Little console project for today, post-Christmas insanity.
I started with this old, but in good condition, 3 speed console that I acquired from an acquaintance a few years ago. It’s been bouncing around in storage since then and was in dire need of a good cleanup:
The only real problem with it was at the rear, the lower plastic had a bow to it, creating an unsightly gap between the two halves. I tried glueing and clamping it first with 2 part epoxy, but that didn’t even try to hold. Decided my plastic welding process that I used inside the passenger door panel worked pretty good, so why not try it again here?
Pleased to report that it worked like a charm:
With that, the only real cosmetic issue addressed, I next proceeded to completely blow the lower section apart and give it a good cleaning with Fantastik and an old toothbrush for the nooks and crannies. Once it was clean, dry and reassembled, I touched up the chrome strip around the outside with a silver Sharpie:
Time to turn my attention to the top section. This came out of the console that was in the car, because it has the correct “windows” for the 4 speed 200R4 shifter:
This top section got the same thorough cleaning and silver touch ups, it was pretty dusty and dirty in all the impossible to reach areas after the car spent so much time in the bodywork stage.
It cleaned up nicely and looks good again:
The shifter bezel has held up well since I first painted it, but the black indicator part was looking a little rough. I polished it up with some fine 3M polishing glaze, and touched up the silver borders on it as well:
Other than giving this a good cleaning, why am I going to all this effort you ask?
Well here’s why:
The soft padded part of the old original console is badly degraded and falling apart:
I’ve known this since I bought the car, hence my hoarding this second console until now.
Time to assemble the two halves, the 3 speed lower half, and the 4 speed top half:
After removing the rest of the old console from the car, I transferred the wiring harness into the newly assembled one, and installed the whole works into the car. I ran into a couple of little hiccups including breaking the clip off the ground wire trying to straighten it out, as well as accidentally blowing the dome light fuse, and I felt like someone found it extremely amusing.
What you laughing at?!?!?
Anyways, job completed, just have to source an 1891 equivalent LED bulb for the console box light. The gear indicator already has a 194 LED bulb in it.
And a final, overall picture of the interior. I really hate the way the phone camera takes pictures of this interior, it makes the seats and door panels look like different colors than the carpet and floor mats. In person it looks the same color and absolutely amazing. I guess y’all will just have to take my word for it.
Glad to have this little project done and behind me, these consoles can be pretty finicky to mess with.
By the time most of you read this, my buddy Mike will be over for a garage day at my place and we’ll be tackling the better condition back bumper. So that’s it for now, thanks for seeing this through to the end with me friends.
D.
