Center Console MOD / Cupholder MOD
 

so....as I'm searching my pics to show somebody, I'm thinking it would be good (cuz OCD says I should) to have all the pics in one spot for someone to see.

this is to replace the original console between the seats in my son's 88 4runner.

first off....here is our cup-holder mod:

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$1 box, a leetle paint. cut a hole. use the ring from a large lantern light, FIPG it good, cut the bottom from a pringles can, baseball grip tape, put a little bit of drawer liner in the bottom....and mount the switch for the rear window....screwed a piece of plywood to the floor and then screwed the box to that. box is hinged so I can access the inside wires or add more switches if I want.

and den....

ammo box....50 cal or equivalent. this one is from a nightvision monocular...so it's VERY well padded. very important for us so things aren't banging around in there. cost like $15 or something like that on ebay....probably more. have since bought another one in rougher shape for $5 at a flea market. this one is in pristine shape, so it was worth the extra $$$

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it's at the perfect height for my elbow, and Joe's elbow. it's not too wide and it's not too long. anyone who knows me, knows I circle my prey many times before I act. I was certain this was the right size height and durable.

we did not actually mount it until last weekend. drove around with it loose for about a year. came up with a plan to lock it so if we have the top off, we have secure storage for the CB, scanner and stereo face, and coil wire (hehehe).

mounting it was semi-easy. my advice would be to drill ONE hole in the box and then see where that hole corresponds to the floor pan and all the obstacles above and below it. I say this because I had drilled two in the box and then had to drill a 3rd because there was an obstruction under the floor pan. we used 1/2'' x 2 1/2'' bolts with nylon lock nuts (nuts are inside the box) and by doing it with the nuts inside the box, it makes it more difficult, if not impossible to remove the box if it's locked.

watch out for the brake lines....was about 1/4'' clearance....not so good when drilling somewhat blindly.

Attachment 201891

bought a "hasp" setup from the hardware store for a gate....about $3. used the "hasp" part. used a bimetal hole saw (I think like 1 1/4") to make quick work of cutting a hole. 4 self-tapping screws and a padllock and we had a lockable box. (of course, you do all this BEFORE it's bolted to the floor pan)

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fire extinguisher mounts here

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CB radio mounts there.(have a cig-lighter adapter attached to the end...since we will rarely use it, made no sense for me to permanently wire it in. antenna will be a magnetic mount...since we will use it only when off-road...in a group...near each other)

Attachment 201895

and this is how it all looks. because we used the largest cup we had to measure for clearance for when the lock is on the front, the box ended up about an inch or so back from the cupholder box. looked like hell, until I realized I had a leftover pocket from a previous radio installation on my truck. jammed that in there and it's a perfect fit. great place for the cell phone or wallet or whatever.

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...629_065412.jpg

so that's it. was an easy project....cheap and looks good and each item has a purpose.

LOVE IT!

My Tiuffy box has been loosley fastened for a few months, with only one hole drilled. I ran into the same issue with those brakelines....I held off on drilling until I have more time to "circle my prey" :)

Do you mind sharing a couple more photos of the underside and where you mounted the bolts, taken from farther away? Did you create a template to use for your holes, after you measured on the underside? Did you use anything in beteween the brake lines and tunnel when drilling, as a buffer (just in case)?

It looks good, but it seems like the cb is in a very awkward spot.

I will snap a pic in a bit.....but the driveshaft is in the way, so I had to drill from inside the truck.

No template.....just measured a billion times.

as far as a "buffer"........nope....you can feel when you are passing through the metal. I would recommend something over those lines.....maybe a helper's fingers and when you hear screams, you stop.

nope....not in the way of anything. your elbow is NEVER that far back. and we actually tip it down too.

Here is how I added cup holders to my 4Runner. its not great but it works.

http://http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/z...unner034-1.jpg

Where....does....your....arm....rest???

:)

When I don`t have anything in the cup holder I can still use it as an arm rest.
Like I said, its not the best set up but its better than nothing.