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CENTER CONSOLE CHANGE

28K views 39 replies 16 participants last post by  CT3993 
#1 ·
REFERNECE'S
http://www.escape-city.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1120
http://www.escape-city.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=484
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3329314/3

(EXCUSE THE DETAIL SEQUENCE OF PICS, I WROTE THE WRITE UP AFTER THE PICS WHERE DONE SO I WROTE THIS TO BEST SUITE THE READER)
This is the write up for the center console and center cluster exchange.
1) Is to pull out the CENTER A/C vents. No trick to this, you that must be done is to get a good grip and pull straight out; this allows exposure to the upper bolt on the radio bezel.




2) Remove the power station (where the cigarette lighter is) same process as the AC VENTS. Get a good grip and then pull straight out. The trick here is slip your left thump in the socket and get a good grip with the other hand and pull straight out. This exposes the bolt bolts for the radio bezel.

3) Remove the bolts from the bezel and remove.
a. There will be connectors located on the back of the bezel that control the AC Remove those. The big one is the hardest and takes a big of muscle to pull out so be careful. The other is not so hard and requires a flip of a little handle located on it.



b. Make the switch from one bezel to the other.



4) Removing the ring from the shifter can be a little sketchy but look at the pic and be careful not to scratch the center console.


[

a. There are 4 tabs that hold it in try to pull on those sides to ensure a safe removal



5) Open the center console compartment and remove the center console bucket. This will allow for the center console to be removed. I placed myself on the driver side and got a good grip and pull straight up





6) Make the switch with the other console. By simply popping back in place.

7) While I had this open and don't have pics of; are the cables that are to run my sub and amp. Which I have ran but not yet found a place to secure the amp. But am currently enjoying.

8) Run everything backwards to reassemble








I have been trying to change or black out everything on the center console to piano black. But have been running into a lot of impedance. Being that I had to turn to spray painting the radio bezel, door handles and if I don't find the CENTER AC VENTS I will spray paint that as well. But the AC VENTS have a lot of curves and a lot of angles. SO this makes it harder to spray paint and give it an even coat. In order to give it the piano black look, one must give a generous coat of paint. Too much and then dripping occurs and uneven settling especially in the corners where it pits. It would make a small puddle.
 
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Discussion starter · #3 ·
mentalcase said:
Where did you get all the parts and how much did they cost you? I want to do this so bad to my the exterior of my car.
Haha I quess you meant interior, if so the cost for all that was explained, was in total $80. $35 for the center console on eBay, $30 for radio dash kit which came in flat black from crutchfield when i bought my stereo, $15 for 3 cans of good glossy spray paint, and the time that it will take you to make it happen.

The reason I bought a new console from ebay was for the fact that the console takes a beating from day to day. And to spray paint it wouldnt be able to take the abuse of everyday use so well.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
mentalcase said:
I meant to say match my exterior. Man I just took a look on ebay and one place is selling the whole center console not just the center piece. I could probably just take all the pieces to an auto body shop too. Probably wouldn't cost me too much.
http://www.escape-city.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4926

If you take a look at this post you can see the part # that were given to me by OPICHURIS im mean TANG. Go to the dealership and see if thats an option if not then yeah take it to a auot body and have then paint it for you. Dont know what it would it would cost.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Hey Pal I used RUSTOLEUM UNIVERSAL ADVANCED FORMULA of course in glossy black. Honestly I think there might be a better product out there, but I went to LOWES (hardware store) and bought the most expensive product they had. The end product was great, nothing to complain about. As long as one knows how to spray paint it will be fine.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
As a matter of fact i am almost done. I painted the ac Vents and just need to give it one more coat and intall it. I also bought clear coat but i am gonna test it on the door handles first, before i go for the center pieces.

Did you install yours
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
I just bought the center console and painted the bezel, ac vents, cigarette outlet, and door handles.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
I just got back to town, but I just noticed that i have to give one part on the AC trim another coat as I found a paint bubble. BUt I will post pics as soon as possible , probably mid week.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
I know I said I would have pics up but turns out that part of the ends of the AC vent that I painted wrinkled during drying so have to sand and repaint the whole thing again.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Finally got to it and have everything spray painted and installed. Minus any cleat coat. I will get to clear coat the door handles soon and the rest of the console, if and only if the clear coat on the door handles are looking good. Here is a pic of the center console area I will post more pics soon this week, to include the door handles and a better pic of the center console.
 
Discussion starter · #21 ·
THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!
It took about 3 days to dry to be tangable, but not completley, that will take about a month of sitting in the dash to cook in the sun. Yeah the whole project wasnt hard, just time consuming.
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
THANKS :beer:
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
YUP Ebay is where if found it. If you cant find it you can spray paint it. Good Luck
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
Depends on how good you are at painting with a can or spray gun. Its pretty easy if you got your sray coats down even and have a plan of how to paint it, as to where you get the diffciult spots done first and correctly and then tackle the rest to where there is no run off, especailly back into to the difficult spots. You can get paint at any hardware store, and get the good expensive stuff not the cheap stuff..... If anyhting go to a paint shop and see what it would cost to paint it for you.
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
What part of the console are you looking for???

ibra0078 said:
Anybody know the name of the console on eBay or the link. It seems I can't find it

Thanks
 
Discussion starter · #33 ·
What part of the console are you looking for???

ibra0078 said:
Anybody know the name of the console on eBay or the link. It seems I can't find it

Thanks
 
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