Center console damage

[72HCODE]

i have one concern, it is kind of a big one....

i had a wrecked console myself and did a repair similar though not as extensive. I used a similar model plastic cement since the console is ABS plastic like for models.

the problem was over time with pressure on the arm rest the plastic split on the repair. now you can sand the back side and i would recommend a plastic sheet reinforcement on each joint. you can also melt the re-enforcement into the console with a soldering iron. anything to give the repair joint extra support.. I don't want you to finish the repair and then a few months from now a passenger gets out of the car, pushes on the console and the thing breaks on you(which is what happened to me). when mine broke the second time it split completely and i gave up and i got a replacement console that was 99% in one piece. by then all the reproduction stuff had come out and was able to replace the clock area, the lid and the ashtray, i also salvaged all the good stuff off mine and reused it and added a ashtray light as well.

Ah i just noticed in the last photos you used fiberglass reinforcement fabric. crossing fingers !

 

[jeremycfr]

i have one concern, it is kind of a big one....

i had a wrecked console myself and did a repair similar though not as extensive. I used a similar model plastic cement since the console is ABS plastic like for models.

the problem was over time with pressure on the arm rest the plastic split on the repair. now you can sand the back side and i would recommend a plastic sheet reinforcement on each joint. you can also melt the re-enforcement into the console with a soldering iron. anything to give the repair joint extra support.. I don't want you to finish the repair and then a few months from now a passenger gets out of the car, pushes on the console and the thing breaks on you(which is what happened to me). when mine broke the second time it split completely and i gave up and i got a replacement console that was 99% in one piece. by then all the reproduction stuff had come out and was able to replace the clock area, the lid and the ashtray, i also salvaged all the good stuff off mine and reused it and added a ashtray light as well.

Ah i just noticed in the last photos you used fiberglass reinforcement fabric. crossing fingers !

I used the method that Q (Scott) used in his videos. The only change I made was to the texturing process (also suggested by him). I used a stone creations product to texture the outside and then painted the whole thing black. Using the fiber matt, I really put the glue on thick and continued for several inches outside of the cracked or brocken areas.

I also placed some filler on the ourside of the cracks to smooth out the finish. Speaking of filler... One whole corner was brocken in the rear of the console. I used a laser tonor cartridge cover which is oval shaped to act as back support and then I built the filler around it. I am pretty proud of how well it turned out, as you can not tell that I built that area unless you flipp it over.

Now if it does break further down the road, then I will mark it up to having tried and find a better one out there somewhere.

 

[OMS]

i have one concern, it is kind of a big one....

i had a wrecked console myself and did a repair similar though not as extensive. I used a similar model plastic cement since the console is ABS plastic like for models.

the problem was over time with pressure on the arm rest the plastic split on the repair. now you can sand the back side and i would recommend a plastic sheet reinforcement on each joint. you can also melt the re-enforcement into the console with a soldering iron. anything to give the repair joint extra support.. I don't want you to finish the repair and then a few months from now a passenger gets out of the car, pushes on the console and the thing breaks on you(which is what happened to me). when mine broke the second time it split completely and i gave up and i got a replacement console that was 99% in one piece. by then all the reproduction stuff had come out and was able to replace the clock area, the lid and the ashtray, i also salvaged all the good stuff off mine and reused it and added a ashtray light as well.

Ah i just noticed in the last photos you used fiberglass reinforcement fabric. crossing fingers !

H you should not let her sit on the console to be next to you :angel:

 

[jeremycfr]

i have one concern, it is kind of a big one....

i had a wrecked console myself and did a repair similar though not as extensive. I used a similar model plastic cement since the console is ABS plastic like for models.

the problem was over time with pressure on the arm rest the plastic split on the repair. now you can sand the back side and i would recommend a plastic sheet reinforcement on each joint. you can also melt the re-enforcement into the console with a soldering iron. anything to give the repair joint extra support.. I don't want you to finish the repair and then a few months from now a passenger gets out of the car, pushes on the console and the thing breaks on you(which is what happened to me). when mine broke the second time it split completely and i gave up and i got a replacement console that was 99% in one piece. by then all the reproduction stuff had come out and was able to replace the clock area, the lid and the ashtray, i also salvaged all the good stuff off mine and reused it and added a ashtray light as well.

Ah i just noticed in the last photos you used fiberglass reinforcement fabric. crossing fingers !

H you should not let her sit on the console to be next to you :angel:

If we did not have virgin seats, then it would not be necessary to have her sit on the console.

 

[Higgins56]

So I purchased a center console on eBay and the guy did a crappy job packaging it. I got it today to find it severely damaged. He offered a full refund or would work a deal with me. Looking for everyone's thoughts. These things are so hard to find, it pains me to junk it.

Well... I did mine last year and the starting point was like yours.

The plastic gets really vulnerable during the decades and cracks easily,

I reinforced the plastic inside with glass fiber mat and tried to level the surface plastics as evenly as possible. This is a must if you want to have good looks of the original surface that has the leather like surface. After that needs painting with a proper plastics paint with sufficient flexibility that does not crack easily.

I had another challenge myself as well- namely - my whole interior was spayed in the past with a special paint to create a rough surface ( I do wonder why !) and I had to rub it away with the edge of a knife which after many other tries worked out best leaving the original surface nearly untouched.

After painting you could not tell if it were original or not.

I try to attach photos later

Another possibility could be to just repair the damage structurally and cover the whole thing with leather like vinyl. It is challenging as well as there are curved surfaces - just an idea that came to me...

 

[jeremycfr]

Repairs finished. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I am having the clock tested and adjusted before putting it back in. My wife put the chrome striping on, using chrome pin striping tape. It turned out very nice and you have to get pretty close (inches) to tell that it is not original. Now to move on to a new project.

 

[jeff8877]

Jeremy,

Nice looking console there. I like the chrome tape idea. Good luck with the next project.

Jeff

 

[CZ-75]

Yes, very nice!

 

[jeremycfr]

Thanks guys. I had fun working on this project. I had the attitude, "what do I have to loose, it is pretty FUBAR'd" so I could not make it worse. I am pretty proud in how it turned out.