Captain_Joe

So I got a BCT15x for Christmas and wanted to overhead mount it. I found a bunch of great ideas on the web and decided on a DIY overhead mount. Went to home depot and got everything I needed.
Parts List-
- 3/8' insulated cable clamps x 2
- 1" L Brackets - found in the cabinet hanging sections x 2
- Various crimp connectors for wiring
- Electrical tape
- Hardware for L brackets/cable clamps - 1 package 10-32 x 3/8" machine screws with nuts and washers
- Split flex tubing for wiring.

Total cost was about 20$.
Before

First thing to do was take out the T20 screwdriver and remove sun visors.
Then using a utility knife you can reach in and pop out the clips holding the upper corner trim in place. Pop off the remaining trim from around the inner windshield.
Trim is removed.

Next I connected the wiring harness that came with the radio to extra wire that I had in the house. If you don't have extra wire, go get some 12 AWG in red and black. The orange wire you see in the pictures is for a dimmer control when connected to the lighting circuit of the vehicle. I capped off that wire and just ran the red wire to the battery.
Take the split flex tubing and run your wires in.
Pop off the passenger side cover that is exposed when you open the door.

You'll see a small hole leading through the firewall with white/cream colored foam. This is where the wiring will lead to the battery. Use a coat hanger and tape the wiring to the hanger. Do not use the portion that is inside the flex tubing, it wont go through. Using wires only from the end of the flex tubing, push that through the foam into the engine compartment.

Captain_Joe

At this point your hood should be open. Pull the wiring through the firewall. The flex tubing will not fit, you will need another section to put on the wires after they exit the engine compartment side of the firewall. Now you need to route the wiring around the inner windshield so that the plastic trim will fit back over it. Once you have the wiring measured out to fit around the inner windshield, pull the remaining extra wire through into the engine compartment. You may have to remove some of the flex tubing in the cabin area so that it fits snug right up to the firewall hole. Trim the flex tubing so that it is covered right up to the firewall hole.

At this point you can re-attach all the plastic trim in the cabin and put the sun visors back on. Leave the portion that will plug into the back of the radio hanging out of the back of the trim.

Note the snow - it is 26 degree outside right now! Most of the word I have done so far has been in the car with the heat on. Now we have to connect the wiring in the engine compartment. Engine off, things will now get cold. Take the wiring that is coming out from the firewall hole into the engine compartment and put split flex tubing on. Push it back until it can't go any farther.

Just want to note that in the flex tubing is an inline fuse on the hot wire. Do not wire anything directly to the battery. The closer the fuse is to the power source the better. After you put split flex tubing on the wiring, figure out how much you'll need to get the red to the battery and the black to ground. Open the split flex tubing and pull out the wire length you'll need. Cut the remaining split flex tubing. Attach the red wire to the battery and the black to ground.


Close the hood, wiring complete.
Now for the mounting bracket.

Captain_Joe

Take the 3/8" insulated wire clamps and put them around the metal loop over the rear view mirror. Take the 1" L bracket and with the L facing out towards the doors, attach them to the wire clamps using the 10-32x3/8" machine screws.

Now you'll need the bracket that came with the radio. There are not holes close together enough to mount on this DIY setup, so you'll need to figure out the length between the holes and tap a new hole.

Now you're ready to hang the mounting bracket.
using the 10-32 machine screws, hang the bracket.

Now you can hang the radio!

Note - the rear view mirror had to be turned upside down and rehung for the radio to fit.
And done!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcEnNiJ8uCA Next job will be to purchase an aftermarket wide band antenna and mount on the tailgate. The stock antenna doesn't work too bad though. I programmed in all the local police and fire and can get up to 4 towns over.
Total job took about 1-2 hours.
Programming this radio is not fun, definitely doable with resources available online, but not fun..

Cap. Joe Out