Center Console Build w/ 4 Cupholders!

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

Usually I prefer to post when I am closer to completing a project, but I have had a lot of ideas flying around in my head and would like to get some feedback before I start building.

I'm torn between MDF and thin steel, not sure on gauge yet. The MDF would take up more space and be a little "bulkier". Steel might take more time, but I have access to my dad's tools for this summer while I am home. I would have to buy a bandsaw for MDF. If steel, I would finish it in black like a Tuffy. If I did MDF and bondo, I have a matching gray interior paint that I could texture like the oem plastic. MDF also seems a little more "forgiving".



These are the biggest issues that I would like to fix.

1. Lack of an arm rest:

I have the single lid console. It's barely taller than the seats and does not provide any support whatsoever.

2. Storage Space:

Who doesn't need more space?

3. More Cupholders:

I know this is what everyone wants to see so I'm planning on adding two useable ones in the front and two fold out ones in the rear.

4. An iPhone mount:

Usually, I just leave it in the awkward cupholder/coin cubby in the front, but on long road trips, I have gotten the temperature warning on my iPhone multiple times.

5. An accessory rocker switch panel:

I would like a convenient place for all of my switches because right now they are all over, and some are not easily accessible.

(Light Forces, front light bar, rear light bar, air compressor, bumper lights, and aux cooling fan)

6. Security:

Like a Tuffy, I am going to add a lock to keep contents secure.

----

So after several revisions, I have a rough shape.
Two smaller cup holders where I am holding one, the rocker switches on the narrow flat piece, and a padded lid up top.

I wasn't trying to copy the look of a Tuffy box originally, but it ended up having the same basic design. If I decide to build it out of metal, my dad has a Tuffy in one of his 40s that I can reference.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

The console will be a little wider than the factory one. I would like to refrain from cutting any of the oem parts. This is another selling point of doing it with steel, I could just bend it out instead of cutting it at angles or cutting into the oem plastic for a straight piece of MDF...which would also take space away from the e brake.

This is how I plan to taper it into the passenger side.

I could branch it off with steel to fill up some of that space behind the seatbelt for little things like the garage door opener, knives, a hand held cb, and other small similar stuff to hang on to.

 

[LandCruisinMy93]

You stole my idea! I drew it up like 7 months ago and haven't got around to it because of all my other projects. Good luck and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition.

 

[NLXTACY]

Nice. I have the engineering and shops to do this but zero time. Glad to see someone doing it. If you are interested in feedback at all just PM me.

 

[Dazrin]

What is under the carpet in your cubby hole, second picture with the USB socket? My cubby is about 3 inches deep, yours appears to be VERY shallow for some reason.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

Nice. I have the engineering and shops to do this but zero time. Glad to see someone doing it. If you are interested in feedback at all just PM me.

PM coming as soon as I get a rough cardboard version completed.

What is under the carpet in your cubby hole, second picture with the USB socket? My cubby is about 3 inches deep, yours appears to be VERY shallow for some reason.

It's just a ziplock full of pennies. I put the carpet over it for a nice place to set my phone.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

I completed the rough exterior mock up last night and got all the angles figured out along with the basic measurements and shapes.

I've decided to build it out of 14 or 16 gauge metal with an 1/8" locking lid. If I have to buy it, I'll go with 16 but I think we might have some 14 gauge in the attic.

The biggest design issue I'm facing right now is what to use for a phone mount that is very sleek (possibly removable) and it doesn't interfere with the space for two cups in the cup holders down low.

Same height as the rests on the doors. I will be putting a padded top over it.

 

[Dazrin]

For a phone holder you might consider one of BHicks' phone holder inserts. That would be trivial to do in your setup as long as you have the space and the right size hole. The ledge above your cupholders appears to be about the right size for that.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/phone-holder-for-my-in-dash-cupholder.862217/

 

[bmac1996acc]

When/if I ever do mine it will be a combination of MDF, fiberglass and marine vinyl

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

For a phone holder you might consider one of BHicks' phone holder inserts. That would be trivial to do in your setup as long as you have the space and the right size hole. The ledge above your cupholders appears to be about the right size for that.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/phone-holder-for-my-in-dash-cupholder.862217/

I saw the thread on that and I really like it, but I have the older dash so it isn't even an option.

I just found some 12 gauge metal that should be enough to do most of this console so I might start today

 

[Dazrin]

I have the old dash too which makes it useless to me but I was saying that it looks like there might be enough room on the ledge on your console above your cupholders to add this style of phone holder. It should only need the right size hole and would snap into the sheet metal.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

I have the old dash too which makes it useless to me but I was saying that it looks like there might be enough room on the ledge on your console above your cupholders to add this style of phone holder. It should only need the right size hole and would snap into the sheet metal.

Oh I get what you're saying. That might work, but I plan to put all of my accessories on rocker switches across the narrower ledge that's above the cupholders.

I'm thinking something that mounts maybe to the same slanted piece as the USB/AUX plug in, but not sure how to go about it. Or some type of arm that mounts flush to the side of the console that could be swung open to provide a phone holder.

The USB/AUX port I have in the little cubby of my old console will go above the cup holders.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

Worked on it all afternoon until I ran out of metal. I was trying to do a curved piece that would match up with the opening in the shifter surround perfectly, but that isn't going to be worth the time so I need to trim the edges of the metal a little bit.

edit:

Ordered two 3x2 cup holders, a blue sea contura rocker switch panel, a pair of Kicker 1" KS tweeters, a couple GoPro mount pieces, a 12v/Digital voltmeter/dual USB panel, and a black cam lock. Most parts should be in next week, and I should have metal by then.

 

[NLXTACY]

PM sent. Another option is a NoGa arm, also known as an Israeli Arm in the film industry.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

All the parts from Amazon have been trickling in over the past several days. Now I'm just waiting on the Daystar Rocker switches from eBay to arrive.

Then I just have to figure out what I want to do for a rear cup holder. 2 mounted cup holders would be okay, but they would take space away from someone sitting in the middle seat. I'm going to see if I can figure out something quickly that up folds up inside the console when not in use. Hopefully I can get the rest of the pieces cut out and bent up in the next couple of days.

Trying to find part 23

Edit: part 23 is too wide

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

Cut out the back yesterday, but otherwise didn't make much progress. I messed up on the entire top piece so I will likely end up cutting out another one today after I get the floor done.

Here's where I'm at with the floor. I figured out the angles, basic shape, and where to add tabs to weld it onto the sides. I'm thinking about adding another flip up false floor in the rear of the console. That recessed area is right above the rear heater.

 

[2fpower]

I have the tuffy in one of my rigs and really like it, but feel the depth makes it hard to organize. with your being another 5" deeper, how are you going to segment or organie inside of it?

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

I have the tuffy in one of my rigs and really like it, but feel the depth makes it hard to organize. with your being another 5" deeper, how are you going to segment or organie inside of it?

I'm thinking about adding at least 1 false floor. One small one over the rear heater, and another mid way up. Or add a panel in the center that I can just lift out of the console like the 100 series LC's have.


After driving today without the console in place, the heat rising off of the floor above the transmission and out of the shifter area has me worried. It's always been hot, but I didn't realize how hot. I need to figure out if I need to order a seal of some sort (like the one to fix the hot driver's feet) or if it just needs some insulation as it's just bare metal.


I can't wait to start welding this console up. I've been building it out of metal that we have had lying around and some of the pieces are slightly bowed so it doesn't all fit together perfectly. I cut out the floor today and bent up all of the tabs that I will weld onto the walls.

This picture shows the floor in place. It will end up quite a bit shorter because of the large bends it will have in it.

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

Switches came in, and I was able to bend up the floor and the back side pieces this morning. Then I tacked it up. Now I just need to make the piece that will fold over the entire top and the lid. Then I can start adding the cool stuff.

 

[NLXTACY]

I have the tuffy in one of my rigs and really like it, but feel the depth makes it hard to organize. with your being another 5" deeper, how are you going to segment or organie inside of it?