Revised center console

[Nelsonian]

If you would be willing to donate it to the cause, I'd owe you a finished product. Or I could purchase that one from you.

 

Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

 

 

 

 

 I just got home and pulled it out of storage today and just now noticed the front portion of the screw shaft ?, has a missing crack . If this is still a usable unit, I would be happy to ship and donate to the cause if this makes this much needed and wanted part come to life. PM me your shipping info if this is still usable and I will send it out immediately.

Regards, Chris  

[LanceVance]

Not sure what is missing from yours Nelsonian, although I do see some differences between the early and late versions. I'm curious if these are interchangeable, or if they would require two versions?

 

Here is mine:

 

 

 

 

 

More than willing to donate to the cause, if you want it.

[bfg]

I have a '70 clamshell I'd be willing to donate. I don't need anything back since I don't own a '70 haha

[Nelsonian]

Looks like we could have almost all versions (Series1, later 240z, early 280z) , covered. I'm not sure if the later year 280z's differ from the early 75' versions.

[madkaw]

Wow- this thread has gone ballistic----lol.

 

I was going give my guy my spare claim shells to do the same, but Andy might hav this covered. I think the clam shell project will have to be thought out as far as weight of the gauges, where to run wires, how many gauges, are the clam shells secured well enough to support all this .

[LanceVance]

One gauge, sized 2 1/16th would be ideal for me and I doubt you'd want to go with anything larger or more than one considering the positioning of the tach/speedo.

[Nelsonian]

"I was going give my guy my spare claim shells to do the same, but Andy might hav this covered. I think the clam shell project will have to be thought out as far as weight of the gauges, where to run wires, how many gauges, are the clam shells secured well enough to support all this". 

Agreed, and think that a 2-1/16" gauge is fairly light and fits inside the sight lines of the tach and speedo. The proper angle for the gauge would also need consideration.

 

 

"One gauge, sized 2 1/16th would be ideal for me and I doubt you'd want to go with anything larger or more than one considering the positioning of the tach/speedo". 

I agree completely with this statement. Boost, air/fuel etc, right in the central line of vision.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Well I did some homework today. I have a 260z, and I remembered I had a clamshell from it.

 

Can anyone confirm if the clamshell used in the 260z is the same as the 280? And does the early/late version matter. Mine is an earlier 260.

 

 

 

Here are my specimens.  (240 left, early 260 right)

 

 

 

 

 

Both fit the 240z steering column. I think the later style clamshell would be optimal for a gauge provision, since it has a flatter portion on the top. (Plus my 260 shell looks to be in salvageable shape)

 

Here is the 260 clamshell on the 240. Gorilla tape mocked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running wires won't be too hard, but what's going to be a PAIN is figuring a way to make them attach, and close again. I doubt I'll be able to recreate the OEM fastener system.

 

 

 

 

And yeah, 2 1/16" gauge pod would be secondary bonded somewhere around here, me thinks.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[LanceVance]

The 260 version looks to be the same as mine (75' 280).

[primeral]

OldAndy, thanks very much for this thread. I'd like to make a center console and mod it for my specific needs. Rather than a finished product will you be able to sell me a flanged plug?

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Haha, it's not my thread. It pulled me out of the woodwork and kind of snowballed from there. But thank you for the kind words. I appreciate them.

 

In regards to your inquiry, I've never made tooling for others before. Not sure if it is feasible currently. I'll crunch some numbers and talk with my business partner and see. No promises though.

 

 

Figured, since I was here...... I'd update everyone on my progress as of the last week.

 

Infused a second console mold today. As you can see, there are no storage compartments in this one..  Greatly simplifies the geometry. Lovely.

 

I won't know if it was successful until tomorrow, though.

 

 

I made this to create a plug for some inserts. Here is the process, and the untrimmed/unmodified part pulled from the the mold. 

 

 

 

 

If you're confused, it will all make more sense as it develops.

 

 

Oh, and some clamshell prototyping is well under way.

 

Here are a couple of real rough starting pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm currently working on finding a suitable single gauge pod to use as a master. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

Edited December 11, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[LanceVance]

I'm currently working on finding a suitable single gauge pod to use as a master. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

I've picked up, chopped up, and thrown out a few different cheap eBay pods. Everything's footprint was unnecessarily large and looked too much like an afterthought when modified to sit atop the clamshell.

 

My recommendation? Take the gauge you've got to your local hardware store and see what PVC fittings it will fit in. Cut it as small as possible considering gauge depth/wires/etc. and use filler to make the shape acceptable and continuous with the clamshell's existing shape.

 

Burying the front of the gauge into the existing clamshell while raising the rear may be necessary to get a good angle as well... Another reason to use PVC instead of a premade pod!

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Yeah, that's what I'm finding too.

 

Really? Over three inches wide for your single gauge pod? C'mon..

 

Great suggestion. PVC is hard to bond to, but that idea is a much better alternative.

 

Looks like I'll be taking a trip into the hardware store instead. I'll see what I can come up. Whatever it is will definitely be custom fit to the shape of the top clamshell piece.

 

I'll be able to play with the angle a bit, but I don't want to change the geometry of the top portion of the clamshell, since this gauge provision is planned as a secondary option that can be bonded on before spraying clear/post production painting.

Edited December 11, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[Nelsonian]

I've picked up, chopped up, and thrown out a few different cheap eBay pods. Everything's footprint was unnecessarily large and looked too much like an afterthought when modified to sit atop the clamshell.

 

My recommendation? Take the gauge you've got to your local hardware store and see what PVC fittings it will fit in. Cut it as small as possible considering gauge depth/wires/etc. and use filler to make the shape acceptable and continuous with the clamshell's existing shape.

 

Burying the front of the gauge into the existing clamshell while raising the rear may be necessary to get a good angle as well... Another reason to use PVC instead of a premade pod!

I agree ^^^ as I have also searched for a quick and simple pod solution only to end up with no good candidates. I ended up buying some chavant auto style industrial design clay with the intent of modeling a nicely curved pod with the proper gauge angle, then fiber glassing the top, and later fiber glassing it to the top of the clam shell. 

 

http://www.fibreglast.com/product/Chavant_Autostyle_Clay_1123/clay

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

That's great clay. I use it in the shop all the time. 

 

 

I always figured I'd be shaping from scratch, I just hoped there was going to be a quick and easy solution.

 

I'll probably shape some foam. That seems simplest. PVC can be used as a guide.

 

I gots some thinking to do.

 

Thanks for the input guys. It helps.

Edited December 11, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Random update for the weekend.

 

Mold popped out. Here it is, freshly pulled, pre clean/trim. No more storage compartment geometry! Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

Insert plug is sprayed and ready to begin fairing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clamshell plugs are ready for the final fair, although I don't have sprayed pictures of them..Here they are ready to be sprayed.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[LanceVance]

Looking good! What are the plans for attaching the two halves of the clamshell?

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

At the moment we are planning to make an inner flange/lip on one of the pieces, with well placed holes on the other piece. Small black screws will go through the outer shell, into the inner flange in order to hold the two sections together.

The usual bolt that holds the bottom clamshell section to the ignition switch still applies.

 

 

That probably makes zero sense to those reading it. The eventual pictures will explain it much better.

Edited December 12, 2014 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[thezguy]

At the moment we are planning to make an inner flange/lip on one of the pieces, with well placed holes on the other piece. Small black screws will go through the outer shell, into the inner flange in order to hold the two sections together.

The usual bolt that holds the bottom clamshell section to the ignition switch still applies.

 

 

That probably makes zero sense to those reading it. The eventual pictures will explain it much better.

That's pretty cool. Mine is all cracked and broken. Any idea what one of these will go for?

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

As far as price is concerned. That is still an unknown. We anticipate having the production prototypes ready within a week. 

 

Once we have final assembled parts, then I'll crunch some numbers on prices.

 

 

Console update...

 

I made another carbon console. We are waiting on some 3k twill to arrive, so I used some 3k spread tow, normal weave, carbon instead.

 

Since it isn't twill weave, it was an excellent test of the new geometry. This shape is much nicer to work with. The twill is going to be even easier.

 

 

 

 

No storage compartments

 

 

 

 

 

Clamshell update:

 

Both plugs were molded today. Tomorrow I will most likely pop those molds and prep them to make the prototype(s).

 

Started working some foam to make the gauge pod.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got a second set of clamshells today (thanks again Marcus!) so I'm going to spend the rest of my afternoon figuring out the shape and mounting angle of the pod. 

 

Is the general consensus that we would like the gauge to tilt slightly forward? Angling the gauge face downward towards the driver?