Check out the custom console we're building!

[Kelly_H]

Well, work on Ms. Jane has mostly come to a standstill these past few months because I've been so busy with school. But I asked my Dad for one Christmas gift: a prototype of the custom center console I've been wanting him to build. I've installed a center-mount emergency brake and wanted something to make the center hump look more tied together and the e-brake more natural. So here's what we've got so far! (And by we, I mean him, because I have had no involvement in the building of this )


Overview of the whole console. Done similar to '68 Shelby styling.


Features of this part:
-Small strip of LED lights under the 'hood' created at the very top for extra courtesy lighting
-Row of 3-4 toggle switches in the very back for use in... well, whatever I can find to use them for! you can always use more switches
-Coin tray / junk tray at the bottom underneath the same hood - just using a piece of square trim to divide it off from the rest of the floor of the console, as seen
-Shift hole will be larger


Features of this part:
-Floor contoured to surface of trans tunnel
-Hole cut out for perfect emergency brake clearance and not a bit more


Features of this part:
-Center compartment, built to optimal arm height
-Rear courtesy lights around back from original '66 console will be retained
-Compartment may be lockable (TBD)
-Compartment contoured around maximum throw of e-brake for the most space and heat reduction from anything that could come up through the small hole in the floor


Removable side cup holder. I wanted to retain the straight lines of the original console but also wanted the option of having cupholders if necessary - thus, removable holder! Engineering on that still not quite done because it needs to look natural on the console if attached. Attachment method is also a problem due to the extra jut of the trans hump on that side.

I'm taking a few basic metal classes this winter break to see what I can come up with, but ideally the floor of the console will be one piece of metal that has been milled to have the original '66 factory design (center polished ridges) and then bent to fit the console. Everything but the center polished ridges will be painted with a black camera-case texture like the one from factory if I can find a paint good enough. The sides will be upholstered in vinyl.

One problem that we're running into is finding a metal that is strong but fairly thin for use in the bottom of the console. Shot myself in the foot by installing the e-brake so low to the transmission tunnel that it's hard to get the proper amount of clearance for it. Whoops.

Anyways, just wanted to share the progress with you guys! Questions / comments / advice / ideas always appreciated

[Lee12609]

Looks awesome.

[TheDude]

You're (I mean, "he is" ) off to a good start!

[GypsyR]

I'm thinking maybe the upper armrest piece needs a sharper angle to the rear and maybe be a tad shorter. Ask Dad to set the driver's seat back in and try to apply the parking brake as you normally would and I think he'll see what I mean. It looks like you'd have to reach over the top of the console at an unnatural angle to apply it. (Non-ergonomic) Since it's so low, you may still have to a bit but I think the reach could be improved a bit with just some trimming. Like I said, the real test would be with the seat in. That will tell a lot more than what I think I see in a picture.

[Asm109]

Progress looks good.

Stainless steel sheet is really strong and it polishes up like chrome.

I don't think you will find a paint that does the pebbly look of your glove box door.

There is wrinkle paint that matches the finish on the Rally Pac

There is Hammerite paint that gives a more rounded texture.

Image Detail for - HAMMERITE HAMMERED METAL FINISH, Buy Hammerite Paint, Hammerite for ...

[fast65ford]

Nice Work ... Looks Awesome

[cds2]

Very nice Kelly!

[bartl]

Looks nice. Stainless is nice but a bear to work with. Aluminum is good but needs to be thicker than steel. You could stick with wood, cut your detail into it, and apply a STAINLESS FOIL to it, same with the camera case part, apply a LEATHERETTE.

[68projectcar]

Hey, Looking good. Tell your dad GREAT JOB. Should look very nice when done.

68projectcar

[Kelly_H]

Dad's a woodworker - so that would explain why it looks so nice so far

Gypsy, I agree with you that the compartment is too tall. We haven't stuck seats in yet but I'm thinking it needs to be shorter by a couple of inches. Will definitely check out the ergonomics! We've been focusing a lot on just trying to keep enough clearance for me to actually wrap my hand around the brake when it's down.

Bart - we did think about stainless foil, but I don't think that it will hold up well over time since it'll be used frequently. I've never used it though so I wouldn't know. We are still debating between stainless steel or aluminum with wood backing. I am leaning towards stainless if we can work it out right because it would be hard to mill a really thin piece of aluminum. Heavier but would probably hold up better and be easier to deal with in the long run. That leatherette you linked looks exactly right - is that what's used on the glovebox / instrument panel / whatever else? Leatherette implies soft to me and the glovebox door definitely has a hard plastic feel to it.

I will pass on the compliments to my dad

[69DroptopGT]

Looks pretty nice! Cant wait to see final product

[bartl]

The camera case look on the glovebox and cluster is molded into the plastic and simply painted. Same with the OE center consoles, it's cast into the pot metal and painted. Some of these metals might work....maybe one of the square patterns?

Metal sheets with textured and/or colored finishes.

All else fails, you could cut inserts for the glovebox and cluster from the same type.

[FrozenMonkey]

Looks great! My 44 year old console has seen much better days and been butchered by a previous owner to include a second(?) 8 track player (stock one still in dash, and it works! lol). Been wanting to build my own and this gives me a bit of motivation to do so. Keeping an eye on this thread for sure.

[restodude]

I don't know how your ebrake is mounted but now that you are covering it with a console couldn't you shim it up a bit for your hand clearance?

[Kelly_H]

I will be sure to post more details / build info as we go along so that others can see what works and what doesn't

Restodude - I would love to shim up up, but the guy who does my metalwork tends to get very weld-happy and has decided to weld the e-brake to the trans tunnel to eliminate all flex Any time I ask him to do one thing (this time it was subframe connectors) I get it back and 5 other things have also been done. If it gets to be too much of a problem, we'll just cut the welds out and shim it up a half inch or so. And then I'm sure he'll weld it again I don't complain because most of the time the extra stuff he does is helpful and he never puts it on the tab.