WTB center console in good condition

[tightbox]

I hear the trick is to wash the parts in the dishwasher if you want to strip the old coating.

[CrisZenithBlue]

i went ahead and got the ECS one for 60 bucks. it fit perfectly but it was a bit of a hassle from some points of view..

first of all the center console came off very easy! a few screws here and there, some masking tape to avoid scratches and out it went. didnt feel like removing the passenger seat is necessary. the tedious part is removing all the clips from the old console to put on the new one because all you get is a plastic shell with NOTHING on it.
with that done the next tricky bit was the arm rest lid which was riveted to the old one. i had to pull it off, drill holes in the new one and apply some crazy glue to it. it seems to have done the trick and it looks sturdy enough.

the biggest disappointment was that the new one didnt come with the hand brake cover, the part thats on the driver's side next to the seat where the seatbelt rubs against and mine is pretty scratched up. it continues to look like crap. also, the back covers, left and right of the arm rest compartment were not included either and those were pretty scratched up. those are somewhat hidden so i didnt care that much.

well..for 60$ its a huge improvement although it's not the same finish as the original, its a plastic finish but still way better than the old one and it wont scratch easily. i was told by ECS that it's not the OEM finish and color for my year, it was actually listed as being for a 97 model. the one for my 2000 was 260$. ummm.. no thanks!


thanks for the tips guys!

[CrisZenithBlue]

i think i will try the dishwasher method on those 3 pieces to see if i can get the coating off.
will report back with before and after pics.

[Giller]

You could always try painting your console. It's really fairly simple and you can even colour match them to your exteriour. Lots of threads on here as well as youtube vids on how to do this at home - especially since you have that old one now to play with. Good practice piece.

[CrisZenithBlue]

while i like the painted consoles that i've seen i will keep mine black because i am horrible at painting and i've had too many "oh crap.." end results.

on another note i tried the dish washing method on the 3 pieces of trim that dont match and it didnt do anything to the film covering them.
next stop is acetone and if that doesnt work paint strip but this would be a last resort as i think it might be too strong for the plastic.

[Pdwight]

Originally Posted by CrisZenithBlue

while i like the painted consoles that i've seen i will keep mine black because i am horrible at painting and i've had too many "oh crap.." end results.

on another note i tried the dish washing method on the 3 pieces of trim that dont match and it didnt do anything to the film covering them.
next stop is acetone and if that doesnt work paint strip but this would be a last resort as i think it might be too strong for the plastic.

Do not use Acetone, it will permanently etch and cloud the plastic.

[CrisZenithBlue]

Originally Posted by Pdwight

Do not use Acetone, it will permanently etch and cloud the plastic.

Good catch!
Paint stripping would be even worse then?