Switch panel design

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Switch panel design

Reply #15 – December 14, 2013, 07:40:02 PM

Quote from: Tbird-fanatic;425599

Now see I disagree about the power seats, I like having the adjust-ability to get me in the perfect angle and position for comfort. Coarse it may not help that Im 6'5"!!!

I'm 6'5" as well. you gain a bit of head room with manual tracks. id like the tilt if I could keep it that way, but I have a really hard time getting my size 15 wide steel toes where they need to be with the 5 speed. I also mounted the seat on the rear holes for another 1/2" or so of knee room.

Switch panel design

Reply #16 – December 15, 2013, 08:33:26 AM

It only eliminates one switch in a two-door car, but as I said, it also greatly simplifies the wiring, especially in the driver's door.

I might be wrong, having worked at a used car place and been in so many cars they all blend together, but I think I remember some Fords using that blower switch pattern as well...

Switch panel design

Reply #17 – December 15, 2013, 10:21:48 AM

I like the switches in the middle. Comes in useful when cleaning and vacuuming to be able to control the seats and windows regardless of what side I'm on. It's also easier to point out to passengers showing them most of the adjustments. Also, sometimes if I have to run out and close the windows with the orientation of how I park to my front door, it saves me from having to walk around the car to close the driver window. If there is rain starting, those few extra seconds are nice to save.
Ergonomically, these switches are the easiest to manipulate while driving too. I don't have to hunt for any of them like I do in other cars.

Switch panel design

Reply #18 – December 15, 2013, 03:46:50 PM

I like it that way too. It works well in FoxBirdCats because we have no cupholders to fill the switches with coffee/pop :D All the controls are on the driver's door of my Avalanche, which is a pain in the ringpiece when plowing snow with it - I like having the window open, so the switch ends up soaked (like what happened today)

Switch panel design

Reply #19 – December 15, 2013, 03:47:29 PM

Quote from: Haystack;425645

I'm 6'5" as well. you gain a bit of head room with manual tracks. id like the tilt if I could keep it that way, but I have a really hard time getting my size 15 wide steel toes where they need to be with the 5 speed. I also mounted the seat on the rear holes for another 1/2" or so of knee room.

The way I adjust my seat with the power I get plenty of leg room and head room. Of coarse that makes the drivers back seat almost useless!!! LOL I know what your saying about steel toes!! Ive got size 16!

Quote from: Cougars 2 go;425679

I like the switches in the middle. Comes in useful when cleaning and vacuuming to be able to control the seats and windows regardless of what side I'm on. It's also easier to point out to passengers showing them most of the adjustments. Also, sometimes if I have to run out and close the windows with the orientation of how I park to my front door, it saves me from having to walk around the car to close the driver window. If there is rain starting, those few extra seconds are nice to save.
Ergonomically, these switches are the easiest to manipulate while driving too. I don't have to hunt for any of them like I do in other cars.

I agree 100%, especially with freak rain storms that seem to happen around here!

Switch panel design

Reply #20 – December 15, 2013, 07:14:48 PM

Quote from: Cougars 2 go;425679

I like the switches in the middle. Comes in useful when cleaning and vacuuming to be able to control the seats and windows regardless of what side I'm on. It's also easier to point out to passengers showing them most of the adjustments. Also, sometimes if I have to run out and close the windows with the orientation of how I park to my front door, it saves me from having to walk around the car to close the driver window. If there is rain starting, those few extra seconds are nice to save.
Ergonomically, these switches are the easiest to manipulate while driving too. I don't have to hunt for any of them like I do in other cars.

I also forgot that if two people are getting in on the passenger side, I can hop in on the driver side and start moving the passenger seat forward for the rear passenger instead of the rear passenger having to wait until the front passenger gets in. Also I forgot that if I drop something that winds up under the passenger seat, I can slide the seat forward and when stopped, retrieve it while still seated in the driver seat.

Switch panel design

Reply #21 – December 15, 2013, 10:27:04 PM

you can move the manual tracks easily from the drivers seat. same with the window. on a 4 door power windows make much more sense. two door, not so much in my opinion.

as far as the back seat goes, yeah, I have two boys that ride in the back seat(5 and 2 years old) and with the clutch e brake, clutch brake and gas all so close it kinda sucks. the kids don't need the foot room yet, but they do kick my back on long drives which drives me nuts!

with no one in the back, our seats can be quite comfortable for us bigger guys.

Switch panel design

Reply #22 – December 16, 2013, 07:03:13 PM

manual seats for me too, i do miss the tilt feature, but solved it with a few spacers. i swapped a whole TC interior in my 88 LX 5.0, converted to a T-5z for the heck of it.. kept watching a NOS console plate without power seats on ebay, finally dropped to 16.00 buy it now... those power seat tracks weigh so much...

Switch panel design

Reply #23 – December 16, 2013, 07:17:16 PM

Here's a pic of mine, never saw a TC without atleast a power driver seat. So I guess it wasn't a common panel.

Switch panel design

Reply #24 – December 16, 2013, 08:34:04 PM

I like having all the controls in the center console. It cleans up the interior. Plus having both power seat controlers on the center console makes it easy to see what I'm doing with the controls vs having them on the side of the seat. The power recline is on the side of the seat however. That's a rarer option though.

Switch panel design

Reply #25 – December 16, 2013, 08:44:57 PM

Quote from: fontana motorsports;425743

Here's a pic of mine, never saw a TC without atleast a power driver seat. So I guess it wasn't a common panel.

My 85 base has the full console, pwr mirrors/windows, but manual seats. I like the Mustang wheel! :D I've seen quite a few 85 XR-7's with pwr mirrors, windows and no power seat(s), but what's also strange is those same 85 XR7's have the high end door panels, without pwr locks... now THAT, to me, is really odd!!

Switch panel design

Reply #26 – December 16, 2013, 08:54:33 PM

the mustang wheel was cheap and plentiful..and nicer than the stock thinn wheel, i also take the dead pedals from the fox stangs and install them in my birds. its nice to have. id like a set of delux non power lock door panel inserts, havent found any in the yards around me.

Switch panel design

Reply #27 – December 16, 2013, 09:00:00 PM

yeah, weird how the 85-86 high end panels w/out pwr locks don't have the holes for the pwr lock switch, but the 85-86 base panels do, with a dummy plate over the holes. :shrug:

Switch panel design

Reply #28 – December 17, 2013, 09:55:07 AM

Quote from: White85GS;425753

I've seen quite a few 85 XR-7's with pwr mirrors, windows and no power seat(s), but what's also strange is those same 85 XR7's have the high end door panels, without pwr locks... now THAT, to me, is really odd!!

That is because on '85 XR-7's (as well as '86's), LS style door panels, power windows and power mirrors were all standard equipment while the power door locks were an option.

Switch panel design

Reply #29 – December 17, 2013, 07:26:26 PM

Quote from: fontana motorsports;425743

Here's a pic of mine, never saw a TC without atleast a power driver seat. So I guess it wasn't a common panel.

My parts TC didn't have a power seat. Here's my interior (very dusty, the car was still a work in progress) with the '87 TC seats, '83 console (full length, right to the back seat), and T5 installed. It's odd - this car was not originally a console car. When I plugged the console-type switches in they worked the opposite of what it said on the console plate: Up was down, down was up.