Center console with switch panel

[Zeus78]

Came out badass

Thanks man, I'm hoping it catches on and others do the same thing, I love it.

 

[johnnyreb]

Thanks man, I'm hoping it catches on and others do the same thing, I love it.

How,s the weather in Pigeon Forge? Hot as usual?

 

[Zeus78]

How,s the weather in Pigeon Forge? Hot as usual?

I'm back home now, but the weather in PF was great, it was the ridiculous traffic that is a huge turnoff.
There are tines that it's so crowded, someone has to leave Pigeon Forge for someone to enter.
Last weekend was their "rod run", which does nothing but cause gridlock. Took 30 minutes to go 30' and that was at one end of the main drag through there.
If my dad didn't live there, I'd never go. It used to be awesome, but they made it into a huge tourist trap.

 

[johnnyreb]

I'm back home now, but the weather in PF was great, it was the ridiculous traffic that is a huge turnoff.
There are tines that it's so crowded, someone has to leave Pigeon Forge for someone to enter.
Last weekend was their "rod run", which does nothing but cause gridlock. Took 30 minutes to go 30' and that was at one end of the main drag through there.
If my dad didn't live there, I'd never go. It used to be awesome, but they made it into a huge tourist trap.

It was like that in 81-alot of car shows and traffific bad from morning till evening and hot. Glad you made a safe trip and had a nice time. Welcome back home.

 

[Pooksdad66]

I've been wanting to do this in my 79 for some time. Can you put up a material list or ??
Yours looks great!

 

[Zeus78]

I've been wanting to do this in my 79 for some time. Can you put up a material list or ??
Yours looks great!

I just used 5/8 plywood, a switch plate, cupholders from Amazon (Used a rubber collar from 2" compression fittings to raise the cup holders up so they didn't bottom out), shift boot off Amazon and I used red and black DC buss bars that I bought off Amazon.
The bars make it really easy to wire your switch panel, inverter and any other accessories. Just run your feeders from the battery (I installed a second battery through an isolator, the 2nd battery is used to run the switch plate, inverter and winch) to those buss bars and you're all set. The switch panel is all pre wired and fused.
Oh, I also went to a craft store and bought those snap buttons that you can use to cover up the screws. Whenever I have to remove the face plate, I pull the snap button caps off, then pull the screws and the face plate comes off.
One trick I used when cutting the side pieces was using cardboard as a template.
I installed an auxiliary volt meter, it is hooked to one of the switches on the switch plate, that way I can keep an eye on the voltage on the ancillary battery side. I have the volt meter in a 3 gauge pod with the oil pressure and coolant temp gauges. The pod is mounted below the wiper and headlight switches, it works well there.
Let me know if you have any specific questions, I'm more than happy to help. That space on the floor seems wasted, might as well put something useful there.

 

[Pooksdad66]

I just used 5/8 plywood, a switch plate, cupholders from Amazon (Used a rubber collar from 2" compression fittings to raise the cup holders up so they didn't bottom out), shift boot off Amazon and I used red and black DC buss bars that I bought off Amazon.
The bars make it really easy to wire your switch panel, inverter and any other accessories. Just run your feeders from the battery (I installed a second battery through an isolator, the 2nd battery is used to run the switch plate, inverter and winch) to those buss bars and you're all set. The switch panel is all pre wired and fused.
Oh, I also went to a craft store and bought those snap buttons that you can use to cover up the screws. Whenever I have to remove the face plate, I pull the snap button caps off, then pull the screws and the face plate comes off.
One trick I used when cutting the side pieces was using cardboard as a template.
I installed an auxiliary volt meter, it is hooked to one of the switches on the switch plate, that way I can keep an eye on the voltage on the ancillary battery side. I have the volt meter in a 3 gauge pod with the oil pressure and coolant temp gauges. The pod is mounted below the wiper and headlight switches, it works well there.
Let me know if you have any specific questions, I'm more than happy to help. That space on the floor seems wasted, might as well put something useful there.

Thanx man. I'm actually wanting to put my gauges in the panel.
Maybe a couple of switches.
Did you cover it with vinyl or just paint it? Has a nice finish to it.

 

[Zeus78]

Thanx man. I'm actually wanting to put my gauges in the panel.
Maybe a couple of switches.
Did you cover it with vinyl or just paint it? Has a nice finish to it.

It's covered with a tightly weaved burlap type fabric that has a waterproof coating on it.

 

[johnnyreb]

It's covered with a tightly weaved burlap type fabric that has a waterproof coating on it.

You don,t want to put alot of gauges in it. Then you might have to get a co-piolet. hahah Are you gonna add a vaccum gauge Zeus?

 

[johnnyreb]

You don,t want to put alot of gauges in it. Then you might have to get a co-piolet. hahah Are you gonna add a vaccum gauge Zeus?

Zeus ,do you have a can of lighter fluid in you vehicle? I remember we would use it sometimes. To squirt in the little openings on generator and altrenators.To clean the brushs off and they,d start charging again.Just let the vehicle run and squirt it and it done a good job.

 

[Pooksdad66]

How did you fasten it to the floor or otherwise keep it from moving?

 

[Zeus78]

How did you fasten it to the floor or otherwise keep it from moving?

I bolted three 2x4's to the floor that run left to right, fastened the side walls to them.

 

[johnnyreb]

I bolted three 2x4's to the floor that run left to right, fastened the side walls to them.

Welcome back Zeus

 

[johnnyreb]

Welcome back Zeus

How are you coming along on the 78? Would you believe after I got mine taking gas .Got another new pump. Then the carb started leaking again. Seems EVERYTIME I get ready to take it out. Something happens.hahaha.

 

[johnnyreb]

Took pictures of the carbeurator today and BLOWED them up. The base is warped. First time I had seen that. I ordered me a Holley from Holley . Good deal too--$229 and free shipping.

 

[NotaVegetarian]

I’m revisiting your console build. Do you have a drawing on that one? May 3D print the frame and panels

 

[Zeus78]

I’m revisiting your console build. Do you have a drawing on that one? May 3D print the frame and panels

I'm not very good at 3D printing and all that.
All I did here was use cardboard to cut out templates for the side panels. It took a minute to cut out all the little ridges up near the bottom of the dash.
Then, I set them in place and decided how wide I could make it.
I really like the switch panel. I ran cables, from a second battery, to + and - buss bars mounted to the tunnel under the console, then each switch is fed off those busses.