I’m halfway through with my project to remove the AC unit and return the cockpit to a non-AC appearance. What started out as a simple (remove the unit hanging under the dash) project has mushroomed into a much larger project once I discovered that the center console in my car was from an earlier 3.8 car (?) and nothing other than the armrest would fit the new configuration. Left perhaps for another day is the question of why a former owner did this…(?)
However, after a several month long scavenger hunt I’ve now gotten all of the pieces together to complete the project and am ready to upholster the newly acquired (bare metal) center console. Toward that end I need to know if I should use any foam under the vinyl that I am putting onto the sides of the console? Do I glue the vinyl directly onto the sides or only on the top and bottoms where it is wrapped around the console? Also, is the separate “Y” shipped metal with wood underneath piece (after being upholstered) glued onto the top of the console or is it attached with (very short) screws from below?
If anyone has done this before or could offer any answers, suggestion or pictures it would be greatly appreciated!
Chet, I have reupholstered my center console for a 3.8 1963 FHC. There is a thin foam on the sides of the console, that I glued lightly to the sides first. Then the vinyl was stretched and glued at the top and bottom only, not on the sides, so that the vinyl and foam were free to move a bit. The “Y” shaped top panel is attached with short screws from below. I actually added a few more than original to mine, to make the panel really lie flat. I posted a few videos of my work on my YouTube channel (JohnCarey1963Jag) so go there and check it out. good luck,
John
Chet,
To be honest I couldn’t say for certain but I suspect they were very short #4 or #6 sheet metal type screws. I also remember that I took the tips off them with my bench grinder to be certain the screws didn’t poke up too far.
my series 2 console has a indentation on both sides for the seats
you want to use contact cement just on the lip of the indentation so your vinyl will
lay in the recessed area… let that dry and then pull and glue the fabric around the edges
my Y top had metal tabs that fold over to hold it in place. I glued the piping to the console
not the Y and It worked great
When you say your Y top had metal tabs… were those to hold the wood pieces or to hold the Y top to the console? My Y top has metal tabs but they are folded over to hold the three pieces of 1/8" wood that goes under the Y top. The only thing I can see that would hold the Y top to the console would be glue or very, very short screws…
2 tabs at front of Y bent down around console and tabs bent down around perimeter of emergency brake cut out holding the Y top to console body, that was it no screws.
screws holding down the cubby in 4 corners.
short screws would work though, Roger
one of us has the tabs bent the wrong way. since I did not have existing holes in the metal or wood for screws from the factory. I am assuming the tabs bent down not up would be right. the top Y is held down well this way, Roger
why not use contact cement to attach the wood, screw heads will cause the Y piece to sit to high, you need to keep all of the console as low as possible otherwise you will have clearance issues with the center gauge cluster when you fold it down. Roger
Just watched your videos - I actually had seen one of them a while ago but didn’t realize there were more:) Nice job and very helpful…now if you could just get yourself a Series II and do another series of videos that would be even more helpful!
Thanks John!
Does the shift “gaiter” (the cover that goes over the shifter) attach to the bottom of the metal console or to the bottom of the “Y” that goes on top of the metal console?
How does the shift boot attach? Is it just fitted over the shifter (then the shift “gaiter” is just placed over it or is it (somehow) attached to the gaiter itself?
On a 67 I am working on, I found that under the parrots beak, (the protrusion which sticks above the console through which the shift lever passes), there are two clips, one at the front inside and one at the back inside … What I found out from Mike Griffey at OSJI is that I will be bending a 1/8 inch thick steel rod into a shape which will fit nicely into the parrots beak and willl fit into and be retained by those clips.I will then weld/solder the ends together. Iwrap the bottom of the boot around the rod and glue it to itself so it is held in by those clips.
Thanks Michael - but unfortunately I have an after market “parrots beak” so there are no clips underneath…just a smooth surface. However you have given me an idea to create the same steel rod shape and try to have it tight enough to “spring load” into the inside of it. Then I plan to glue the shift “boot” to the steel rod and then glue the whole assembly inside. Since there’s no load or torque being applied to that boot since it just loosely covers the shifter I’m hoping that this will work.
yeah I don’t think so…
