Jaguar XJ40 : Add a USB port

I’ve been thinking about how to add a USB port to my 1990 Jaguar Sovereign for a while. Both 12V cigarette lighters don’t work and I haven’t figured out why as of yet. So, adding a new dedicated port seemed like a good idea. For about $10, WalMart has a dual USB/12V accessory port which looks to be the perfect solution. But where should I put it?

My first thought was to snake a wire through the dash somewhere. But that would look hokey. My next location idea was in the center console. Being that it would be covered up, I would still have to snake a USB wire out from under the arm rest. After taking things apart, I realized that the new unit could fit inside the ash tray once that was removed. It’s near a ground wire, the center fuse box, and has a retractable cover. So, this is where I installed it. The next step is the wiring.