Hi!

I’m wondering if 1997 XJs came with overhead consoles and if they didn’t, how hard it would be to install a 98 OHC into a 97?

thanks!

 

'97's did.
But here is the thing that confuses me a bit because '97 is a transition year and I think some of them have stuff like a '96 would.
What matter's in this case is the dome light up front.
So if you have the same dome light that '98 to '01 has then it should be relatively easy.
You will need to make sure that you get everything.
Overhead, harness, bracket, and the little harness up front with ambient temp sensor on it from the '98
Pretty sure the connector for the temp sensor behind the bumper up front is there to plug into on the '97.
Also pretty sure that harness from the '98 has 2 connectors that will plug in down in the passenger side footwell area.
Assuming your dome light is the same as '98 and up you have 3 connectors that plug in down there.
You will have to depin at least 2 connectors off your dome light harness, depin at least on connector off the '98 overhead harness, and repin the '97 connectors on the '98 harness.
I put a '99 set up in my '00 and only had to depin and repin one connector.
Oh and one last thing assuming you have remote locks.
Will have to take the IR board for them out of your dome light and put it in the overhead.

 

Like Ralph77 said, make sure to take everything, all that he mentioned plus the visors. Also, if the 98 is junk, go ahead and cut the 2 connectors from the footwell fusebox area of the 98 that the harness plugs into. I did the same thing from a 2000 model when I converted my 99. Unless you are adept at, and have the tool for it, I would not attempt a de-pin/re-pin. I found it frustrating without the right tool, though I did manage to get most of the wires from the 2000 harness into a 1999 plug, soldering the 4 which I could not. Good luck and keep us posted!

Todd

 

I have a 2000 classic and I am about to switch the body out with a sweet 1999 sport. My 2000 has the overhead console just like the one pictured in this thread. Can I switch the 2000 upper console to the 1999 body

 

Going to have to repin one connector in the footwell.
Taking the big one of the 2 off the dome light harness in the '99 and putting it on the '00 overhead harness.

This is going from '99 to '00 but still the same just in reverse.
But there is one other issue.
You are also going to need the vanity light visors out of the '00 to put in the '99.
Cause the visors in the '99 are what we refer to as 1 wire ones.
Wire for power with an internal ground.
The '00 is 2 wire one.
1 wire for power and 1 for ground.
The overhead console harness from the '00 will reflect this.
Hopefully the interior color in both are the same.
Cause it would be color correct so....

 

Awesome information. Thank you very much!