Building a center console from scratch, with no wood working skills!!!

[1987cp]

Also if you want to be creative, you can run a vent to the rear seat by somehow hooking it up to the center vent. Is that a vent, I always feel heat come out when I have heater on?

Interesting idea. Might not be that hard to do, either. The little vent thing on the very bottom comes off (just don't break it like I did!), and with some effort and creativity I'd think it would be fairly easy to adapt some sort of ducting to that outlet and vent it to both the front and rear floor areas.

[saiyaneye]

What kind of wood did you use just cheap ass plywood. I guess for the vent I can construct one from fiberglass, the only thing is I will have to take out the seat to get my damn mold...

[1987cp]

For mine I just used pieces of pegboard, which is very thin and wouldn't be great for a larger project; I'd think any plywood, MDF, or OSB would be fine as long as you can get the structure and finish the way you want it; for example, a) 7/16" OSB is relatively heavy and might be overkill if you won't be putting a lot of weight on it, b) for a woodgrain top you'd obviously want a plywood made from some hardwood or a cheap plywood or MDF with a hardwood veneer applied (come to think of it, I like that idea!), and c) while for a carpeted or padded vinyl finish it wouldn't matter so much as long as the fabric can be laid smooth. Just a few things I intend to take into account when I get around to building another one.

[saiyaneye]

I wonder what I would have to do for a cupholder? Just cut out various sized rings? Then a piece for the bottom. I guess I could brush up some fiberglass resin on it to protect it when cup sweats.

[1987cp]

That's an idea. It'd be more elegant than a square hole, and there'd be no worrying about stuff getting lost inside. I guess if space and cleverness worked out, I might try some sort of pull-out design .... I think I like your idea better, though. Be a good project for someone like me to learn about fiberglass molding, too.

[85MercPark]

Here is my cardboard mock up and my first prototype. Was done in about 2 hours. I am pleased with the design, but the construction and fit isn't exact. But now i have a good prototype to work with to fine tune my cuts.

My hope is to make it from a wood similar to my dash and stain it to match, but will probably just use a brown vinyl.

I tend to keep my drivers seat way forward so I had to keep it close to vertical

[1987cp]

I think that's one of the better ideas so far for a mini-console! Looks nearly like it belongs there. And with brown vinyl it should fit right in. Just gonna do gauges and a cigarette lighter?

[85MercPark]

I may add a nook to hold my cell phone or something.
I just have a tmp gauge now, may have two cigarette lighter spots for my cell and cooler.

[1987cp]

Cell phone nook ... I like that idea. Wife's Cavalier has a little thing in the console that's great for holding a cell phone ... in the LTD I usually end up putting it either on the seat or in the pull-handle on the door.

[85crownHPP]

thats the stuff !!!

get the marine grade vinyl, its a lot tougher

[85MercPark]

Maybe once I get the pattern down I could make more if anyone was interested.

[85crownHPP]

this is one I made for Natehawk's 85

[85MercPark]

Here's my finished product.
I am not happy at all with the quality of my work, but it was a first try and I didn't spend much time on the details. I plan to make a second one and spend more time on the details. Couldn't find the color brown I wanted either.
I need to invest in some brown floor mats now.

[1987cp]

Nice! I don't think it looks bad except for the color. I guess visually from the side it wants to come up farther in the rear. Still, it looks super-handy and I like it!

Questions: 1) what's the switch for, and 2) how did you secure it to the floor?

[interceptor1985]

Cell phone nook ... I like that idea. Wife's Cavalier has a little thing in the console that's great for holding a cell phone ... in the LTD I usually end up putting it either on the seat or in the pull-handle on the door.

Cell phones don't belong in car's