My center console was cracked and squeaky and wobbly. I decided I wanted to get another one, which is apparently impossible. Finally, I convinced myself to build my own out of 1/4" MDF and a boat load of glue.
In 1 & 2, you see the general shape coming together. The toughest part here is that the rear of the console is narrower so the armrests don't rub when they move up and down. The original console was wider at the bottom than at the top, but MDF doesn't bend very well. I tried.
3, 4, & 5 show what I came up with for the switch holder. That was the hard part. I wanted it to be stable and strong, but because of the hand brake, you have to get creative. The angles were a great big pain in the neck. The black material is some rubber drawer liner. I glued it in place to keep the storage bin from making noise as it sits inside.
6 is that bin. Since the back was narrower than the front, making that thing was not as easy as it should be. I plan to line it with that drawer liner to minimize noise from the things I put in there.
About 4 months ago, I found a 3x5 piece of vinyl that matched the original color exactly. Since I'd invested so much time in making this thing, I didn't want to screw it up, so I went to the auto upholstery shop and asked them to cover it for me. That was the most expensive part, $35 labor. I lined the back side with some foam sheets that came with a motherboard I had saved. I think they did a great job, and #7 shows that.
8 shows the back of the lid. I used a thicker piece of foam on the upper side and the lid itself is made out of 1/2" piece of MDF. Tomorrow, I plan on lining the bottom with a piece of black felt.
9 and 10 show the switch carrier and bin area. 10 shows the storage bin in place. I have to be able to remove it to get to the mounting points, the switches, and to flick out the plate that I plan to finish tomorrow. I sprayed everything black, but I need to touch up quite a bit.
11 and 12 show the lid. My wife hand stitched up the corners, but I'm afraid these pictures don't do her work justice. It looks loose because of the padding I put on it, so it's my fault. It actually looks really good.
13 shows what the lid and switch plate will look like in place.
Tomorrow I plan to finish the main plate around the shifters. I ran some MDF strips along the length of the sides to the two cross-pieces and those strips will support that plate. It won't be permanently mounted but it will sit snugly and won't move. I can't glue or fix it in place because of the hand brake, the real b?te noire of this whole ordeal.
When I get it finished, I'll update the thread.
And I will never, ever do anything like this again. Ever.
In 1 & 2, you see the general shape coming together. The toughest part here is that the rear of the console is narrower so the armrests don't rub when they move up and down. The original console was wider at the bottom than at the top, but MDF doesn't bend very well. I tried.
3, 4, & 5 show what I came up with for the switch holder. That was the hard part. I wanted it to be stable and strong, but because of the hand brake, you have to get creative. The angles were a great big pain in the neck. The black material is some rubber drawer liner. I glued it in place to keep the storage bin from making noise as it sits inside.
6 is that bin. Since the back was narrower than the front, making that thing was not as easy as it should be. I plan to line it with that drawer liner to minimize noise from the things I put in there.
About 4 months ago, I found a 3x5 piece of vinyl that matched the original color exactly. Since I'd invested so much time in making this thing, I didn't want to screw it up, so I went to the auto upholstery shop and asked them to cover it for me. That was the most expensive part, $35 labor. I lined the back side with some foam sheets that came with a motherboard I had saved. I think they did a great job, and #7 shows that.
8 shows the back of the lid. I used a thicker piece of foam on the upper side and the lid itself is made out of 1/2" piece of MDF. Tomorrow, I plan on lining the bottom with a piece of black felt.
9 and 10 show the switch carrier and bin area. 10 shows the storage bin in place. I have to be able to remove it to get to the mounting points, the switches, and to flick out the plate that I plan to finish tomorrow. I sprayed everything black, but I need to touch up quite a bit.
11 and 12 show the lid. My wife hand stitched up the corners, but I'm afraid these pictures don't do her work justice. It looks loose because of the padding I put on it, so it's my fault. It actually looks really good.
13 shows what the lid and switch plate will look like in place.
Tomorrow I plan to finish the main plate around the shifters. I ran some MDF strips along the length of the sides to the two cross-pieces and those strips will support that plate. It won't be permanently mounted but it will sit snugly and won't move. I can't glue or fix it in place because of the hand brake, the real b?te noire of this whole ordeal.
When I get it finished, I'll update the thread.
And I will never, ever do anything like this again. Ever.
