backwards.

Yeah, this is how it was in the Taurus that the head unit came out of, but there's literally a quarter to a half inch of play back and forth in this car. I wonder if something else is wrong... i'll have to take another look at it when she gets home with it.

Thanks!

 

[hadoken]

You don't have to notch anything out of the metal to get the Protege cupholders to fit. You do have to bend the metal tabs pictured though, that's it.

This is the Protege console with an MX3 console in my car. I had no issues bolting the MX3 console to the Protege console in the stock locations. Although I don't have the 2 bolts in the rear of the console installed. I also have CDM seat belts in the picture, although I had to cut holes in the MX3 console to allow the USDM seat belts to fit through when I had them.