Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
OK, kids... here's one on which I've not been able to decide.
I have a factory console (graciously donated by friend Kevin) that would be correct for my LeBaron. It's even red, so it matches the interior perfectly. I tossed the original 60/40 bench long ago in favor of a pair of buckets from a BMW 528i, so I have room for it, and with spring coming it won't be too tough for me to go get the mounting brackets out of the car from which it was removed.
Of course, there was never a 4-speed console for the M-cars, so I'd have to modify this unit for the manual trans around the shifter hump, as well as pull off some slightly-hinky shenanigans with the shifter handle. I don't think it would be all that tough, though, and it looks like I might be able to use a '70 B-body console boot in my console. I could also have a local upholstery shop make me a fancy leather boot, which would match the interior a little better, and surely look more classy.
Here's the dilemma: the car is going to end up as somewhat of a one-of-a-kind deal, being a 4-speed coupe and all that. I think fabbing in the console would really add to that aura, because of the fact that they never made console/4-speed F/M/J cars. Done right, it's the kind of thing that would really throw people who know these cars for a complete loop, and I think it would look good and add to the car. Plus, I actually want to attempt the mods simply to see if I can do it.
So what's the problem? I fucking hate consoles, in particular Mopar consoles. Creaking, rattling shitbuckets for the most part until the FWD era, anyhow. I put a console in my '73 Challenger and it lasted, oh, maybe a day--and that started my general habit of tossing consoles out of my cars, be they Mopar or not. There were exceptions: two of my Chargers and my '79 300--because that console would hold damn near a 12-pack
. I was wet with delight that two of my Chargers ('71 Bee and '72 Rallye) were center fold-down armrest cars. I added rubber bumpers, clear silicone "snubbers", and over 10 pounds of DynaMat to a 4-speed E-body console for a friend in an attempt to quiet the stupid thing down, which it did to some extent... but it was still noisy.
So, I really kind of want to attempt this, but I swear the first time it rattles I will rip it from its mounts and smash the damned thing in the street. Should I even bother?
By the way, the console looks exactly like this one, but is red and would have a shift-booted Pistol Grip poking out of it:
I have a factory console (graciously donated by friend Kevin) that would be correct for my LeBaron. It's even red, so it matches the interior perfectly. I tossed the original 60/40 bench long ago in favor of a pair of buckets from a BMW 528i, so I have room for it, and with spring coming it won't be too tough for me to go get the mounting brackets out of the car from which it was removed.
Of course, there was never a 4-speed console for the M-cars, so I'd have to modify this unit for the manual trans around the shifter hump, as well as pull off some slightly-hinky shenanigans with the shifter handle. I don't think it would be all that tough, though, and it looks like I might be able to use a '70 B-body console boot in my console. I could also have a local upholstery shop make me a fancy leather boot, which would match the interior a little better, and surely look more classy.
Here's the dilemma: the car is going to end up as somewhat of a one-of-a-kind deal, being a 4-speed coupe and all that. I think fabbing in the console would really add to that aura, because of the fact that they never made console/4-speed F/M/J cars. Done right, it's the kind of thing that would really throw people who know these cars for a complete loop, and I think it would look good and add to the car. Plus, I actually want to attempt the mods simply to see if I can do it.
So what's the problem? I fucking hate consoles, in particular Mopar consoles. Creaking, rattling shitbuckets for the most part until the FWD era, anyhow. I put a console in my '73 Challenger and it lasted, oh, maybe a day--and that started my general habit of tossing consoles out of my cars, be they Mopar or not. There were exceptions: two of my Chargers and my '79 300--because that console would hold damn near a 12-pack
. I was wet with delight that two of my Chargers ('71 Bee and '72 Rallye) were center fold-down armrest cars. I added rubber bumpers, clear silicone "snubbers", and over 10 pounds of DynaMat to a 4-speed E-body console for a friend in an attempt to quiet the stupid thing down, which it did to some extent... but it was still noisy.So, I really kind of want to attempt this, but I swear the first time it rattles I will rip it from its mounts and smash the damned thing in the street. Should I even bother?
By the way, the console looks exactly like this one, but is red and would have a shift-booted Pistol Grip poking out of it:
