My Custom Console(s) Part 1
Now with the all the Dyna-Mat in place it was time to tackle the console. Here again I struggled with a plan that would work with the rear seats. My thinking was since I was adding essentially rear bucket seats, I saw no reason not to design the center console so it would run through to the rear seats. After all, who was going to be crawling over the tunnel to get in the other seat. Certainly not me, my flexibility and physical dexterity have long since left me and child seats will be banned from this car.
Over the past many months while searching my options, I did not come across many projects that have taken this jump to a full console. There was a few examples of simply adding a console that housed the e-brake but I felt that approach was simply going to present additional concerns when it came to the design, so I scrapped that idea, but it did provide me some ideas that would possibly work for me. So with that dilemma laid to rest, I set my sights on the main console.
So back to the internet I went spending more than a few hours looking at countless consoles for any new ideas. Full customs, vintage, hot rods, classic restoration and resto-mods, you name it. Not much worked for me, so I turned back to a thread on the FAQ search that offered up a number of examples of what would be considered a custom design by a purist. I settled on one that was rather unique and straight forward and more importantly, not too difficult to duplicate. So after playing with the layout a bit, I laid it all the pieces of my original console to use a template and started cutting out the cardboard model.
As you can see it is a little different but it looked pretty good.....to me. Once that was taped together I then added a piece that I scored from the wreckers. I think it came from a late 80’s Honda or Accura. It looked like it might work with the E-brake and I liked the lower profile it offered. So with a lil more trimming with my handy cutoff tool I began to trim down the piece to a basic model I could work with, although I now had an issue with the E-brake. In particular its length. This was one of the BMW design issues I could not quite understand. It’s length was going to present a problem for me in redesigning this console. Again, I had not been able to find any examples to go by or any information that would give my any comfort I was able to make this work. So I decided to plod along hoping that it could be shortened to suit my needs.
The next step after a few more adjustments was to layout the model on a sheet of plywood, my material of choice for the final product. I used 1/2 Baltic Birch. It was light weight and pretty stable. I felt that MDF would add just a little more weight than I thought necessary and although easier to finish the birch provided a better option to bend and hold a screw or brad.
The next step was to fill in the front and rear sections once I determined the max length of the hand brake. It would have to be shortened about 3 1/2 inches to work with this layout. (I found out much later in the process that it could in fact be done.) I used some polystyrene foam that I had lying around to aid in the model. Easy to shape and suited my needs at the time. I now had to come up with a plan to put this together so it could come apart if heaven forbid I had to. I would have loved to have this as one complete unit but I felt there was no way to accomplish that. I decided to terminate the main console in front of the brake and the remainder run back to the front of the seats.
I decided I would fill the rear section with useable storage rather than just a fill piece. I was now ready to make the template and transfer the the pieces to cut out a working model. Before I did I thought it necessary to place the seats in to make sure everything fits. I am glad I did.
Now that I had a workable model laid out I thought it was time for me to mock up the rest of the interior, just to make sure if all fit and the look was right. So in went the seats. There was a little guess work involved however as I did not have the correct adapters so I did the best under the circumstances. Because I could not sit in them I had to sit in the back if I was to get a feel for the work completed to date. I was not real happy. It just did not feel right. I felt the design looked out of place to be honest. It is hard to describe but I felt this new look was not in keeping with the original one . The position the gauges were placed made it uncomfortable and somewhat difficult to read, even from the back seat. In addition, the over all scale just appeared too large for my liking.
Have I mentioned I dd not like it!
I decided that I would have to fix this before going any further. In hind sight I should have listened to a friends earlier warning. He pointed out the vary thing that I discovered. Oh well what’s a “few” hours wasted in the grand scheme of things. Out came the trusty cut off tool and started to carefully remove the angled section of the gable to get it back to the original line of the console sides. By doing so, it created that long swooping affect I was looking for. It did however create a little more work as a new pod had to be cut for the gauges as well as a transition piece for the tray. I decided I was going to recess the gauges slightly just to break things up a little. It would also allow me to use it as an access point for the head unit and any other connections that would have to me made.
The transition piece was a lil tricky so I decided to use the lines of the gable to complete alteration. I used another piece of foam that I glued up so I had enough to shape to the sides. In keeping with those lines, it gave me an opportunity to use the area for a couple of switches and another gauge. I thought a clock would be a better choice here.
To address yet another of my screw-ups, I decided to fill on the shifter tray. I originally planned to keep that old school look but soon realized that since I had to alter the front portion of the tray it made more sense to carry it thru to the tail end of the console. So with some light weight filler, the tray was altered to match the contour of the deck. I decided to recess the boot collar too. I took apiece of MDF and using the metal collar as a the pattern, cutout a matching profile that would be wrapped in leather for the new boot.
Note: I may have an issue with the shifter as I have increased the height of the tray by about 3/4 of an inch from that of the stock tray. We shall see if this will see if there is a issue as I get closer to the trans install.
Next on the list was to deal with the tail section of the console. There was not much room in the initial model but i realized that I could move the terminated point up to provide some additional room between the rear of the shift tray and the e-brake. So off it came. I had now had enough room to add a couple of cup holders, at least in terms of depth. Width, not so much.
While surfing the net for ideas once again, I came a across a Mercedes Benz ad that displayed a C series coupe’s interior. Its console was rather narrow but it featured among other bells and whistles , 2 cup holders moulded into the side of console. They sat side by side and fit between the seats comfortably, so I though I would give it a try. I laminated a couple of 3/4 pieces of foam together and glued those to the side of the console. After a day for the resin to set I began shaping the section to fit. I did not have a lot of room to play with as I recall there only being about 7” between the bolsters, so it would be close. I managed to find a couple of SS cup holders at a marine outlet that measured not quite 3” so again, not a lot of room but it worked for me.
Once the sides were shaped, I had to remove part of the plywood gable and foam in order to gain the room I need for the holders to seat properly. A few cuts with that trusty cutoff saw and a few passes with a foam rasp , the job was done. The top was cut for the cups and moulded to the fit the sides. Job done, looked pretty good I thought.....just hoped it would fit with the seats, based on my sketchy measurements.
Now that I had a completed, all be it a rough copy of the console, I realized that I would have to deal with the foam that was now laminated to the plywood. You see, although it provided me a material easy to shape to my liking, it offered absolutely no protection in terms of taking any impact. It would show every bump or knock once covered with vinyl or leather unless protected. It had to be fiberglassed to provide that level of protection. Unfortunately, the material I was using was not compatible to fiberglass resin so I had to resort to an epoxy based resin to do the job. Relatively easy to work with but seemed to take its own sweet time to set up and harden before it could be sanded.
Once the entire area was covered with 6 oz cloth, a few application of light weight body filler was applied and blocked to take out any imperfections. A few more coats of glazing compound and a lot more sanding, I finally got the surface to the finish I was looking for.
Finally, and with a little help from a friend I borrowed an old head unit to cut in the DIN for the my new Kenwood KDC-X998
So after more than 3 months of taking "1 step forward and 3 back" I was finally getting closer to the light at the end of the of what seemed to be a never ending tunnel. Apart from fabricating a bezel for the gauges and a stainless steel bracket for the shifter boot, this is just about ready to be shipped off to upholstery.
In closing, I must confess at this stage of the project I was feeling like I was continuously making changes on the fly. It seemed that every move I was making gave way to yet another change that was out of necessity rather than choice. I guess at the end of the day that as long as you are happy with the result, the process is just part of the game to have to expect regardless of how long or how you got there.
Next on the agenda....the back half.
Thank you for your time.
Regards
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