center console fun

[RMS]

its been a year to the day since i received a factory center console from 510Freak. the plan was to install the center console in 6 inches of rust but inspection revealed that it was not up to the beating it would take in my camping car. vibrations from pounding down logging roads, 30lb dog scrambling over it and hell even my arm resting upon it would be too much for the milk jug thin ABS factory console. some mods had to be done

not having the stock hardware and understanding that the stock brackets are just as flimsy as the plastic i decided to make a steel sub frame to support the plastic.
being that i cant draw a straight line even with a ruler i took a sheet of 20gage over to a shop with a sheer and had a bunch of 1in strips cut for the sub frame. with thumbs of steel I curved and shaped the sheet metal to fit the contours of the console. for extra rigidity i ran the supports through the bead roller and tacked it together with the mig.


with the sub frame tacked up and contoured to the 72 auto wagon tunnel in my 69 2dr it was time to check the fitment with the console clamped to the frame. it was a no go the shifter hole didn't line up with the 4x4napZ trany behind the z24. it's shorter than the stock 4spd

back at the drawing board i decided to start from scratch.
I started with a 4x8ft sheet of 1/4in abs and started hacking with the sawzall. I used paper templates traced from the stock console to get the shapes. I used the sub frame to clamp and curve the abs with the help of a heat gun. then cleaned up th edges with a body file.


I chemically welded the abs, cut the shifter hole and placed the newly made console in 6inches of rust. not knowing the durability of the plastic welds i did not make any braces or mounts for the console. it took 9months of DD, gravel pounding and dogs to break the console
hears what it looked like in the car

having enjoyed the console I will re weld the abs and make up some stainless supports and mounting brackets. rather than using the sub frame to clamp it up i will make a form out of wood along with templates so i can reproduce the console.

more later

[DatChick71]

Wow,

That's some ingenuity there!

Planing to make/sell any of these creations?

If you made a torsion bar cover for wagons people would love that, too!

Great job!

Angela

[RMS]

thanks datchick71. im confused by what you meant by "torsion bar cover"

I do plan on making a few. Ive commissioned a woodworker to make me some templates and jigs to speed up the process. with nothing more than a sawzall a few clamps and a body file it take's me more than 8 hours to make one not including the armrest.

I would like to use a router in conjunction with the templates to cut the abs. the jig required will be quite complex with its compound curves. this will allow me to make the console look and fit as close to stock as I can.

I was thinking it would be cool if i could figure out a way to divert the foot fryer via ducting to put heat to the back seat and/or adjustable vents close to the foot fryer.

I will not be cutting shifter holes that will be up to the buyer. I've had request's for cup holders and i have figured out how to do so but should the cup holder be pop can size or big gulp size?
the compartment under the arm rest will be open to the tunnel.

I have collected some stainless hinges, oak, purple hart and a variety of other wood for the arm rests. but I have not decided what im going to use for a cover.

hear is a pic of an incomplete arm rest in white vinyl with a cherry finished slab of oak and copper staples

[McShagger510]

thanks datchick71. im confused by what you meant by "torsion bar cover"

She means the rear hatch torsion bars located inside rear of the 'goon. There is a white plastic cover that hides this assembly and it is almost always broken. Good money maker there!!

James

[pgomes]

I'm obviously way late to the game here but did you end up making and selling any additional consoles? I'd love to get my hands on one for my '71 Wagon.

[RMS]

my woodworker who was making the mold got on the bottle and has yet to sober up. without the molds the process is very time consuming and next to imposable to make sufficient welds. If I can get molds made I will resume production.