Custom center console?

[MN_Burbon]

I am going to build a new wood center console to match my wood dash kit and to house a DVD player for my kids in the back seats.

Has anybody already done this? I plan to use about the same dimensions as the existing console but had considered letting the front of the new wood one go all the way up under the dash. It will have to hold a standard in dash dvd player accessable from the back seats, I'd also like to incorporate a headphone jack and a set of rca plugs and a power outlet so the kids can play their video games in the back seat.

[TrailLeadr]

Sounds really nice. The only thing I did like that was in a dodge caravan. It pretty much turned out to be a large wood box, with two cup holders built into the front of it. I can picture what your saying and it sounds sweet! Good luck with it! Be sure to post pictures when you finish it.

[Steve]

I built a custom console unit for a jeep CJ5 that I used to have. It ended up pretty good. I don't have buckets in my the 'burban so I don't have anything to go off of for that. I can tell you that both front and rear cupholders are well liked items. :-)

[Aeropagus]

What type of trim are you planning to have on it? Just trying to get an idea of what you're planning here.

[3com]

search the net, in just 2 min. i found this sight with some ideas for you to think about.
http://www.teamlouish.com/imports.console
its for a car but the general idea is for what you want, he even put 2 dvd screens in one for the front and one for the back, witch buy the way i belive is not a good idea for the driver but you could use the front screen idea for a navigation system, good luck and like trail said be sure to post pics it sounds like a great idea. i did just finish my new computer chair for the house, used a 84 fiero seat with speakers in headrest on a regular pedestal and arm rests, working on wireless hookup to computer for speakers, wife doesnt like the wires comeing out of seat to desk.
good luck i love the idea and would love to try something myself. the headphone jack and rca plugs shouldnt be a problem as long as the dvd unit you buy has them already. if it doesnt you may have some trouble and have to do some creative wiring.
most important take your time and dont get worried all the wiring for power should slip nicely under carpet if you dont go all the way to the dash with it.

[Steve]

you know? When i was a kid, we has to just sit there and annoy our siblings when we went on long trips, now-a-days kids get all sorts of games, TVs, DVDs, phones, etc. My only question is, why didn't I ever have any of these things? :-)

[3com]

ahead of time sorry about the long winded responce but my wife just got this in an email and after Steve's ans. i thought this apropriate.
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the

1930's 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they
carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get
tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored
lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we
rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took
hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE
actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar
in it, but we weren't overweight because

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back
when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down
the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the
bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no
99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell
phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chatrooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us
forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and
tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out
very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang
the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't
had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They
actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers
and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as
kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own
good.

and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave
their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

[MN_Burbon]

The plan is to buid the console from solid wood to match the wood trim kit that I put in. Preferably a burl maple with a stain that matches the dash kit. I tried to hit that link from above but just end up with a "coming soon" page. Would really like to see the console there sounds like just the ticket.

[3com]

try to search custom consoles
that one on that sight was plastic and for a car but the idea was what you were looking for for wood models try custom van consoles they are ussually wood and quite impressive. but for the burb i think the one this guy built for his car is more like what you want . just change the matterial to wood. i'll see if i can find it again.

[3com]

http://www.teamlouish.com/imports.console.html

try this one.

[3com]

i tryed it and it worked for me but remember change the plastic to wood and that should look great in the burb. just make it the same hight as the one you have now and you should have more than enuf room for a dvd in back, navigation center in front and lots of storage space. i would try to keep origanal front cup holders that are removeable for the reason they make for a great hideing spot, my wife keeps her glock 17 there. but like i said dont forget pics when its done i cant wait to see it no matter how it looks, could turn into a project for me for the winter.

[MN_Burbon]

link works... that is a slick console. definately something that can be used as a starting point.

[MN_Burbon]

The center console project is underway, I have a full scale cardboard mockup in the truck right now. Trying to verify that the everything will work where I think it fits. I will ride with that and make adjustments for a couple days and then go to the fabrication process.

Hey Mike, how's the project going? Done yet? got pics?
Where have you been?

[MN_Burbon]

I pulled one of those stop to think and didn't start again deals ;-), actually just been really busy around the house. I have some of the console done and as soon as it's finished I will get the pics up. The time taken doesn't really reflect the effort required, I have not really worked on it much and its gone together better than expected. Sorry for the disconnect......

[84fiero123]

dam i saw this and thought maybe you had it done, but been there done that. when you do get it done i got to see it, will probly be a winter project for me. just curios what kind of wood are you useing, or plywood?

[MN_Burbon]

using 1/2 plywood for the framing and will be covering it all in fiberglass

[84fiero123]

oohhhhhh i thought you said you wanted it to match dash woodgrain how are you going to make that happen? or did i do something wrong in showing you that console site?

[QTee]

you know? When i was a kid, we has to just sit there and annoy our siblings when we went on long trips, now-a-days kids get all sorts of games, TVs, DVDs, phones, etc. My only question is, why didn't I ever have any of these things? :-)




Ditto Steve!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[MN_Burbon]

Still trying to work a little woodgrain into an inlay on the top surface of the console, plan changes everyday though. Some of the stuff I ran across on MP3car.com has drastically altered my original ideas.

When I was 14, my family and I went on a road trip. I scavenged up what I could, and converted an old VCR into a 12v system. (Basically gutted the power supply, and ran a direct line to the cig lighter, since it ran on a base voltage of 12v anyway.) We had a portable 7inch black and white TV, so I brought that, plus a whole bunch of VCR tapes. As much as my parents didn't like all the wires running from the front of the car to the rear seat, they were thankful that I wasn't asking "are we were there yet?", or "how much longer?"

Hence is the reason why I'm working on my carputer. So I don't have to worry about my son disassembling the dvd player to convert it, or converting the PS2 or x-box, when he gets older.

[Steve]

I know what you mean about busy! We're full into house-hunting mode. Looks like I might be able to find a place with either a large garage, or access to the rear of the house where I can build a garage.

Maybe I have to wait 5 years when we plan to flip the house and get something out in the country anyhow. We'll see.

[MN_Burbon]

just an update, I have had about three different versions of temporary test consoles in place and made some serious design changes.

Having a display in the console for the middle seat really didn't work, the screen was too low

Also scrapped putting the dvd player in the back of that same console as the controls were too low and too hard to for the kids to see. Not to mention they kept getting bumped as the kids climbed in and out of the truck. If it weren't for that Optima battery I would have come out to a dead truck several times.

The new plan, 50% implemented is to use a 2001 tahoe console (has a front section) and mount the dvd player up front and install another of those cool little pockets from ckresto.com and mounting the lcd displays in the back of the headrests.

The kids will have a remote for the dvd player and have wireless headphones (best $30 I ever spent, anybody with 2 or more kids will appreciate that).

[Steve]

Wow, that sounds like quite a project. Keep us updated with that.