I purchased a 2002 Explorer Sport Trac in November of 2001. Installing the Yeasu FT-817 in it took some thought. After finding some great project HOW TO information on the mysporttrac.com web site, I decided to use the ash tray as an anchor for my FT-817. The ash tray fits into the forward cup holder and has a tilt-up lid. I fabricated a wooden mount out of plywood, drilled through the ash tray lid, and bolted it in place. I affixed a piece of plywood to the back side of the mount which gives it stability. I found some plastic and metal brackets in a junk box and attached them to the mount. Finally, some hook and loop fasteners were applied to hold the radio in place. It works great!

I spliced into the wiring to the power port inside the console for power and used Radio Shack quick-disconnects for connection to the rig. The silver console lifts up and forward. I also ran RG-58 from the center console, over to the driver's side and through a rubber grommet under the molding. The molding snaps in and out easily. I ran the coax over some existing chassis components under the vehicle to the antenna in the back.