Explorer Sport Trac console swap - Another option to this crappy bag console! | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Explorer Sport Trac console swap - Another option to this crappy bag console!

ncranchero

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Denver,NC
Year, Model & Trim Level
1997 F150 XLT 4x4
I went salvage yard hunting yesterday looking for consoles. I'm very dissatisfied with this bag style console I have and have had the idea for a while to find another option, besides the high series model. I used to rebuild salvage Bronco II's and have done a couple 91-94 Gen 1 series Explorers. The components of this bag console just looked too similar for me not to try an older "real" console. I'm already using a 91-94 series arm rest on my bag console. The console I picked up was from a 95 or so model. I brought it home and cleaned it up a bit. I removed my bag console and this one just sat right down in it's place, mounting screws lining up and all. I took it back out and took a few photos for comparisons and put it right back in and sewed it up. This modification will take someone 30 minutes at the most. Now I have a REAL console with a REAL usable storage area. The older Explorer consoles have several cup holder options as they changed slightly over the years. I've shown two of them here. There are older Explorers by the dozens in most salvage yards and the consoles go for as little as $40-$50. Considering you can eBay your bag for $70 + this is a excellent swap.

The bag console with a Gen 1 Explorer arm rest
ExplorerBroncoIIarmrest.jpg


Same view with my "new" console, still using the Gen 1 Explorer arm rest. You can use your current bag console arm rest on the older consoles too but the older arm rests are MUCH stronger!
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More assorted photos showing the two different cup holders that I picked up. I believe you could even use the bag console "flip-over" cup holder with a little trimming to the "new" console.

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103027002.jpg


103027005.jpg


103027004.jpg


103027001.jpg
 



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That's good info....Thanks for the post.
 












Good info, now you tell me after I put the full console in :)
 






The full console looks great but space for mounting stuff like radios or lighting switch panels is so limited in a Trac that I just wanted to keep that space open.
 






My old '05 had the short console, which I liked because I mounted a cell phone bracket and an XM radio on the end.
 






What the Plan for the old console ;)
 


















Same plastic frame lid as the Trac plus it looks like it's been sprayed with a spray bomb.:thumbdwn:
 






ok then I wont get one of those if it has the same crappy arm rest as the trac. Does the console from the gen 1 come in black or gray that you have seen?
 






The Gen 1's came in gray, tan and my 93 Sport had a blue one. You could keep your console if you happen to like it and just get the better arm rest. This is what the underside of the two styles look like.
090926002B.jpg
 






I think I'm going to have to go check out some junk yards in the area and see what I find. Thanks for the info.
 






I had a feeling they were alike except for the arm rests and cup holder portions but glad to see someone test them all out. I put the high series in my 96 but now think I'm going a different direction. Question the later style that looks like it has a plastic plate underneath, does that seem like the cover of that is removable?
 






I had a feeling they were alike except for the arm rests and cup holder portions but glad to see someone test them all out. I put the high series in my 96 but now think I'm going a different direction. Question the later style that looks like it has a plastic plate underneath, does that seem like the cover of that is removable?

I don't understand which one you're talking about. Photo?
 






Post number 12 the bottom arm rest looks as if the cover maybe held in underneath what looks to be a plastic plate kind of like the full length arm rest. I was just curious as to if that made the cover removable.
 






That plastic plate is what the hinge attaches to and the reason so many of them break! As you see, that one is broken. But to answer your question, if you unscrew the "top" you can replace the cover with one of the kits available.....or make your own.
 






Awesome, I'll have to go to the junkyard and find one to experiment with and see if I can recover the arm rest the way I want. My first gens and my 96 the arm rest is just how it is they didn't have the availability to remove the cover and my 96 has a cheap cloth one.
 









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That will bolt to our center console without any mods?
 






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