What do you think. I think it turned out pretty well. It's not perfect, but youd have a hard time finding where I goofed just by looking in the car...

BTW, ya....the flash shows how dirty my interior (and exterior for that matter) REALLY is.

 

looks good..where did ya goof

 

I guess i'm a little behind the times here, but what was done?

Did you make your own center console completely? Modify the current one? etc.? (Perhaps you mentioned this more in another thread?)

That does look awesome, very much like it was meant to be there... -J

 

Thanks. Yes it is all made from just measurements of the original. The base is sheetmetal with something like 1/4" square bar 'frame' so to speak. I was originally going to paint it but it didnt turn out well so I went to the fabric store and found some vinyl that resembled leather texture and had my wife sew the cover together, put padding underneath it and wrapped it around the edges and used adhesive to hold it. My original plan did not include the gauge pod but I decided to incorporate them and get rid of the pod that was mounted under my dash. As you can see, it is pretty flush with the radio. I think the color matched pretty well too.

Up where the triangular part of the pod is at is where I goofed a little bit but you wouldnt notice it unless you looked close. I glued the seams down before pulling it tight around the edge and I used little clamps o hold it while it glued....it made an impression in the fabric from the clamps - permanently. Oh well. The only thing I lost in my new piece is that I have no console light/switch for inside the little compartment. I could have easily put one in but I figured I didnt really need it.

 

sheetmetal???
how'd you bend it for all those curves?? that woulda been a nightmare!

hmm, I was thinking fiberglass for mine, but hey, now there are other options I suppose...

 

Looks pretty good, almost OE quality from what I can tell in the pics. Why'd you go thru all that trouble though just to duplicate the original?

 

Well really there aren't that many curves. I just cut it to shape, bent it where it needed to be bent up where the ash tray was, used another square piece and bent it roughly 90 degrees and attached that at the bend where the ash tray was, used a cutting wheel to cut out the backside, cut two triangular pieces and filled in the sides. Then cut out the rest of the holes (window switches, shifter, gauges...) To be honest, what started as a somewhat simple project turned into this. Really I just wanted to use my new MIG welder and see what I could do. And I figured you don't see too many center console with gauges built in. Plus, I didn't want to butcher another nice plastic piece for the B&M piece, this one is much more durable, and its padded.

Fiberglass would be cool but I've never worked with the stuff.

So...why did I go through the trouble you ask? Because I like trying new stuff and I wanted something somewhat unique.

 

I was thinking of the e-brake area...

That looks like some difficult curves...

 

Whoop, sorry...It's not the whole center console. Just the uh....the part there where the shifter is at, the shift plate ,there ya go I couldn't think of it. Jees I can't imagine making a new complete center console.

 

oh ok!
I thought that'd have to be an act of g0d for those bends to be made from sheet metal...

So you just made the top plate, then cut out the old plastic top, then covered the sheet metal and glued it in place?
nice...

 

Lol, that makes more sense then

Very well done, and unique. I was thinking you went thru all that trouble to completely fabricate a duplicate stock console with a couple holes for gauges.

 

Noooo, haha. Sorry for the miswording, I didn't think the pictures would be that deceiving. If I could do metalwork like that, I wouldn't be working where I'm at now.

Yep, just the shift plate, sorry.

 

A couple of questions regarding your B&M installation:

1.) When you hooked up your B&M Mega Shifter, what did you do with the plastic cable that looks like it goes to the steering wheel shaft? I just installed a B&M shifter on my car and I don't see a hook-up for it.

2.) What color wires and how many did you splice into for the park/neutral microswitch (top and bottom)? My shop manual shows one wire from the start/ignition source to the switch and another from the ECM to the switch (2 wires in and 2 wires out). The B&M instruction sheet doesn't mention this. Did you only hook up the one from the starter/ignition and skip the ECM?

3.) Did you purchase the universal B&M Megashifter?

4.) So you fabricated a sheet metal shifter/switch cover plate and did the same for the ash tray/gauge pod...correct?

5.) Did you modify/fabricate anything else on the center console or the radio/AC console?

Thanks,
CWH

Thanks,
CWH

 

1. Cable that goes to the steering column is left unhooked. The B&M shifter does not provide for the ignition lock.

2. I don't have my manual with me else I'd scan the schematic for you and I can't tell you without looking at that sorry.

3. I got the shifter for 82-92 Firebirds.

4. Yes, except that I now have no ash tray/lighter. Non-smoker here. The guage pod is part of the console.

5. That's all that I fabbed for now.

 

Great...thanks for the info...and nice job on the console!

 

yes excellent job. it gives me inspiration to create and rig up a sub box in my center console. im going to have a hard time finding room but thats the wonder of fiber glass everyinch cna be used. i particular like the gauges nice touch. looks oe.

 

I have to admit, you beat me to the punch. i actually just gave up on a brainstorming session in which i was trying to figure out how to squeeze a gauge pod in between my stereo and the center console. That was pretty much exactly what i had in mind, but it seemed like more hassle than i wanted to go through seeing as how im just using the stock shifter for now. bravo and bonus points for ingenuity!