Yet another home made center console....

[worzella]

... despite the finger smudges, etc., I think I converted my rotting, crusty Behr unit into something pretty solid. A bit Darth Vader-ish, but....

The interior is almost done ... seats waiting to be installed, along with under panels and final Esty carpet.....

Randy

[Scott Sislane]

looks great! Nice detailed work. And the carpet's looking good too.

Scott

[02for2]

Nice... is it wood?

Tell me about the floor insulation. This over say Dynamat? What are the advantages?

TIA!

Cheers!

[ClayW]

A bit Darth Vader-ish....

Randy

Then it's period correct! Now you just need a Death Star shift knob.

[worzella]

Yes, I used veneer covered plywood and bolted two pieces together and then cut the pattern to ensure a decent match. Not perfect, but it looks better than a couple of old, original vinyl covered sides I considered buying.

I am lucky to have a paint & body guy that lives across the street that has taken an interest in "my little project". He took the unpainted unit to work and solicited opinions how to properly paint something made of wood, metal, plastic and vinyl. He ended up putty filling the edge grain and then using some sort of marine epoxy primer with several top coats. He did my front and rear bumper strips (mine is a '75), front plastic grill and door jambs.

I actually have RamMat under the entire interior, but ran out and just bought a small section of what you see from Eastwood. I am a bit "cheap" and went for lower cost options when deciding between all the various choices for this heat/sound covering. I actually thought the RamMat went down easier and seems to "stick" a little better, but both seem decent for the job.

My one regret about the carpet install is that I now understand why the factory had the original cardboard under the carpet on the tranny tunnel. I think it served to provide a smoother surface for the carpet. Mine was removed, and even though I had the RamMat down, when I glued the carpet it followed the contours of the tunnel too much for my liking... looks kind of bumpy.

But once the console and seats are in it won't be so noticeable... and only I and the people on the FAQ would ever probably even see it .. ha ha.

Randy

[worzella]

That's funny.. never considered the timeframe...

Hell with LED turn signals, I am going to start designing my light saber

left and rights!

Randy

[jerry]

My one regret about the carpet install is that I now understand why the factory had the original cardboard under the carpet on the tranny tunnel. I think it served to provide a smoother surface for the carpet. Mine was removed, and even though I had the RamMat down, when I glued the carpet it followed the contours of the tunnel too much for my liking... looks kind of bumpy.

But once the console and seats are in it won't be so noticeable... and only I and the people on the FAQ would ever probably even see it .. ha ha.

Randy

i glue carpet padding on the tranny tunnel to smooth it out. the old Bimmer Parts Co. carpet kits came with this padding pre-glued to the underside of the center carpet piece. it was the wool/polyester blended type of padding, greyish in color. i also use roofing patch strip as an alternative to Dynamat. Sticks good and is essentially the same stuff at a fraction of the cost.