I recently spent a few hours butchering poster board trying to figure if I wanted to tackle building my own console or just make a salvage yard console fit. Since I usually always do everything the hard way, I decided to take a shot at building from scratch. I had planned to build it entirely out of fiberglass, but finally decided that a sheet of cheap thin plywood would give me a lot extra material to cut up and probably throw away.

I started out with poster board patterns.







Picked up a $14 sheet of plywood from Lowes and started cutting.





I made a lot of trips to the truck marking these panels for further trimming and needless to say the left and right sides won't be identical.






More to come.

 

Wow, lookin' good! Bein' a carpenter for 20+ years I can appreciate the work involved. When it's all done I'm sure it will shine like a brand new penny.

 

Drew, I was thinking something like that for my F1. I have a bench seat so I may drop straight down from the dash to the floor so I still have leg room for the grand boys. I only need to install a radio and relocate the center ac vents but alittle extra storage would be nice, too.

 

I cut a base plate out of 1/2" plywood with appropriate openings for shifter mount and cable and drilled mounting holes so that each time I installed the console I could be sure it was going back in the exact same position. It also was cut to create curves in the side panels of the console so that I could get a way from the square look and allow the console to match the curvature of the seat bolsters. I used sheetrock screws , glue and spacer blocks and about every clamp that I had in my shop to hold this thing in shape until the glue set.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence......I really don't know where this is going to wind up. I really hope to incorporate some more cherry wood into this console to match my instrument panel insert.

It will certainly simplify the build if you don't have bucket seats to contend with.

 

Drew, that looks really good! What will the top/face surface be? Will the base be finished wood or covered? Seems a shame to cover up that beautiful wood work.
Can't wait to see it finished...

 

nice. got a good esthetic and craft too. can't wait to see what you come up with.

 

As always, Stunning work

 

Drew,

I love it everytime you start a new thread. There is always something cool to look at and to get inspiration from.
Another nice project! Thanks for sharing

Bobby

 

ATTA BOY Drew. You are truley an inspiration. Keep up the good work.

 

Looks good, I had the same idea for mine, just havent decided on bench or bucket seats yet. I want to leave behind the seats for storage so either way I will be stopping the console in front or between the seats. I thought about making it out of wood and then fiberglassing over it so I could paint it.

 

Drew, I knew from your first cardboard console layout that it was going to look super and as usual you have pulled it off and put me to shame.

I think the waterfall look is cool but I like an elbow rest so why not incorporate an arm rest into your waterfall design???
Just one of my warped thoughts, hehe.

 

Moving right along........I guess I must have walked through the tuner section one time too many at the local cruise in....... cause I got the sudden urge to run to Wallyworld and buy a yard of the cheapest fleece I could find. $2.97 a yard got some designer orange and headed home. Lots of staple later stretching the fleece and around 30 ounces of polyester resin and the console is covered and ready for some mat placed in strategic locations. No resin where there will be a cutout for the shifter.

You will also notice that I made a change in the rear of the console. Haven't had a chance yet to cut off the excess fleece.






I'm really surprised how light the console has remained so far.

More to come if and when I figure out what the heck I'm gonna do next.

 

Darn Drew, you make it look so easy. I've learned my limitations when it comes to working with wood, and they are all but non existent. Thanks, you journeyman craftsman give the rest of us inspiration, and let us know that maybe, just maybe, with a little instruction I/We just might be able to do something, that I/We would be willing to admit was ours. LOL I'm very serious, and grateful for all the lessons.

 

That looks good! Are you going to paint over that?