center console ideas

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dennday67

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I'm looking for ideas on a center console for my valiant with factory bucket seats. I have a b&m hammer shifter that I plan to install when I go v8. I currently have an under the dash stereo kit with 3 gauges mounted to that. I'm looking for ideas with what I've got going on. If I could find a console that would house the stereo and gauges that okay. I've seen on protouringmopar.com that some are using the consoles out of a neon but not sure how that will work with the hammer shifter.
 
I'm a big DIY kinda guy so I say build your own, but with that said, I've done the retro-fit thing too. The main issue with retro-fitting anything is that it will have to be modded to work right and most times it doesn't end up looking like it belongs. I usually spend weeks out at the local yards gathering ideas, taking measurements and playing with stuff before I make the build vs adapt decision.
I'm in the process of doing a magnum swap and have to come up with something for a shifter that will work with the 46RE trans, has an OD button and is easily adapted.
For example, the neon console along with the PT cruiser has a removable shifter plate along with decent styling and enough material to be adapted. The main issue with those is the e-brake handle being integrated.
I'd also like to take a look at the LX body style consoles but they look a little wide and not too sure about how it connects to the dash at the front and how that would mate to the a-body dash.

Anyway, back to the point. Neon console with hammer shifter. The shifter cover plate and console depth are the 2 sticky points. It'd be fairly easy to make an oval cover out of thick lexan ( heated in the oven or heat gun then sagged to be sort of a bubble then trimmed to fit ) but you'd have to play around with getting the gear indicator to be usable.
If the console is too shallow, just about no amount of modding will fix that, but if it's too deep you could use spacers to move the mechanism up enough to clear everything
 
I am in the process of Building a custom console for my 73 Duster at the moment. I will be using a B&M Stealth Pro Ratchet Shifter in it and hope to have room for 2 Gauges, Some Switches, 2 Cup Holders and maybe even a single DIN slot.

Picture below is what I am using as a Guide and the shifter I will be using. I am still playing around with cardboard at this point getting my templates made. I am also referencing this thread http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=38122 for starting point dimensions.

I hope to get a lot of this completed this weekend and will post pics once I make some more progress.
 

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Thanks for the link..I have been looking for that thread for awhile.

The only thing I cannot figure out is how to attach the unit to the tunnel.

ian.
 
make, start with card board first and make templets then take those and lay them out on wood and or steel then glue weld and fit done
 
Very nice guys! I'm the guy that did the console that grassy mentioned in your post serj22.
Both of yours make mine look like a cardboard box :lol: but it did fit the style of the cars interior at the time ( kind of rounded hard lines like the dash ) .
This is exactly why I posted mine in the first place. Ideas can get better with more brains thinking about them here on FABO :cheers:

rlevs, That's exactly what I did initially, but I built my 4-speed console just like a contoured speaker box, built up the frame, covered in cloth, slang some resin on it, then covered in tweed. I was able to get some really cool swooping shapes doing that. It looked almost like the formed plastic stuff in new cars and was pretty light
 
Cool thanks for the ideas guys. I was kind of figuring it was going to be a custom job.
 
I just typed in " center consoles " on Google and than went to images to see what looks good, from there I figured I could make just about any on them.. Works for me on a lot of things :)

'
 
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