console fabrication ideas

[warren57]

Hi,
Do we have any members that have fabricated a floor console between bucket seats? If anyone has pictures, I would appreciate seeing them...

[chevynut]

Warren, there are some pre-made fiberglass ones on the market. I'm building mine out of aluminum. It's a full length console from the dash back to behind the rear seats. I have a base and sides built and attached to the floor. I'm working on some moldings and a design for the top of it. I am also integrating it into a valence below the dash.

[Rick_L]

The nice thing about a console is that there's a hundred ways to do it, and none of them is wrong unless you just don't take enough time to finish it out nicely.

You can use aluminum, steel, wood, whatever. You can put upholstery on it or have the basic material showing. Or a combination. Shape, size, and functional features is what you want.

[chevynut]

I think a lot of the material selection depends on the final shape you want. If you want a lot of curved surfaces, fiberglass makes sense to me. YOu can carve the shape out of foam, cover it with fiberglass, and dissolve the foam away. There are instructions for foam and fiberglass construction on the internet. Wood can also be used, or a combination of materials. It's much harder to get compound curve shapes with metal.

[Bihili]

http://www.classictruckconsoles.com/55-57chevyconsolesbenchbucketoverhead.htm


http://www.cupholdersplus.com/

[warren57]

http://www.classictruckconsoles.com/55-57chevyconsolesbenchbucketoverhead.htm


http://www.cupholdersplus.com/

Thanks, that helps...

[NickP]

I think a lot of the material selection depends on the final shape you want. If you want a lot of curved surfaces, fiberglass makes sense to me. YOu can carve the shape out of foam, cover it with fiberglass, and dissolve the foam away. There are instructions for foam and fiberglass construction on the internet. Wood can also be used, or a combination of materials. It's much harder to get compound curve shapes with metal.

Laszlo did you ever decide on those cup holders you posted about 4 years ago - from a Mercedes or Lexus or Beemer

[Rick_L]

I love cup holders in my pickup, as well as the little well in front of them that I simply use for trash. And those other little nooks where I can put quarters or receipts.

I'm not as motivated for those things for my 55, though I'm sure some are.

You have to make your console what you want.

[chevynut]

Nick, I still have the cupholders but can't figure out how to put them into my Nomad console. There just isn't room with a stick, at least where it's located in my car. I don't really have much room on my console. My electronics are all under the console, and we're going to build a sliding door like a rolltop desk on part of it so it's easy to access fuses, etc. I'm planning a 2-din head unit just under the glovebox. The glovebox is mostly gone because of the Vintage Air, so I need more places to put stuff. I like little cubby holes too.....I plan to keep my ashtray. I'm also building a box for stuff in the console. My door panels may have pockets at the bottom like most newer cars. I like the look. I'm trying to make my interior not look "streetroddy" and a bit more OEM.

[NickP]

There are two factors I see as a deterrent to most "built" consoles - to busy and out of scale (to big). I've seen some that looked like they belong in a semi truck and others that were so loaded up with features it was just plain gaudy. It's a great subject for some great engineering to take place. So what brand were they?

[BAM55]

Warren,

I don't know how you feel about this one but I think it fits my buddy's interior. Its a modified Camaro center console. He made the top half the bottom is all 2nd Gen Camaro. Nothing fancy just nice and neat in my opinion it fits his ride.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6156371321_9f422f205b.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6156371919_4bbee48bbe.jpg

[warren57]

Warren,

I don't know how you feel about this one but I think it fits my buddy's interior. Its a modified Camaro center console. He made the top half the bottom is all 2nd Gen Camaro. Nothing fancy just nice and neat in my opinion it fits his ride.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6156371321_9f422f205b.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6156371919_4bbee48bbe.jpg

I think it looks great, good proportion to the size of the seats and dash.

[BAM55]

Just to share a little more information for you the seats are from a dodge intrepid, the upper section of the center console is made from aluminum and he had the whole thing covered.

Same console in my buddy Donnie ride. Yeah we all do the same thing some times.lol
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3643/3468430077_447e87fdbe_o.jpg

[567chevys]

They Both look really Good ,

Thanks For sharing

Sid

[warren57]

Just to share a little more information for you the seats are from a dodge intrepid, the upper section of the center console is made from aluminum and he had the whole thing covered.

Same console in my buddy Donnie ride. Yeah we all do the same thing some times.lol
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3643/3468430077_447e87fdbe_o.jpg

Did they bolt them to the dash? Did they install over the carpet or fit the carpet around them?

[BAM55]

Did they bolt them to the dash? Did they install over the carpet or fit the carpet around them?

Yes they bolted them to the dash and installed over the carpet.

[chevynut]

Here's a few more designs I like...but design is a whole lot different than construction.

265226532654265526562657

This is a picture of Darrin's under construction....4th picture above.

2658

[jim '57]

This is one I built from Masonite braced with 1x2 pine. I covered it with speaker enclosure material and glued a veneer of exotic wood I found on eBay. Not as fancy as others posted but I built it myself and was my first.http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2660&d=1384458181
Jim

[warren57]

This is one I built from Masonite braced with 1x2 pine. I covered it with speaker enclosure material and glued a veneer of exotic wood I found on eBay. Not as fancy as others posted but I built it myself and was my first.http://www.trifivechevys.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2660&d=1384458181
Jim

I think it looks great!. Now tell me about the emergency brake.... what is it, how is it mounted, does it connect to the stock slide bar, any pictures?
Thanks

[jim '57]

Thanks Warren, glad you like it.
I moved the hand brake to the center to make it easier to operate. Having a stick it's nice to be able to set it when on an incline.
I have a c4 rear and the cable is one long piece and loops over the stock yoke that attaches to the handle by a short cable. The handle is attached to the tunnel with some reinforcement
Jim