New center console, what do you think?

[bigblock73]

OK gang, I designed and mocked up a center console for Yeller. Once I had my mock up finished, a buddy of mine fabricated it out of steel for me. The purpose of building this console was to elevate the shifter so I could reach it easier, all while not taking up the entire center section of the floor. I also wanted to keep the factory between-the-seats center console.

I am undecided as to what color it should be. I have been going back and forth between yellow (body color), tan/buckskin (dashboard color), and silver to match the actual shifter cover. The carpet in the truck will be a slightly different tan color, and the between-the-seats console will be dyed the same color as the rest of the trim.

What do you guys think? What do you think of the console?

I have started a thread in the photoshop section, hopefully someone can lend a hand.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...33#post1698433

[tkeduk8r]

Jeff.. very nice, neat and clean... I dig it... I would prolly try to match the buckskin color or whatever tan you are going with on your buckets and console, unfortunately you cant duplicate the factory dried out powder away-when-you-scrape-it finish ... your truck is gonna rock what ever you decide to do... one of these days we gotta hook up er somethin... was just down in the cities today for an interview at u of m....keep makin progress for those of us that arent right now!!!
--Mike

[84slopwaggin]

Awesome fab work. Looks user friendly, as well. Choice of color will be a hard decision. Goodluck choosing

[Slonaker]

Match it to the carpeting, IMHO.

Nice work...

Slonaker

[swervin ervin]

It's hard for me to say Jeff. The shifter boot (for lack of a better word) don't lend itself to doing a lot to make anything console shaped, you know?

If it were mine, I would go for a look of being more flat on top. What I mean is try to make one to fit all the way around the metal shifter boot and come up closer to the top. Then you could have just the very top of the boot sticking up and out of the console, that could be painted to match whatever you do with the interior.

You are asking for my opinion and so don't take it wrong but I don't like it being so skinny. The console needs to be wider and more flat on top. I would strive for it being at least as wide as the factory console. I would also bring it all the way back to meet the factory console without a gap between the two. Then have it upholstered the same color as your other interior pieces. I think this would look killer. What you have now would look more at home in a dragster. Once again, you asked.

Although this is just what I would like. Different strokes for different folks, you know?

[bigblock73]

Thanks for the feedback so far guys.

Mike, if I didn't want opinions, I wouldn't have started this thread or asked for them. I see what you are saying, and I agree to a point. However, I am going for a muscle/drag type truck and look...and I felt a larger console would make it loo more "sporty". I am also trying to keep things somewhat simple, and for the most part, stock looking. Wo knows, maybe none of the color choices will sit with me, and I'll have to figure something else out...we'll see. Again, thanks for your feedback, I listen to what you say more than you think...but maybe not the first time you say it (ie: lowering my truck )

[N2TRUX]

Jeff,
I would have sloped the front up to add a guage up front, but that's water under the bridge now. The design is very clean and flows with the shifter nicely.

I would not paint it yellow because it will make the console "stand out" rather than blend in and flow with the interior. I would paint it to match the dash....

[swervin ervin]

I see what you mean about muscle/drag type. It would look that way the way you have it. But, I think it will look out of place with factory/stock seats and console, you know? Again, my opinion only.

Now if you had racing seats with racing seatbelts and a rollbar, I would tend to agree. You can make the console look racey (is that a word?) and still build it some bigger and more flat. My personal opinion? Think early Camaros and Chevelles, along with all the other muscle cars of the late 60's and early 70's with auto consoles.

Just some food for thought. Suggestions. Opinions. Things to mull over in your head before going full blast. After all this, you know more about what you want and what looks good on your truck than I do. Just look at yeller. Now how can I say what you are doing is not right? Quality and workmanship along with the beauty, it's hard for me to say what you need to do to her. I believe you are doing a pretty good job on your own.

[79BIG10]

Looks great Jeff. I would agree with Ken and stick with the interior color or have it trimmed out in the carpet material. Heck even satin black with the silver handle would look good.

[87 STEPPER]

Jeff,
Seeing where you have it placed looks to be too far fwd to me to be in a comfortable position for banging through the gears and i don't see how you would get it back any further with the factory console where its at.

I have my floor shifter mounted right about in the center of where that factory cntr console is sitting and it sits at just the right spot for me and i have pretty long arms and i think i would have to reach fwd to shift yours.

I guess what im saying is id'e get rid of the stock console and move it back a little bit further and make it the same color as the carpet it would look more in "place" and not as much as an aft thought.

I don't see how you will accomplish the drag truck theme with the bulky stock console in there and the stock theme aint gonna happen with that type of shifter you have. you would have to go with a different style of shifter to get that look more like what i have.

The drag truck/stock look theme is a hard one to nail and get it right so don't take what i said to hart.

Well theres my opinion take it for what its worth.

One last thing your buddy did a helluva job on the shifter base mount

[bigblock73]

Thanks for all the suggestions folks.

I got some help in the photoshop dept and it looks like the tan (dashpad/center console) color is the winner.

Bruce, I see what you are saying...and that thought has crossed my mind many times, you know, about the factory center console and shifter placement. I basically purchased this shifter to match my Ultralight Autometer gauges and custom dash panel, I sold the B&M Megastick (?) I originally had since it didn't match the theme I ended up going with. The problem is, I have my heart set on using these factory buckets and console...I LOVE the look of them and am not willing to get rid of them or the console. SO, I figured a smaller console elevated slightly would give me the best of both worlds. I know it isn't in the ideal location for a floor shifter, but I am 6'-5" with long arms...and the reach for the shifter is pretty minimal. I also told myself that I won't be racing this truck that often, so most of the time I will just throw it in "D" and throttle along my merry way.

Again, thanks for the feedback everyone, even if you didn't agree with my philosophy...I still like to hear from the "experts".

[PHOENIX]

I kind of like the raw look of the steel.
But the color looks nice. I think it might look better if the shifter base matched too and just the shifter handle was left alone.

[Captkaos]

We all have our own opinions, so here is mine.
First: What you have looks good in the last photo? It fits what you are going with well.
Paint: No question. Match the rest of the interior (IE Dash color, or covered with the same seat material)

Second: This is my thoughts:
On the console, I am not sure how the shifter mounts to the stand, but...
It would look less "floating" around if you were able to encase the shifter with a metal cover and upholster it in the same color as you put on the seats.

Basically what I am thinking about is to make the shifter mount to a generic "stand" on the floor and make a sheetmetal cover that goes OVER the shifter shaped like you have it except that it covers everything but the "gate" portion and upholster it in the seat material. This may be too fancy for the theme you have in mind though.

[Jonboy]

I would say cover the fabricated console in the same material as your seats (some sort of vinyl or leather/leatherette I am guessing) and dye the removable cover of the shifter the same color. You can still access the shifter if you need to, but it will blend in a lot more.

[boxrodz]

Jeff-
I just wanna say you're buddy did a good job building the stand. It's kinda ashame to cover it. But, I think your decision to match it with the console color should look good. (I wonder how it would look if some MDF was installed on the vertical sides of the stand and the corners radiused to match the rounded corners of the console, then smoothed and painted.)