Fitting up a 4th gen floor console to early 3rd gen dash

[chrisp2493]

Ok well I have my console 80% of the way finished. I have it solidly mounted to the floor by some home made brackets. My next issue is filling in the gaps. It took ALOT of trimming and cutting to get it this close. Luckily the passenger side got most of the gap covered with the kick panel trim that came with the console. But since the console is alittle wider then the dash the driver side kick panel wouldn’t fit. So anybody that does custom work have any ideas for me to make pieces up?

 

[HemiLonestar]

Dude that already looks good and is more helpful than you can imagine

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[chrisp2493]

Dude that already looks good and is more helpful than you can imagine

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

I got a lot more pics and stuff. I was waiting to upload them and some kind of a write up when I was finished. But if you are in the middle of yours I can add more. If you hit the link to my Flickr site, I have a whole album of all my pictures. I just want to figure out how to add the final touches so it looks good

 

[predat-r]

That's a crazy idea, just wondering what it would look like all finished up.

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[chrisp2493]

I’ve been debating on that to do with my floor shifter for the 4x4. I’ve seen pictures of people just cutting a hole in the side of the console and letting it stick out. I wasn’t happy with that idea. So I decided to try modifying the handle to stick straight out the side. I cut the handle with about 3/4” sticking up, and welded the remaining piece to the top of it sticking out 90 degrees. Got it bolted to the transfer case


After getting that in, as I kinda figured it took a ton of effort to actually shift it. So I decided to make another piece that attached to the end and stood straight up as a handle. After brainstorming for a minute I decided to make something custom. I remembered I had a bunch of left over connecting rods laying around, and now I’m gonna make this lol it’s the perfect shape for a shifter handle!

This is actually the rod that went bad and destroyed my old engine, so I’ll always have it around to remind me [emoji23]
Tommorow I’m going to weld a flat plat onto the backside of the connecting rod, and then weld that whole thing to the end of the rod sticking out. If this works out ok, I am thinking about using another connecting rod for the ratchet shifter I will install with the new trans later this year

 

[charonblk07]

I like the floor shifter, very nice. For the gaps this is where I use stuff like low temp abs to mould in the gaps followed by some body filler and paint. It’s how I did the gauge pods in my console and modified for my ratchet shifter.


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[chrisp2493]

I like the floor shifter, very nice. For the gaps this is where I use stuff like low temp abs to mould in the gaps followed by some body filler and paint. It’s how I did the gauge pods in my console and modified for my ratchet shifter.


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I was thinking abs plastic. You have any suggestions on where to get material? I’m going to have to leave that line where the console meets up to the dash. I need to be able to remove the console without too much messing around. Now I need to come up with a paint scheme to make it all flow together.

 

[charonblk07]

I was thinking abs plastic. You have any suggestions on where to get material? I’m going to have to leave that line where the console meets up to the dash. I need to be able to remove the console without too much messing around. Now I need to come up with a paint scheme to make it all flow together.

I get my low temp plastic from Mobile Solutions but if you want to use ABS then almost every city has a plastics distributor; I get my normal ABS sheets from a local supplier

 

[chrisp2493]

I get my low temp plastic from Mobile Solutions but if you want to use ABS then almost every city has a plastics distributor; I get my normal ABS sheets from a local supplier

I’m not up on this end of fabricating. What’s better for it, low temp plastic or abs?

 

[charonblk07]

I’m not up on this end of fabricating. What’s better for it, low temp plastic or abs?

Low temp plastic allows you to get curves a lot easier than with the stiffer ABS, it softens under very light heat then hardens back up when it cools to give you an easy base to add your body filler. If it was a load bearing part then ABS is better, for fitting parts I'd get the low temp plastic.

 

[chrisp2493]

Thanks Kurtis! I will try to find some low temp stuff then and see what I can come up with. I think I might have to cut back on the lower dash and then add it back with a custom panel to fit. Should be fun

 

[JDG103]

so has this project been completed

 

[chrisp2493]

so has this project been completed

Still in progress, I have a lot going on with the truck right now. Still working on the body work so I can get it painted and back on the road right now

 

[chrisp2493]

Last night I got the floor shifter welded together. I basically cut a circle out of some 1/4” plate, and welded it inside the big end of the rod. I didn’t weld on the face because I’m not very good at welding and didn’t want ugly welds visible lol then I welded the whole rod to the handle I made up earlier that was sticking out underneath the console.
It took a couple try’s to get the angle right. First I had it pointed too far back and it would hit the front seat. I would grind off the welds and retry it. But if I only tack welded it to fit, the welds wouldn’t hold trying to test it out haha. So I finally got the angle. I wish I would have put the handle just alittle higher because it drags alittle on the carpet, but not too bad. At first I was worried that I wouldn’t have very good leverage with all the angles, but it actually shifts very easily. I love this thing!




This was the first attempt at the angle. It kept hitting the seat when I would move it up

This is the final angle I decided on


All the way back in 4 high

All the way forward in 4 low

I had to have it pretty far forward, my wife is 5’ tall and moves the seat really far forward to drive. If the seat hit it, it would bump the handle forward and shift, didn’t want that

 

[JDG103]

How much did this console cost and can u get the same one without a shifter...do you have a step by step on installation

 

[chrisp2493]

How much did this console cost and can u get the same one without a shifter...do you have a step by step on installation

I bought the console off Craigslist for $250. A forum member knew I was looking for one and spotted it in his local Craigslist. I actually drove about 6 hours one way to pick it up at that price haha. You can find them on eBay for around $400-$700. Another good place to look is “Seats and Such” on Facebook, a guy near Cincinnati, Oh parts out 4th gen ram interiors for a good price, he ships as well. Yes you can get these without a shifter, they have a big storage compartment where the shifter goes. Especially the ‘13 and up trucks, they have the dial shifter on the dash. And so far I don’t have a complete write up instructions. I’m still in the middle of the project. I am more then happy to give you and tips or advice, answer any questions and such. In the Flickr link in my signature I have a a link to my picture album of the console swap for more info

 

[chrisp2493]

Has anyone skim coated the dash panels to make them smooth? Instead of the texture that’s there. I’m trying to make a few trim panels to fit up the the console, and now I’m thinking a freshen up on the entire dash. I’m thinking of using some body filler and skimming some of the panels, sanding it smooth and painting them. Pretty much how the console top piece is smooth plastic.
I would also take out that cigarette lighter socket from the dash and cover the hole, I have two in the console if I need it. Also skim that weird bag hanger on the passenger side. Put an LED light in the dash cubby hole, and LED trim rings in the cup holders. I’m not sure what color scheme to go with, I have tan pillars, and dark brown leather dashboard and radio bezel.

 

[ramportin1]

Really like that custom rod handle idea man

 

[chrisp2493]

Finally back to working on this. Today’s project was fabricating up a kick panel on the drivers side. As the pictures will prove, I am not any kind of great fabricator lol
I pretty much just used cut up pieces from left over pieces I cut off the dash earlier. I made a little bracket out of some metal I had laying around to add some backing to the bottom of the panel. I used some construction glue to help hold the extra pieces to the dash, and then just some screws. I did alittle plastic welding (more like melting) to help hold the edges. It seems pretty solid, the body filler should help. It’s quite a pain working down there in the footwell, I’m not looking forward to sanding and painting I side the truck. Oh well

 

[xtremewlr]

That will look great once you are done!