Center Console Installs

impala454 · 09-17-2007, 04:12 PM

Where are they all at? I've searched a little and not seen very man. I know the general consensus on here is to do dash installs, but my 2006 silverado is set up great to remove my center jump seat and put a nice custom job in there all in one shot. I've been toying around with ideas on how it could be set up, but for now the only real work I've done is a small amount of background software development and some testing via a laptop. I want to get all the software and hardware requirements down before I even think about a console. I just wanted to see what kinda ideas people had about center console installs, and had a couple questions:

1. Does anyone think it'd be a bad idea to house a sub in the same area as the car PC?
2. Would it matter what material it's made out of? I was thinking some MDF would make an excellent base box, then veneer/finish it however. If not I do have a little experience with aluminum. Absolutely zero with fiberglass though.

RedGTiVR6 · 09-17-2007, 04:28 PM

1. Yes and no. Many people have had issues due to SPL and many people have run it just fine. All depends on if you're a bass head or if you're more of a normal listening person.

2. Yes, it will absolutely matter. As with frabicating anything, the materials are of upmost importance. MDF is the usual material because it's cheap and easy to work with. Is it the best for this application? Hard to say when you don't know for sure what you want it to look like and how you want it to function yet.

If you're looking at building a center console you had better practice some fiberglassing and bondo work first.

Good luck with it all!

impala454 · 09-17-2007, 04:53 PM

thanks for the tips, are there any good examples of center console installs on here?

RedGTiVR6 · 09-17-2007, 04:57 PM

Your best bet is to check the Fabrication forum. With over 60,000 members and over 1,000,000 posts, I cannot possibly remember all of them off the top of my head.

OopsiDrptMyF150 · 09-17-2007, 10:28 PM

I am running 2 15" subs in my truck with a cut through into the cab and have only had minimal trouble with the computer in the center console crashing/hanging/BSOD. Like everything its has a Brown Note...a tone or frequency it doesn't like and at the frequency at maximum volume it crashes every time. Realistically this almost never happens unless you trip accross that frequency accidentally at say a bass competition

.....um anyway. I don't see why you couldn't do it. The computer is going to resonate at some frequency no matter where you mount it. Actually I am thinking if the box is made of 1" or reinforced 3/4" you should be okay. Good luck deciding.

impala454 · 09-18-2007, 11:16 AM

awesome thanks. yeah i doubt i'll be going that hardcore with my bass, just maybe a 10" w/a decent amp.

dnr250 · 10-28-2007, 06:30 PM

I have an 01 superduty with a center console and ended up creating a bracket to support the monitor that also allows me to retract it into the console to hide it. This makes the truck interior look stock. The truckputer is under the passenger seat. I still have some exposed wiring, but I'm slowly hiding more and more of that. Eventually the truckputer will be moved under the rear seat. I started small with a pocket pc with gps software and 1 gb of music. This served well, but left me longing for more. Thus, the full size pc.

You didn't mention if you will be using the stock (or aftermarket) headunit. I kept mine since the truck came with premium sound and connect using a PIE interface.

Good luck. This is very interesting and lots of fun since it takes a lot of effort in a lot of different areas (computers, programming, electronics, fabrication and lots of imagination).
DNR

seanz0rz · 10-28-2007, 06:50 PM

these are the first pictures that ive posted up here on this build, was waiting till i got the write up done for them, but since you are asking.

frame is welded 3/4 inch square tube with a 1/16" wall. its just in fitting phase now, but its survived pismo and me jumping my truck (not even all of my suspension survived that!) im looking into producing these, both with carpc brackets and with out as a standard centerconsole, as the stock one lacked things like cup holders and usefull storage with a comfortable lid.

it will eventually be clad in sheetmetal and abs plastic, with some molded fiberglass components.

personally, i would not put a sub near my computer, for several obvious reasons, and because i dont like sitting next to a sub. that choice is up to you though.

MafiaStyle87 · 04-07-2008, 03:57 PM

Hey, just wondering if you ended up doing this. I have the same truck and thought of something similiar, except i didn't want to mount the lcd into the dash, so i was going to build a custom box on the floor, in front of the center console/cup holders, to house the pc and mount the lcd into the top of it.

russoxley187 · 04-07-2008, 10:09 PM

I have an 01, F150 and this is what i have done.
I used to have a bench set, but I cut it down to make two seats. Then I installed an Expedition console and put and computer inside it.
The reason you see te big crack is because I did not press it down all the way yet because the wires are not all hooked up.
I also moved the Radio and AC controls to the console, and placed an 8 inch Touchscreen in the dash.
Let me know what you think>>>

MafiaStyle87 · 04-08-2008, 07:03 AM

looks nice.

mnickolson · 04-08-2008, 09:06 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by russoxley187

I have an 01, F150 and this is what i have done.
I used to have a bench set, but I cut it down to make two seats. Then I installed an Expedition console and put and computer inside it.
The reason you see te big crack is because I did not press it down all the way yet because the wires are not all hooked up.
I also moved the Radio and AC controls to the console, and placed an 8 inch Touchscreen in the dash.
Let me know what you think>>>

Looks nice. What did you cover the console with?

russoxley187 · 04-08-2008, 02:09 PM

its texured paint.

I have a few pieces in my truck painted with it. As long as you clear coat it its fine.
I like it and so do people that see it at car shows.

mnickolson · 04-08-2008, 02:13 PM

Thanks. I also like the way it looks. What do you use for clearcoat? Something out of a spray can?

russoxley187 · 04-08-2008, 02:20 PM

its clearcoat for that product..

Here is the products page...

http://www.plasti-kote.com/plastikot...uct=Fleckstone