Instalación personalizada:Sony XAV-AX7000 en un Ford Thunderbird de 1962

En este artículo: Veremos una instalación personalizada de un Sony XAV-AX7000 en un tablero Ford Thunderbird de 1962. ¡Repleto de fotos e información!

• Presentamos Thunderbird para 1961
• Enseñar nuevos trucos a un pájaro viejo
• Primera parte:una unidad principal moderna
  • Montaje del Sony XAV-AX7000
• Segunda parte:Altavoces modernos
  • Fabricación de un soporte
• Tercera parte:puertos USB ocultos
• Cuarta parte:Instalación de la cámara de respaldo
• Finalización del proyecto
  • Coste de instalación

Presentamos Thunderbird para 1961

Ford presentó el Thunderbird de tercera generación en el verano de 1960. El nuevo diseño no se parecía a nada en la carretera en ese momento, lo que ciertamente estuvo a la altura del eslogan publicitario de la compañía:"Inconfundiblemente nuevo, inconfundiblemente Thunderbird". El automóvil presentaba un perfil largo y bajo con una parte delantera claramente puntiaguda que se estrechaba hasta convertirse en pequeñas aletas en la parte trasera. Destacan las luces traseras cromadas, redondas y de gran tamaño, que parecen nada menos que motores de turbina a reacción y son una auténtica belleza por la noche. El automóvil decididamente con forma de munición se ganó el apodo de "Bullet Bird".

Las ventas fueron decentes, pero no alcanzaron las cifras récord de la generación anterior, conocida como "Square Birds". Características como el volante giratorio y el nuevo motor V8 de 390 pulgadas cúbicas simplemente no cubrían la brecha entre cómo los conductores querían que se viera un automóvil y cómo se veía el nuevo Thunderbird. En 1964, Ford volvió a un estilo cuadrado con el Thunderbird de cuarta generación. Las ventas aumentaron de un pico de serie de 3.ª generación de 73 000 (1961) a 93 000 (1964).

Muchos autos clásicos comienzan siendo subestimados o incluso indeseables, solo para volverse raros y deseables, aunque solo sea por su peculiar historia. Los Bullet Birds nunca han dado ese salto. Mientras que los precios de los Thunderbirds de segunda y cuarta generación se han disparado en los últimos años, el Bullet Bird ha languidecido en la categoría de "no vale la pena restaurar". Se pueden obtener autos manejables, de bajo millaje y sin restaurar por menos de $10,000, y para los restauradores que buscan resucitar el cadáver de un Bullet Bird, se pueden obtener autos por menos de $1,000.

La ironía del Bullet Bird es que cuando los asistentes a la exhibición de autos ven uno de estos autos ahora poco comunes, generalmente creen que el vehículo es una especie de costumbre. Las defensas cromadas masivas y las molduras de acero inoxidable que se extienden desde el frente hasta la parte trasera no tienen la apariencia suave de fábrica que muchas personas asocian con los autos originales, y las líneas extrañas ciertamente no se parecen a los diseños de principios de la década de 1960 que la mayoría de la gente conoce.

¿Está buscando una gran unidad principal? ¡Mira nuestras mejores listas!

Los mejores estéreos para auto con DVD y video en 2022

Los mejores estéreos y unidades principales para automóviles en 2022

Los mejores estéreos para autos con medios digitales en 2022

Los mejores estéreos de coche con navegación GPS en 2022

Los mejores estéreos inalámbricos Apple CarPlay para auto en 2022

Los mejores estéreos para automóvil compatibles con iDatalink en 2022

Los mejores estéreos para automóviles con pantalla táctil en 2022

Los mejores estéreos y unidades principales de un solo DIN para automóvil en 2022

Enseñando nuevos trucos a un viejo pájaro

He tenido una obsesión con Bullet Bird desde la infancia. Recuerdo ir a la reunión semanal de autos y ver un Thunderbird rojo de 1961 con un interior de vinilo rojo a juego cuando probablemente tenía unos 12 años. Todo ese cromo y esas locas luces traseras realmente me impactaron, y realmente nunca lo dejé. enamoramiento.

Cuando surgió la oportunidad de adquirir un Thunderbird de 1962 sin restaurar que mostraba solo 83,000 millas en su odómetro de seis dígitos, salté. El auto era sólido, pero triste. Lo mejor que puedo decir es que estuvo estacionado en 1968, intentó volver a la carretera en 1989 y luego nada. Estuvo sentado hasta que lo compré en 2016.

El automóvil necesitó un montón de trabajo para estar listo para la carretera, y tomó un poco más de dos años de trabajo los fines de semana y cuando los cheques de pago permitían reconstruir los frenos, la dirección, la suspensión, el carburador, el generador y restaurar el sistema de enfriamiento. Se dedicó una enorme cantidad de tiempo simplemente a desmontar las piezas cromadas, limpiarlas y pulirlas, y volver a armarlas. Unos días antes de mi 40 cumpleaños, el auto se armó y pude salir y conducirlo. Y lo conduje, lo hice, partiendo en una odisea de aproximadamente 900 millas en el transcurso de cuatro días.

Una cosa que se hizo evidente rápidamente fue la falta de tecnología de audio. Estoy seguro de que en la década de 1960 había muchas estaciones de radio AM para elegir, pero hoy en día, las opciones son muy limitadas.

Utilicé un altavoz Bluetooth portátil para mi disco, lo que provocó otro problema:cargar todos estos dispositivos. Resulta que el enchufe para accesorios de 12 voltios, conocido como encendedor de cigarrillos en 1962, dejó de funcionar. Así que llevé una batería portátil. Dos teléfonos, un paquete de carga y todos los cables asociados hicieron un desastre absoluto de tonterías enredadas desde el principio. Peor aún, el altavoz apenas se escuchaba a velocidades de autopista con las ventanillas bajadas, una necesidad en agosto en mi coche sin aire acondicionado.

Tenía que haber una mejor manera.

Primera parte:Una unidad principal moderna

El primer problema que debía abordarse era la unidad principal. Es posible cambiar a un estéreo AM/FM de 1963 y adaptar una banda Bluetooth a través de un transmisor FM. La radio AM/FM de ese año es específica del Thunderbird, es tan rara como los dientes de las gallinas y es costosa incluso cuando no funciona. Agregue otros $ 300 más o menos en reparaciones necesarias más el precio del transmisor y este proyecto puede subir rápidamente más allá de $ 1,500.

Las soluciones del mercado de accesorios están disponibles y, durante un tiempo, incluso consideré cambiar mi unidad de fábrica por una de las opciones diseñadas para verse correctamente de Classic Car Stereos. Lo más parecido a mi radio original es una reproducción de la radio AM/FM opcional de 1963. Con 45 vatios x 4 canales de potencia, capacidades de Bluetooth, una entrada auxiliar y cinco salidas de previo, este estéreo es una buena opción para la originalidad. A un precio de alrededor de $687.50, la radio no original es una compra importante. Y aunque ofrece muchas funciones, algunas de las cosas que me encantan, como Android Auto, simplemente no son posibles con una radio de dos postes.

La mayoría de la gente probablemente no notaría nada diferente, pero conozco mis gustos, y un estéreo de 1963 en mi Thunderbird de 1962 me molestaría. Sin revisiones del estéreo específico de Classic Car Stereos, y una cantidad de revisores que tenían problemas importantes con los reclamos de garantía de otros productos, desconfiaba bastante de gastar una gran cantidad de dinero en un producto de una compañía que no era familiarizado con el uso.

Jugué brevemente con la idea de usar una tableta y una serie de parlantes inalámbricos, pero la practicidad de ese plan no iba a resultar en una solución a largo plazo. Sin embargo, me gusta tener la navegación disponible. Con eso en mente, jugué con la idea de una tableta para la navegación y un estéreo remoto escondido en otro lugar del auto.

Ninguna de estas ideas realmente se ajustaba a lo que quería de una unidad principal estéreo. Cada opción era un cierto nivel de compromiso poco inspirador.

Un momento Ah-Ha

En las semanas que pasé desmontando, limpiando y volviendo a montar el interior, me di cuenta de que la falta de aire acondicionado en mi coche abría la posibilidad de una instalación estéreo personalizada. Mientras trabajaba para limpiar décadas de suciedad de las arrugas debajo de mi tablero, imaginé cómo encajaría una unidad principal moderna.

Tengo muchos años de experiencia trabajando en autos clásicos. Una de las cosas que realmente me enoja es cuando me siento en un buen ejemplo de un clásico y veo que el tablero ha sido cortado para que quepa en una radio de un solo din. El daño causado a un tablero diseñado para una radio de dos postes es en gran parte irreparable, altera para siempre el auto y es eternamente triste.

Lo que me propuse hacer fue instalar una unidad principal de pantalla táctil completamente moderna con mucha potencia, con un montón de funciones de conectividad modernas e instalarla en un Thunderbird de 1962 sin alterar permanentemente el automóvil de ninguna manera.

Montaje del Sony XAV-AX7000

Con el tablero de aluminio y el aislamiento que bloquea el orificio donde habría estado el registro de CA si tuviera CA, se revela un espacio de aproximadamente 9 "de ancho en el más grande y aproximadamente 7" de ancho en el más angosto. Detrás del panel de aluminio hay un vacío de aproximadamente 7” de profundidad en la parte menos profunda. Mis palancas y cables de control de clima corren a lo largo de la parte superior de la joroba de transmisión debajo de este espacio. Detrás está la caja del calentador única para autos sin aire acondicionado. Si desea leer más sobre la unidad principal, hice una reseña completa y una revisión del XAV-AX7000.

Resulta que este espacio funciona fantásticamente bien con el Sony XAV-AX7000 que estoy instalando. El tablero de instrumentos no es horizontal, sino una curva suavemente graduada. La instalación de la radio a lo largo de la curva del panel inclinará ligeramente la unidad, lo que le permitirá despejar perfectamente los brazos del cable de control en la caja de mi calentador.

• 
• 
• 

Reciclar, reutilizar, reutilizar

Me comuniqué con Charlie Watkins de Watkins Restorations en Oregón y él pudo enviarme un tablero de instrumentos derecho completo, original y sin daños de algún pájaro desafortunado que ya no lo necesitaba. De esta manera, no estaba sacrificando mis piezas originales. Si quisiera, podría volver al tablero original sin signos de abuso.

Después de quitar toda la moldura cromada, la moldura de acero inoxidable y quitar los pernos que aseguran las rodilleras y los paneles que terminan el área de la puerta al tablero, se levanta suavemente el panel de aluminio. Solo se mantiene en su lugar con un adhesivo que no se endurece y la tensión de toda la moldura.

Consejo del día:manténgase organizado. Si tiene a mano un cartón de huevos viejo, funcionan muy bien para guardar tornillos, clips y otras cosas pequeñas. No olvides etiquetar tus partes. Me gusta conseguir bolsas de almacenamiento de Dollar Store en las que se pueda escribir con un marcador de punta de fieltro.

Hacer un patrón

Imaginar un estéreo moderno en un automóvil clásico es fácil, pero hacerlo realidad requiere un poco de trabajo, algo de paciencia y muchas medidas, pruebas, mediciones, etc.

Una vez que se quitaron todas mis piezas originales, pruebo el ajuste del tablero de repuesto. Coloqué cinta de enmascarar a lo largo de la parte posterior en el área donde se ubicaría la abertura. Con el panel firmemente presionado en su lugar y los orificios de los clips alineados, dibujé una línea alrededor de la abertura en la cinta adhesiva.

Medí con precisión el tamaño exacto de la parte de la pantalla Sony que quería sobresalir del tablero e hice un patrón en cartón rígido. Después de asegurarme de que el patrón encajaba bien, ubiqué el patrón en la parte trasera del tablero de aluminio.

Con mi patrón dibujado en la parte posterior del tablero, saqué una herramienta rotativa con un disco de corte diseñado para metal. Con mucho cuidado corté a lo largo de la línea y abrí el agujero.

Cuando hice mi patrón, tomé la decisión de ajustar la unidad principal lo más ajustada posible, luego dibujé el patrón en mi metal dentro del patrón. Esto hizo que la abertura fuera un poco demasiado pequeña. Utilicé una escofina con un lado plano para abrir suavemente el orificio para que encajara perfectamente en el estéreo.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Montaje

El Sony XAV-AX7000 es un estuche de un solo din con una pantalla de doble din que mide poco menos de 7". Las opciones de montaje no se incluyen con la unidad principal, por lo que los instaladores tienen que comprar un soporte del mercado de accesorios o fabricarlo.

Este era un lugar tentador para descartar mi intención de evitar dañar algo. Fabricating brackets was not hard, but sufficiently mounting them was another story. Drilling a few holes behind the dash wouldn’t ever show, anyway, but I would know it was there.

What I decided to do was to fabricate brackets that mounted using the holes intended for retaining the AC register. These holes were simply empty on my car, so I used a few small machine screws to mount brackets at either side.

I wanted the head unit to sit at an angle, and the brackets needed to be angled to enable the head unit to sit securely. Figuring this angle was simple using a little high school geometry, a level, and a tape measure.

I used the level and tape measure to find the rise and run of the triangle, then used the Pythagorean Theorem to solve for the hypotenuse. Don’t worry, I Googled it also.

What I found was that I needed an angle of 27 degrees to allow the bracket to align with the M6x4 screw holes in the chassis of the head unit. I used simple steel straps to fabricate my brackets. They are cheap, easy to bend, and durable.

With my brackets bent and trimmed, I mocked the unit up to the dash and checked for clearance issues or binding. Everything looked pretty good. I tightened the brackets into place, sliding the head unit in between, and reinstalled the newly-trimmed dash panel. The head unit barely fits through the opening, to the point that extreme care needs to be taken to avoid scuffing the screen on the aluminum edges. With the unit held in place, I put the screws into the brackets and tightened down the head unit.

Even without the trim in place, I could tell I made a good decision on the head unit. It simply was understated and blended right in with all the other textures and materials around it, while maintaining its modernity.

• 
• 
• 

Wiring it Up

Sticking with the theme that I wanted to be able to undo all the custom work without leaving any permanent damage, I ran all-new wiring to the Sony XAV-AX7000 head unit. This was probably necessary anyway, as the original stereo was not a powerhouse.

Don’t forget to disconnect the battery before beginning.

Constant Power

Per the instructions included with the Sony, I ran a 14 ga wire from the 12 Volt positive post on my starter solenoid to the head unit. I verified this with the key off and a voltmeter.

On the Sony wiring harness, the constant power wire is yellow, so that is what I ran also. I used waterproof crimp connectors that have heat shrink sleeves. I particularly like these connectors under the hood, where all sorts of nasty things happen. Corroded 12V positive connectors can be very dangerous.

I installed a blade-type 15 amp inline fuse a few inches from the battery connection. This fuse will help prevent sudden surges of power that could damage the Sony head unit.

I secured the yellow wire with electrical tape alongside the wire that runs from the starter solenoid to the voltage regulator in my Thunderbird. I took advantage of a conveniently located factory grommet in the firewall and slipped the yellow wire through right behind the factory stereo.

Switched Power

Dropping the ignition switch to access the switched 12 volt connection required that the left side of the dash be unbolted. Most ignition switches can be removed using a paperclip and the ignition key. Turning the ignition switch to the ACC setting exposes a small pin in a hole in the face of the tumbler. Pressing this gently with a paperclip while continuing to turn the key counter-clockwise will release the tumbler. Then, simply press the switch toward the dash and turn slightly.

The factory wiring in my Thunderbird is very tightly bundled. There are very few areas where the wiring is easily accessible. This was a well-built car in its day, and the attention to detail shows in how well the wiring has held up.

I did not undo any factory wiring or change the routing of any of the factory items. I didn’t remove any wiring from the original stereo. This way, if I want to revert to an original car, I simply remove the wiring I ran and nothing else needs to be done. My car remains entirely original.

I used another shrinkable weatherproof connector to connect to the ACC post on the back of my ignition switch. I carefully routed the wire above the light switch and into the rear of the dash. The Sony harness uses a red wire here, and so I did also. I used the same 14ga diameter as in the constant power supply.

Finding the ACC switch position is easy. Simply put the tumbler back into the switch, reconnect the battery, and test the posts on the ignition switch. One post will have power even in the off position. Another will only have power in the ACC position. On Ford ignition switches, this is almost always the exposed post on the rear of the switch.

• 
• 

Avoiding Obstacles

The third generation Thunderbird had a unique feature called Swing-Away steering. When the transmission lever is lifted up, the steering wheel swings toward the center of the car. Door hinges that allow nearly 90 degrees of opening coupled with the swing away steering wheel make for one of the easiest cars to get in and out of.

That cool sliding steering wheel also presents unique problems. In order to ensure that the wiring did not become tangled in the sliding mechanism, it meant that the wires had to be very carefully positioned and secured. I was able to use several factory wire clips that retained original wiring harnesses and passed the wire to the head unit with the help of a DIY fish tape made from a metal coat hanger.

The first time I ran the wire through, I did not pay enough attention to the location of the windshield wiper mechanism. My original location could have possibly gotten tangled up in the wiper arms, causing damage to any number of things. I rerouted the wire, making sure that it was tightly secured with no loose loops.

This is one of those tasks where taking the time to ensure everything is correct can save immeasurable time later down the road.

I should have installed the microphone at this point. I did not, and ended up having to try and install it after the car was put completely back together. It did not work out.

I installed the microphone wire behind the chrome trim on the windshield pillar. The supplied clip worked great for attaching the microphone discreetly to my sun visor.

Grounding it Out

The Sony unit requires that a lead be connected to the parking brake illumination point. This tells the head unit the car is not being driven.

This was something I did not want to undertake, as it would mean cutting into the wiring. Instead, I routed the parking brake wire to the same point as my ground strap. Using a shrinkable crimp connector, I connected the ground and parking brake wires. I used an existing ground point and tightened it down.

With some head units, grounding out the parking brake wire will allow Android Auto and other features to function. In many instances, a trigger adapter is required. These are available from aftermarket companies.

Turning it On

These three connections allowed me to start the stereo up and see how it looked sitting in the driver's seat. It looked fantastic. I could easily reach the screen, and even in broad daylight, the screen was clear and easy to read. Once the microphone was connected, I could take advantage of voice commands to control the unit, but it was important to me that the screen also be easily accessible when driving.

I decided that my brackets could use a little adjustment, so I went ahead and took everything apart, made some changes to the brackets including adding a channel for adjusting the clamping point on the head unit, and refit everything.

The Sony XAV-AX7000 is truly a wonderful bit of technology. The screen is clear and easy to see, and when you tap on an icon, it is instantly responsive. The menus are intuitive, and it is very easy to quickly get to what you want. The home screen is among the best I have used. I like simple, and the home screen is as simple as it gets. No guessing what the icon means here, just select what you want and away you go.

The next project would be addressing the factory speaker.

Part Two:Modern Speakers

The factory dash speaker in the 1962 Thunderbird is a paper cone 6×9. Even in its day, this speaker was not very good, and 57 years of sitting in the dash did this one no favors. While the speaker does not appear to have any actual damage, the 45 watts of power the Sony XAV-AX7000 pumps out is going to be way too much for this old speaker.

Aftermarket solutions are plentiful. Ford engineers decision to use a common speaker size plays in the favor of drivers looking for custom sound. A whole lot of vintage cars use odd sized speakers that are difficult to upgrade, but not this old Thunderbird.

It seemed to me that it would be a shame to install this beautiful touchscreen head unit and hook it up to a stock-style mono speaker. It is a good thing I set my sights on something other than stock, though, as the stock replacement speaker has been discontinued Today, all the aftermarket solutions use a single 6×9 with dual voice coils. Crutchfield lists one for $89.99 that is produced by RetroSound.

I am not crazy about a single speaker playing both left and right channels, and I wasn’t too interested in spending $90 on one speaker, either.

I found a really slick set-up built by Custom AutoSound that uses dual 4” speakers mounted on a plate designed to attach in place of a factory 6×9 dash speaker. At $74.95 through Classic Car Stereos -and preloaded with Kicker CS speakers- this option was still quite expensive.

I recently reviewed the Kicker CS-series speakers and knew they were a good speaker. I also knew that a pair of 4” Kicker CSC4 Coaxial speakers run less than $50. Amazon Prime hooked it up with same-day delivery.

The factory speaker is removed easily. The dash grill clips in place, so a gentle pry on the front edge and the cover pops up and slides out of the way. The factory speaker has two screws retaining it to the dash. With these removed, the speaker lifts up and is disconnected from the wiring.

Fabricating a Bracket

With the factory speaker removed from its mount, the 4” Kickers line up very nicely inside the space, but will require a custom-made mount. Almost any rigid material will work here. I have seen custom speaker mounts in wood, plastic, metal, and just about everything else.

I decided to use acrylic because I had the right size of a scrap from a previous project on hand. I dislike working with acrylic, but it does provide a nice, stable surface to mount speakers into.

I used the original factory grill to make a pattern drawn out directly on the acrylic with a felt-tip marker. I used a cutting bit on a rotary tool to cut out the needed shapes, then used a round rasp and a grinding bit to smooth and enlarge the speaker openings for a tight installation.

Once the speakers could fit inside the mounting hole, I drilled the holes for the speaker retaining screws. I mounted the speakers up and took some pictures of my DIY dash speaker.

Installing the speakers into the dash was a little different than removal. The Kicker CS-series have a very low profile tweeter dome, but it is still larger than the nonexistent dome of the factory speaker. Even when mounted underneath the acrylic, the tweeter touched the metal grill cover.

In order to mount the speaker, I decided to attach it from underneath the dash. The speaker opening provides abundant room, so I was able to shimmy the speakers into the hole. I had to remove the factory radio to access the speaker mounting screws.

In the Thunderbird, an access panel below the stereo needs to be removed to loosen the stereo retaining bolt. The knobs on the face of the stereo simply pull off, revealing the retaining nuts. Once these are removed, the diecast face of the radio comes off and the head unit can be pushed back into the dash.

I didn’t want to take the head unit all the way out to mount the speakers, as there would be no way to get it back in the dash. Fortunately, there was plenty of clearance to move the stereo to one side.

Aligning the mounting screws and tightening it all down was a bit of a pain, but I eventually got it. Now, the brand new Kicker CS4s have plenty of clearance and the dash still looks factory correct. I did not alter anything in this installation, and I saved the screws and clips I did not reuse along with the factory speaker.

After I had the original head unit reinstalled, I fired up the Sony XAV-AX7000 to see how the dual dash speakers sound.

Centrally located dash speakers are not an ideal location for good sounding music. I was quite surprised by the richness the Kicker speakers produce in the dash. The speakers are very clear, if a little high-pitched, but lacking any supporting speakers, they sound very good.

The more I played with the Sony XAV-AX7000, the more I came to like it’s features. Adjusting the tone and speaker settings was straight-forward and immediately improved the sound quality of my set-up.

Bluetooth set-up was simple and fast, and in a brief time, I had Pandora running on screen. Pretty slick.

Many users of the Sony XAV-AX7000 will be able to use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay wirelessly, but not me. I have an older phone that I am not ready to replace yet, but it requires that I use one of the USB leads in the back of the head unit to run Android Auto.

On to Part Three!

Part Three:Concealed USB Ports

Now that I had the Sony XAV-AX7000 wired up and playing through dual Kicker CS4 speakers in my dash, I needed to have a way to plug my phone in without wires dangling everywhere, and, of course, not damaging anything.

The solution is a dual port USB plug. Amazon Prime had exactly what I was looking for with same-day delivery.

I decided that I wanted to install the USB port inside the locking center console that serves double duty as the glove box. I would need to remove the rest of the trim to get the glove box out and run the wires.

Ford went crazy with the stainless steel screws in this car. Almost every bit of trim is held down with several screws and clips. It is really important to stay organized when undertaking a project like this. There is simply no way the average person is going to remember where each screw goes.

With the glove box tray and the ashtray removed from the center console, I could see that the best place to run the wires was off to the passenger side underneath the center console.

I wanted a nice, tight, professional fit, so I measured the plug carefully, drilled a smaller than needed hole, and used a round file to open the hole up to the correct size. The plug fits great.

As I reassembled the console and ashtray assembly, I found that the USB extensions interfered with the hinged lid of the ashtray. It took some wiggling, but I finally got the wires to sit in such a way as to permit the lid to open all of the way.

With the cables pulled through the console, it was just a matter of connecting them to the Sony XAV-AX7000. The head unit has two USB ports, but they are not equal. Port #1 is intended for smartphone connection, while Port #2 is designed for USB storage devices and charging purposes.

I plugged my phone into the top USB port and connected the #1 USB lead, and viola , I had a direct connection. The Sony head unit immediately switched to smartphone mode and brought Android Auto up on screen, complete with Google Maps on a satellite image showing me in my yard.

This was an easy little project that took less than an hour to do and added the instant convenience of USB connectivity, phone charging capabilities, and no wiring hanging around the cockpit. As a bonus, my center console lid locks, so I can forget my phone in relative security.

Part 4:Backup Camera Installation

The 1961-63 Thunderbird introduced a feature that has become nearly universal, the floating rear view mirror. Every car prior to the Thunderbird used some type of physical mount to the dash, windshield, or wherever to hold the rear view mirror.

The original rear view mirror is a thing of beauty. It hangs from an adjustable aluminum mount and is a spectacle of chrome-plated metal and glass, complete with a Day/Night rocker switch.

The problem is that this mirror is very heavy. I have not been able to keep mine glued in place for more than a few days. It is rather startling to be cruising down the road and suddenly have this large, chrome mirror crashing down on you. I have mine in the car, but I have given up gluing it in place.

The 7” monitor on the Sony XAV-AX7000 is a truly beautiful, glare-resistant piece of technology. With built-in backup camera capabilities, I figured, why not use a backup camera as a rear view mirror?

I decided on a micro-camera from Esky to serve as my rear view camera. This camera is small and lightweight, two key things to me. You can also find a great list of the Best Rear View Backup Cameras.

I wanted to install the camera on the inside of the rear glass and attach it along the center trim. To avoid damaging the trim, I decided to use a small piece of velcro. With the camera temporarily in place, I wired it up and checked the picture. My window was extremely dirty, but the image looked pretty good, so I got to disassembling.

First, the rear seat had to come out. Classic car seats are all about the same -the bottom is clipped in place, while the top section is retained with a few bolts. I removed all of the chrome trim around the window, across the sail panel, and also removed the drivers side rear side panel along with all the window switch wiring.

The Esky camera is tiny, but the connections to it are bulky. The camera requires an RCA connector that feeds the video signal and a second RCA-type cable for powering the camera. These connectors were not far enough away from my mounting location to be easily hidden, so I had to come up with a solution.

What I ended up doing was removing the dome light and a couple of the staples that hold the headliner in place along the rear window. I very carefully fed the RCA connectors and extra wiring between the headliner and the roof of the car into a hollow space created by the dome light housing.

The name of this project is to upgrade without altering anything, and in order to stay true to that goal, I had to extend the ground wire about eight inches to use an existing ground point rather than simply throwing a self-tapping sheet metal screw into metal behind the seat.

I ran the RCA and Power cables behind the rear side panel, through a gap in the structure, and under the sill plates. I removed the front drivers side kick panel and ran the wiring behind the panel into the dash.

Now, here is where everything got a little complicated.

The connections seemed like they should be obvious. The RCA camera plugs into the Camera port on the Sony XAV-AX7000 and the power connection goes to the ACC terminal. The Reverse IN wire on the Sony harness connects to the reverse switch, which is not what I wanted to do.

I wanted to be able to turn on the camera any time I wanted, so I needed to wire the camera a little different. A couple of extremely helpful emails with the customer service reps at Esky and I realized that the trigger wire for the RCA cable needs to be wired to 12 volt power and the Reverse IN wire needs to connect to the trigger wire on the RCA cable.

In order to allow the camera to be turned on all the time, I needed to wire in a toggle switch. I decided to use 16 gauge green wire for the camera so I could easily tell it apart from other wiring. I used crimp connectors with shrink wrap sleeves for the ACC connection and connecting the switch.

Today’s Pro Tip:Be patient. Fabrication is never easy, and when you try and rush things, mistakes happen.

Case in point:

I drilled the hole to mount the toggle switch near the opening for the head unit in the aluminum dash. I needed a slightly bigger than ⅜” hole. I started out drilling a small pilot hole, then moved to a larger bit. I got impatient. The sun was going down and I wanted to get the switch wired up before dark. Instead of slowly progressing to a ⅜” bit, then filing the hole, I grabbed a brand-new 1⁄2” drill bit and went at it.

The drill bit stuck in the aluminum, and being a soft metal, simply shredded an egg-shaped hole nearly ¾” in diameter. My toggle switch would not mount, and worse, the aluminum dash I was working with was now badly damaged.

My options were limited, so I used a couple of flat washers, polished them up a little, and sandwiched the busted dash together. While not the super clean look I was going for, the washers did allow me to recess the face of the switch into the dash for a clean, flush finish.

Getting the camera up and running took a couple days and lots of disassembly and reassembly. I spent nearly half a day removing and replacing the interior of the car just to run the wires. A major issue with this camera is the included instructions that simply omit the trigger lead on the RCA cable from all wiring diagrams. When I reached out to Esky, they emailed me a proper wiring diagram that matched up with the components I had. In fact, they even sent a series of follow-up emails just to be sure I was satisfied with my camera. Great company, in my opinion.

The camera works okay, though the image is a little distorted due to the curvature of the back window glass and the wide angle lens picks up reflections. At night in total darkness, it is not easy to see what is behind the car. The Esky camera does not use IR technology, so I didn’t expect much, but the view at night is basically useless when glare is present. The toggle switch makes using the camera extremely convenient.

Unfortunately, it does not seem possible to get rid of the parking lines the camera applies. Because my camera is mounted inside the rear glass, the parking lines make no sense whatsoever. The velcro proved to be a temporary solution on a warm afternoon, so I reassessed the mount and decided I could carefully bend and wedge the lip of the camera under the trim.

It is important to take these projects slowly and progress one step at a time. Minor mistakes can create major problems. When I tried to install the microphone after I had installed the head unit, I accidentally broke the center pin of the RCA cable supplied with the Esky camera inside the Sony head unit. I had to order a new RCA cable, which I will then have to install. That means doing this entire step over again.

Project Completion

Now that I have the Sony XAV-AX7000 installed in the 1962 Thunderbird with custom 4” Kicker CS speakers in the dash and a backup camera from Esky, this old car is nearly as technologically rich as a modern cruiser. Of course, I still have lap belts (aftermarket, since seat belts were an option in 1962), no air bags or safety sensors, or pretty much any other safety feature, but I can text and drive hands-free, get directions to the nearest gas station, and rock out all day.

The Sony XAV-AX7000 head unit is a winner. It provides plenty of power, is easy to control, and has a complete range of options to connect to a wide assortment of devices. The head unit is a pleasure to use when driving. Android Auto running from an older phone works flawlessly.

The backup camera is probably the biggest disappointment. I was hoping to get a properly usable image, but it seems that in most light, the camera focuses on the reflections and glare on the back glass instead of what lies behind me. In most light, I can tell if someone or something is behind me, but the details are fuzzy.

At higher volumes, the dash speaker set-up has some reverb or rattling that is annoying, and the little 4” Kickers do not handle bass well. Given the frequency response of the speakers, I didn’t expect to get thunder, but the distorted bass is distracting and will require reassessment. It is possible that I could have used 5 ¼” speakers with some wiggling to get them within the dash, but mounting options almost certainly would have meant altering the dash in some way.

The total installation took place over the course of several days. I wish the toggle switch installation would have gone better, but overall, I am happy with the results. I think the Sony head unit looks excellent in place, and the sound is so much better than the original AM radio or the bluetooth speaker I used. I am very happy with how the head unit sits in the dash, and how easy it is to operate.

The 1962 Thunderbird has always represented a triumphant, glorious future to me. I have always seen the car as Ford’s vision of the future. Upgrading the head unit, for me, is a step in keeping the car driveable and safe, while adding the futuristic connectivity options modern car owners enjoy. I think this custom set-up provides all the futuristic options this old ‘Bird deserves without functionally altering the car in any way.

Cost of Install:

• Sony XAV-AX7000:$599.99

(Note* This head unit was provided for free by Sony for the purpose of an unbiased review. This is the second car it has been installed in)

• Kicker CS4:$49.95
• USB Plug:$10.80
• Backup Camera:$16.99
• Various electrical wire:$21
• Various Electrical Connectors:$12
• Electrical Tape:$2

I used metal construction straps for the brackets and a piece of spare acrylic for the speaker mount, all of which I had just laying around, so these items were free. Figure between $3 and $10 for materials to fabricate brackets.

Total Cost of Upgrade:$712.73