Complete Custom Center Console

[fourl6]

Complete Custom Center Console

Hey all... took the center console out the other day for some reason and it gave me this idea...

will make the frame from MDF (9mm?)Glue a Thin Foam to it and cover with leather then Embed the Black Gloss Plastic Inside It???

Not to fussed About the Pods it it wont all fit...

have a few things i want in it...

Buttons
-Engine Start/Kill Switch (hook up to starter motor wire)(push and hold while turn key to start)
-Amp Auto/Off (1/2) (though remote on wires)
-Headunit and Amps On (override Acc so can turn on CD without keys)
-2nd Interior Lights Button (control all interior lights)

Controls
-Amp 1/2 (Bass) (through hard wired remote supplied with amps)

Lights
-from door switch rear
- one each side below gear stick
- one for back seats
-from intermittent lights
- leds below console lid shine forward on buttons
- In Bottom Of Drink Holders

Appearance
- Leather Sides
- Gloss Black Top (embedded In Leather)
- Blue L.E.Ds Used
- BA GT Gear Boot

Other

-drink holders x 2 on right
-CD AUX Input (headphone Jack)
-air to vents to pass thought drink holders into back to keep drinks cold / warm depending on setting...

[InfernoSR]

interesting build mate... be good to see how it turns out... personally i would be covering the switches as to avoid accidents... just a thought.

[aye you]

lol ricer missle switches ftw

should look good once your done mate

[fourl6]

ok so i have made a center console lid and im using my ford stubby holder as the gear boot... just wondering if you guys would disown me if i use a VY Gear boot and knob... because it looks really nice and would suit...



also how much difference is there between the AU Fairmont and Falcon CD Player surround... (u'll love my paint skills...) will the left right and bottom line up with the dash...?

[Riksta]

Well the falcon CD player surround has all the buttons for aircon/fans etc, whereas the Fairmont (as well as Fairlane/LTD) are different as all this is covered in the climate control centre which the Falcon didn't have.

I believe that's an LTD surround photo'd above?

[No Judge]

Yeah thats a LTD surround. Although my Ghia did have that from factory...

The aircon etc controls are covered in the climate control, so it may take some work. But will look unique none-the-less

[fourl6]

primed and painted the rest of the MDF today... choose a gloss black and also did the dash surround in gloss black..

still have vents to create some how and havnt even thought about the buttons yet...

[JC]

Sorry, I know it's your car and all, but that looks very ordinary indeed. I thought my chopped up console to fit the BA shifter was bad...but it looked good compared to that! A bit of fibreglassing to give it some shape would make it looks heaps better.

[fordman_01]

looks really good mate

[FGII-XR6]

looks like a 70s console in a 90s + car sorry but it just looks wrong

[schuldiner]

it's good that your thinking outside the square, but i can't say i think it looks good. sorry mate. is that a speaker mounted in that space in the door trim just near the footwell there?

[nothin suss]

Erm... not bad for a first attempt, by the fourth or fifth prototype it should be looking the goods!

[Orbit]

I guess their is no accounting for taste....

[superroo]

Sorry mate, not a fan as of yet. But I'll reserve judgment until it's finished.

You get points for trying though, definitely good to see something different though.

I still prefer my custom console, which was just a layer or two of paint.




Cheers

[gtxb67]

with all due respects i would throw it away and start again. put the drink holders under the lid. if you need something so different get yourself an xb and put the au console in it as XBCQUP did. they look good but later model cars need a lot of work to make them look good. the originals are already integrated in with the dash and the rest of the interior.

[Laminge]

You have the basic foundation for a good design, may I suggest that you play around with that using fibreglass to take out edges and make it flow

Why not go to the wreckers and get an old console and cut that down and out to what you want and fibreglass that into play, then take it, or do it yourself, to get painted with a good 2pac and protective finish.

Just some thoughts as what you have ended up with really doesnt do anything.

[gtxb67]

my previous post did not come out very helpful sorry. what laminge said is a good starting point. with the current style of cars your console would need to flow and have curves instead of straight edges. i made a console for my xb and while a different look totally, it can have similarities. mine has all the aftermarket electrics flowing through it, so it is not too different. i suggest to think and plan exactly what you want and how it should look, so that the finished job does not deviate too much from the plans. bear in mind if you are going to cover it in leather or vinyl you are much more limited to have cup holders and switches etc. looking right. if you can make one out of fibre glass at least you can paint it and it will suit the age of the car better. if you are going to cover it though, work closely with a motor trimmer so you know exactly what can be done with the covering. as a rough guide mine was built over 2-3 months, certainly not all day, everyday and not even all day on weekends, but it would have taken between 50-100 hours to not only build, but to make sure it fitted and also get it all fitted because of all the wires etc. that had to be connected.
lastly although you would want it to look different, i would try to keep it looking close to standard while being individual. that way it will not date so much in the future

[WoodysXR6]

i like the painted blue console for something different! I haven't seen that before.

[fourl6]

thanks for the reply's... i'll attack this one with some fiberglass... when i get a chance... i like this one alot better than the stock one its just alot more user friendly... can fit in the drink holder, theirs actually somewhere to put your phone the doesn't disappear if you break to hard... will try integrate the dash and the center console with the fiberglass...

good point with the age of car thing...

schuldiner theres no speakers mounted outside their original locations...
this is a image of my Alpine 5 1/2 splits in the doors...

[AU2PWR]

Although the Thought was there ..yeah .. thats all it should of been .. a thought ..

The Drink Cooler heater thing was a good one ..

[FGII-XR6]

at the end of the day it is his car and his choice. I personally think the idea itself is good but the product looks too dated for the car the use of more modern material and more curved surfaces to fit the cars design might work wonders if some of the MDF was thicker you could shape it a bit to improve things

[gtxb67]

it has potential - i personally would hide the drink holders under the lid of the console or get a slide out type holder. to me, looking neat is the way to go and with the way it is now, the drink holders look messy. i think the drink heating/cooling is a good idea in principle but if you were to use the cars heating/cooling system i do not think it would work. you would only be cooling to 16 degrees and heating to around 30-40 wouldn't you. if so it would be too cold or too hot for the occupants. and realistically a drink would only last five minutes or so before it was finished anyway. maybe insulate the holding area to help in this matter.
it certainly looks to have potential but probably needs more curves and maybe the front needs to curve up to the dashboard.