[DevoBuzz]

Hi - I picked up a console for my 72 LeMans. Since my car originally had a bench seat, I have no idea where the console is located (front/back loaction). Can someone take a measurement off of their rear seat and tell me how far the back of the console should be located from the rear seat? It's an auto.

Thanks!
Ralph

[screamingchief]

I'll give you pics,it's just easier for me at the moment.

Reference the seat belt bolt hole in the rear,and the floor pan seam in the front.

If you really need measurements bad,lemme know,I'll take a few and get that info posted for you.

It aint pretty,so dont expect much in the way of eye candy,these are "in progress" pics of a racecar,the console was "mocked up" to check shifter placement for the B&M pro-stick.

HTH.

[DevoBuzz]

OK - thanks. It looks as if the seat belt hole is almost in line with the back of the console in the first pic.

Hey did you make your panels for the inside of the console box? Is it plexiglas or metal? I don't have a box either so I'm looking for ideas.

Ralph

[screamingchief]

In the one pic you see the begining of a door for the console,I'm going to make a pad that straps on with nylon/velcro straps.

The other piece in the next pic was the begining of another part I'll just show you instead of trying to explain,it's not really a box in there now per se.

The panels are aluminum,I cant remember the actual thickness off the top of my head.

Remember,it's a race car,so this is'nt necessarily "show quality" work and definitely not as pretty as it could be if that was what I was going for,the console was given to me by a friend,then I stripped the vinyl off it completely,cleaned it up,and later I'm planning on prepping it and shooting it with some plastic panel paint.

And the pieces are'nt totally finished yet either,it's still sorta being put together as part of the larger project of rewiring the car from scratch,I did this as I did'nt want the switches on the dash (too far when strapped in by the harness) so I came up with this as my solution.

I wanted the switches recessed slightly so I would'nt be able to bump them and accidently turn anything off or such

And then,when it's time for business,close the console door and the pad is there for my arm to rest on,and this puts the shifter "right there" in my hand so there's no stretching or such,nice and comfortable,almost like a luxury car.

Racing ergonomics 101 by motorheads for motorheads!

By the time it's all finished it be more than adequate for a budget based race car effort IMHO.

Lemme know if you run into any issues and want those measurements.

Or if you have any other questions.

[DevoBuzz]

Ah - I see what your doing. What are all the switches for? I can guess 2 or 3. Looks like you have 5 or 6 of them.

On a related note - I want to put some gauges in the very front part of the console, ahead of the shifter. Right now I have 3 gauges hanging off the bottom of the dash. I was thinking of getting a pillar pod and mount that in the front part of the console but then the gauges would point towards the passenger. Has anyone else tried to do this?

Ralph

[screamingchief]

Ah - I see what your doing. What are all the switches for? I can guess 2 or 3. Looks like you have 5 or 6 of them.

The round one in the front is the starter button.

Other switches will be,fuel pump (possibly two of these),electric water pump,cooling fans (have two fans,each wired seperately so they can be run with just one or both off a single ON-OFF-ON switch),ignition power-up,nitrous arming,nitrous purge,line loc arming.

I'll still need to add a couple,likely by the shifter itself for the line loc arm,and the nitrous purge functions.

Not to mention a couple for inside lights and possibly one for an exterior light at some point.

The light switched will be on the dash (have two there now).

On a related note - I want to put some gauges in the very front part of the console, ahead of the shifter. Right now I have 3 gauges hanging off the bottom of the dash. I was thinking of getting a pillar pod and mount that in the front part of the console but then the gauges would point towards the passenger. Has anyone else tried to do this?

I'm sure somebody has done something similar,but maybe not quite that way,my guess is it would be easier and cleaner to build something from scratch,may take a few trial and error processes,but it's obviously a do-able feat.

HTH.
Bret.

[chuckmnv]

This is what I did. The gauges themselves fit in a pod I bought from a foreign car place -- don't remember much else about it. The base is open on the bottom and could be made from some abs. It is attached to the console with abs clips I made by using 3/16 abs and heat bending them to form the clips. One can be partially seen in the lower left. I would imagine that the base could also be bent up from some similar abs; it would just be a rectangle to match the pod.
cm

[DevoBuzz]

Yes that's what I was thinking! Except I would mount it in the console itself (to the left of the gauges in your pic, where the wood panel is). Now I need to do some searching and see if I can find a pod. Thanks.

Ralph

[chuckmnv]

Hey, Devo -
I did it this way for a coupla reasons: 1) Not to screw up my console or the wood insert and 2) to keep it out of the way of my knee -- I'm over 6'.
Good luck with your project.
cm