My take on a Miata Vintage Console
Well as you all know I am restoring a 91' Miata. She was in rough shape so it is taking a lot of work and $$$$. I am a bit on the compulsive side so I am even tweaking and improving things that don't need fixing like the interior. I really wanted one of these Vintage Consoles from Japan but they are major dollars, around $500 to be exact:
So I decided to try and DIY my own version and it came out quite nice and I am pretty excited about it:
This is a stock 91' console:
I bought a sheet of 1/8" plastic from Parts Express and covered both the square shifter hole and the ashtray/drinkholder one. It seemed like just a hole to collect dirt and junk so I got rid of it:
Used sandable epoxy to attach the plastic and smooth over the edges like bondo:
While the family was out all night at a cheering competition with my camera (so no pics of the rest of the process) I sanded it down, measured and cut a round shifter hole.
Then I covered the console in black speaker carpet from Parts Express using a lot of patience and contact cement to mold it to the curves. I had to trim the ends of the armrest part so that it would fit after making it wider due to the carpet.
I added a new leather shift boot held down with a vintage Cobra shifter ring, I got the bolts from the hardware store and polished them to match the ring.
Added a chrome power window switch plate.
And the black button is my new horn button. I botched up the clockspring in intalling my new Momo steering wheel (the hurrier I go the behinder I get ) so I couldn't make the horn button work on the steering wheel (though I figured out how to now) but I actually like where I have the horn button now better than on the wheel since the car is a standard my hand will be right near it and it will actually be easier to push than it being on the steering wheel.
I added a padded leather armrest to top it off and that is it.
Alltogether I spent about $160 and a lot of work and I am very happy with the results:
Another view:
Front:
Top down:
