Thanks Roger!

Steve, I can't wait either. I've always been a sucker for gauges with a 270* sweep.

The console was up next. I started by adding some steel risers to the trans tunnel and under the shifter boot.

This one is at the front of the tunnel and I cut some clearance under it for wiring. There is one at the rear also that I don’t have a clear picture of.





The top of the console is made from 1/8” thick aluminum plate. I knew that things may inadvertently be dropped on it and wanted something thicker to resist damage. You can see the hole I cut for the drink holder. I also had to cut in around the arm rest base. Filler plates for that will come later.



I needed to add some plates to the edges to stiffen the top plate. Even though it’s 1/8” material, it still isn’t stiff enough to resist bending. These parts are the real reason I wanted the 3rd axis for the bead roller. I wanted to attempt to do a deep bead right on the bend of the edge plates.

I started on these by doing a hem on a couple of strips and brending them into a ninety. It took several passes with different combinations of tooling to make and refine the beads, but I eventually got it completed. I think the beads give an otherwise simple part a little character. The pictures should explain the use of the 3rd axis better than I could with a long post. Without the extra roller to control and guide the part, it would have been very hard to get a nice consistent bead so close to the bent edge.









Then I stretched the inner lip until the parts fit the shape of the top plate.


I had to make the filler plates for the arm rest. This included a base plate for the top of the trans tunnel. This got a welded on stand off to hold the top plate. The other parts fitted around the base as close as I could get them. I will most likely have to use a small amount of silicone to fill what gaps are left. The split in the edge parts will be mostly unseen between the seats. My intent is to cover the trans tunnel with marine carpet. The edges of the console will fit over the carpet.









I also made this simple box to fill the gap between the dashboard and the console. This will give a place to route and hide wiring. It is also where I will put any extra switches, some USB charge ports and regular lighter type power sockets.



Here is the more or less completed console. I slipped a swatch of vinyl under the edge parts to show what the finished console will look like. The edges will be left with a plain brushed finish and protected with Shark Hide metal protectant. I still want to make an aluminum trim plate for the shifter boot.