I need opinions/advice on this....
I plan on going with either a B&M Pro Stick or Pro Rachet shifter, which will not really work well with the stock center console. What I want to do is to make pretty much half a stock console or something similar.....since I tend to rest my arm on the stock one (in any car) while just driving around, I dont want to do away with the console completly. I would like just the back half of the console, but there doesnt seem to be a way to cut the stock one to make it look right or anything, so I was wondering if either there is another car that has what I'm looking for that will fit fairly easily, or am I going to be making this thing completly custom? I dont immagine it would be difficult at all, but just looking for opinions. Heres a pic of where the console would be. Thanks for any advice, ideas, or opinions
-Chris

 

i would think that the trim plate for the stock shifter could be made to look fine. my fathers is that way. he has a power glide in his car and he is using the stock console and trim plate with his b$m pro stick.

 

Yeah, but i'm not sure how the pro-rachet shifter (the one i'm most likely gonna get) would really look, plus i like being unique :-)

notice the gear indicator which i like, and the reverse lockout thing that comes up....
I dunno, i might give it a shot (making one), any other ideas or opinions?

 

I suggest you look at other ones that you could make fit your console a little bit better. Then just get an auto trim plate and cut it and use some extra plastic if you have to. I've seen it done...

 

look at other shifters to fit the interior? lol
Sorry dude, i'd go completly console-less before I made a decision on a shifter based on getting it to work with a console....lol
I'd much rather have to make something from scratch to fit the shifter than to find a shifter to fit what i've already got, thats just the way i like to do things as much as i can.....
gotta be creative and make stuff work....
I'm pretty sure I'll be spending my time after work tomorrow (err.....today) designing/building myself a center console......
Damn, now i'm gonna have to start looking for a new carpet......
Damn again! I PRACTICALLY GAVE AWAY A BRAND NEW CARPET JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO! AGH!
lol

 

Well the way I had always imagined doing it was getting a top panel from a manual car and just putting the boot over the whole thing, but that wouldnt work very well for your kind. I was thinking about one that was flatter and had the ring on the stick that you just pull up...

 

search for my name and this topic custom console and check out the pics of what i did, came out sweet my computers down at home and i dont have any pics at work but i do have a bunch on here somewhere

 

yeah i understand what your saying, but i purposly am going for the more "who cares about making it look like it was supposed to be there" look....


I'll search for those pics man, thanks

 

How about something like this? I was going to put it between my rear seat cushions--but I changed my mind. Maybe a little larger then half the stock console. I pulled it from a car that had it between the rear seat cushions.

 

SOrta like that.....:-)

 

Well if you dont care how it looks, then couldnt you just run the stock console with no trim plate at all? heh.

 

You just miss the point everytime.

I'm looking to do the same thing and actually planned out a few ideas last night, I'll sketch a few out and post them sometime.

 

yeah, i dont understand what he wants. he said no to making it look good, then no to making it look bad, I dont get it..

 

"who cares about making it look like it was supposed to be there"

He never said he doesn't want it to look good, he just wants it to be unique and not just a new boot over the stock console.

 

If I didnt care about it looking good, I would just take the trim plate off the stock console. If I just wanted an armrest, and the one i already had had cooties or something, I would take the console from a 99+ Jetta. That's basically all they are. It wouldnt match up with the radio pod, but he doesnt care.

 

haha no need to go at it guys, i understand what everyones saying, and it is one of those things that is hard to just describe in words....
I want it to look good....meaning I dont want to just take a saw to the center console and cut it in half, or rip the plate off the top so its just the console missing the top part of it.....both of those would look unfinished and like there wasnt much time or thought put in to it.....
I want it to look unique.....yeah, I could make a shift plate for it and use the stock console, but then (as far as what I understand about the shifter) the reverse lockout thing would have to come up and through the console, and the gear indicator would be hidden pretty much......
What I want is something that only goes part of the way down the transmission tunnel then ends but neatly....
I think I might use this as an opportunity to give fiberglass a shot.....
probably make a basic mold out of wood then use it to make a fiberglass console that will look like it was supposed to be there, but wont look anything stock....

FirebirdJosh, your in Worcester? You on NewEnglandMotorsports?
I'm right up in Chelmsford (next to Lowell)

 

Yeah, I have the same name on that forum too. I'm not sure what kind of look I want yet so I haven't gotten much drawing done yet. A shaved center console would be nice though.

 

You guys have any progress? Im looking into this too, guys.. and for the same reason as speedingpenguin - shifter. I wanted a 4th gen console but it (from what i have heard) doesnt like ratchet shifters. I also wanna try my hand at making one out of fiberglass and stretching vinyl over it or something, maybe get it smooth enough for paint? I dunno, just some ideas.. Also, if it ends up looking good, would just be awesome to be the ONLY one with that console, and it would be designed to fit! (and have cup holders.. hehe)

 

I havn't had the chance to worry about how the interior looks.......just been busy making the car run, LOL

What I think I'm gonna do is just get a new carpet and not worry about the console for now at least........maybe some other time i'll try something out of fiberglass, but good luck!