Heavily modified Centre Console ...

22 April 2019

 

The centre console for this car had to be modified due to several reasons:

  • Had to be reduced in height due to the higher drive tunnel
  • Had to be shortened on the right side due to the heater/aricon unit
  • A lot of additional electrical switches from the SL donor car had to be integrated

First thing was to try to design the "holes" in exactly the same way as they were done in a R107 SL, so those switches would properly "click in".

There should also be some spare room left, as those switches are flush with the surface. Therefore the leather had to go inside the hole and the leather thickness had to be taken into account. After the visit with the saddler, we decided on the leather and so I had the thickness of it.

Left of the ashtray there was a large hole for the "American" Hazard switch. I decided to use the smaller one from the SL. So I designed a little plastic inlay for that hole, so that another "SL-switch" would fit in there … in my case the "B-Switch" (see Gear Display).

What seven switches will go in?

  • Seat heating (2x)
  • Electric Windows (2x)
  • Light inside
  • Hazard Lights
  • Override switch for the motor vent

So what's still to do?

  • The hole right of the ashtray has to be extended to hold the cigarette lighter
  • The front Opening of the aircon grating will be closed, as it had to be shortened due to the drive tunnel (original grating wouldn't fit)
  • Already got another idea: on the bottom of the centre console I'd like to have a little compartment for my glasses ;-) … I will report!

Centre Console cont'd ...

2 September 2019

 

So I've continued the centre console, especially the lower part. The following has been done:

Upper part:
Closed the front "original" air conditioning opening; as the drive tunnel gets higher, it doesn't fit. Printed a plastic part and glued /screwed it in. The shortened right side got an additional hole to fix the upper with the lower part.

Lower part:
Based on a cardboard pattern of the original drive tunnel form, I constructed a plastic part, that would close the cut lower part of the centre console. This took 6 test prints until it fit. 7 additional screws and a lot of two-component glue was used over several days. 10mm were calculated for the insulation and the carpet there.

So hopefully this is ready soon for the saddler, where nice leather comes on top ;-)

Last part I want to design: There's a defective cigarette lighter; I try to modifiy it in a way, that there is a USB-plug inside and from the outside it looks like the original lighter (that works as a cover then) … ;-)

Centre Console: All Switches complete ...

22 March 2020

 

The nice centre console is now completed with all switches. For the override function of the electric fan, I used another "interiour light" switch, which was modified.

I managed to 3D-print the little symbols; as you can see on the photo, the fan symbol is not as good as the originals, but I guess it's alright … better than nothing ;-)

Edit: I wasn't happy with the fan symbol; so I printed it on self-adhesive foil. Clear coating on top and then glued on a faded symbol of an electric window switch ;-)

Centre Console: Built in ...

10 October 2021

 

To show you the final outcome, here's a photo of the centre console built in. The leather - as expected - makes it bigger, so it "just" fits. I had to take off the heat insulation on the tunnel, as the radius would have been too big too. It blends in nicely, an original console, modified, but imho it looks still like it is original (which was the plan ;-) )