How about a new center console?

Well the dash work has been put on hold while wait for pieces to come back from powder coating. So I decided to start work on my center console. I basicly stole the design of the tuffy security consoles. Figured I could make it exactly as I wanted and save $200-$300.

I had a wooden box that got replaced by an ammo can when I got new seats.



I came up with my dimensions and a rough design in autocad. Cut out the sheet with hand shears and used my ghetto sheet metal brake to bend it all up. Its a piece of angle iron clamped to the bench. I use my hands and a hammer to bend it all.









The flat spot is where the radio will go and it will have its own cover to lock it up. The main cover will be hinged in the back and have a lock in the front as well as padding. I need to figure out some kind of beverage holders on the front.

I told my boss today that we really need a sheetmetal shear and brake, he laughed. R)

Enjoy,
Kevo

 

Looks very good. I was checking out your dash pics.Excellent work I like to see things people make themselves . I have been thinking of making some rear corner guards out of some 1/8 stock I have .Haven't figured out how to bend the radius yet. any ideas? Bob

 

Nice work Kevo!

 

Yea, I have to admit my center consoles in the past just get filled with junk. But, its nice to have a spot to stick the camera (with spare batteries and charger), along with cd storage and the oh so important registration papers in case I get pulled over. For some reason I also have welding rod and a tire plug kit in there.

Got some more done, but hit a few snags and didn't get as much done as I wanted. Still need to finish the top and drink holders. Here is a pick with it all closed off.



Here is a pick with the radio compartment opened up.



And here it is displaying my invisible drink holders.



Unfortunately, I was just thinking last night that I have no idea how well a cd player will work when its verticle. I looked again at the tuffy boxes and theirs are actually angled up. I guess I'll have to see how well it works.

Enjoy,
Kevo

 

I called the crutchfield catalog guys (they sell stereo stuff) once with questions about that. They said most CD players wouldn't work very well angled like that, but did recommend one model, it was a blaupunkt if I recall correctly. Went with a tape player (this was back in the day!).
After some thought, a good setup would be a plain (no tape/cd player) head unit that had CD changer controls, and mount a CD changer somewhere else, like a bigger storage box in the back of the jeep, the changer could have its own box within the bigger box to protect/waterproof it somewhat.

 

Mmm... I've written this before; removable media and Jeeps don't mix well. I'd only accept either satellite radio or MP3/Ipod storage.

<edit> Good work on the console!

 

Great looking project.

 

good job.

 

Another nice job Kevo!

 

looks good.

 

Thanks guys! Hopefully my amature methods of construction will inspire others to use what they have.

What inspired this project was a friends jeep. It must be 5 yrs ago I saw it, but he had a similar center console he bought. I seem to recall his cd player was mounted verticle. He pointed out that the cd player instructions mentioned it might not work well, but it seemed to be doing fine. My instructions mentioned that the radios performance may be less if mounted more than 60 degrees up. Doesn't say exactly how bad though. I was going to pull it out and hook it up with it on end last weekend, but I'm lazy.

If it doesn't work I'll just have to modify it and make it work.

Kevo

 

Looks good

 

So this weekend I am trying to finish this console. Maybe next weekend I can get it installed. I decided that the top didn't fit very well so I made a new one. That set me back a couple hours, but at least it fits better. Finaly went and made the drink holders. Had to take some sheet metal and bend it round and weld it together to get the holders. Should have tried to find some 3" thinwall tube as that would have been easier. The curved outer face was simply tacked in place, then bent a little, tacked, bent a little more, tacked, etc... , untill it fit right.





A 3" hole makes for a snug fit!



Enjoy,
Kevo

 

Very nice!

 

gud gud

 

When does full blown production start. Never know you might sell a few if you took orders.
Ya know a mans gotta have a plan for later on and a retirement nest egg.
Heck I've made quite a bit of money 10-$20 at a time off the guys on this board, its paid for alot of my Jeep parts.

 

Ha Ha! Yes, I thought about that! I think people would be better off buying a tuffy console though! Heck, I'm starting to think I should have done that what with all the time I have into this thing. I wouldn't say this is my first experience with sheet metal, but its the most complicated thing I've made with little to no actuall sheet metal tools.

I seem to have an issue making the lids "square". You can't tell from the pics, but if you look from the top they are way off. After my third top I got tired and wanted to just finish it. As long as the cd player works ok it will work for me and I doubt most will notice it.

Finally primered it today. I might paint it tommorrow. Then all I need to do is work on the padding and upholstry.





Finally went and installed a coolant fan switch so I can get rid of my Hayden fan controller. Just another one of those little projects I wanted to get done before summer.



Enjoy,
Kevo