Forget about fiberglass for...
Forget about fiberglass for a while and picture a new center console inside your cab that won't crack, and one that can add structural integrity between the dash and cab. Building the console out of steel isn't any easier than doing it in 'glass, but it does add that element of "damn!" to any interior.
You can do a lot to a sport truck to set it apart from the rest of the herd. Altering the stance is usually option number one, followed closely by new rolling stock. These upgrades work well to change the appearance of your ride, but at the end of the day you are just buying parts that the next guy can also buy. So what do you do when you want to ensure that look your after is yours alone? Custom metalwork is the answer. Once you get beyond the standard roll pan and bumper changes, the odds of another guy performing a metal mod in the exact fashion you do are slim to none.
With that in mind, we present to you a couple of bitchen ideas for personalizing and beautifying your ride that we got from the guys at Scott's Hot Rods (SHR) in Ventura, California. This story will give you enough info to see how the job is done and what tools are used. From there, you can use your imagination to either replicate what you see or take your truck in an entirely different direction, which is always a good thing.
Part One: Build A New Console!...
Part One: Build A New Console!
1. Mapping out the shape of your new console is easily accomplished using metal rod. When you pick steel rod less than 3/8 inch in diameter, it's pretty simple to bend it over your knee, a coffee can, or in a brake-line bender. And because SHR chose steel to do the job, it was easily MIG-welded in place. SHR began by bending matching pieces of rod from the dashboard down to the floor.
2a. To make the com-pound...
2a. To make the com-pound curves at the top of the console where it flows into the dashboard, the sheetmetal was rolled...
2b. ...and then put into the...
2b. ...and then put into the English wheel to be smoothed and formed.
3. The top deck of the console...
3. The top deck of the console was spaced evenly from the floor using short pieces of straight rod that were cut to exacting lengths and then tack-welded to the floor.
4a. The newly shaped piece...
4a. The newly shaped piece of 16-gauge sheetmetal was set in place to check fitment.
4b. The sheetmetal was then...
4b. The sheetmetal was then tack-welded in place with a Lincoln MIG welder. The welder was set at 14.6 volts and 170 wire speed for good penetration without burning holes in the metal.
5a. Continuing the deck up...
5a. Continuing the deck up to the top of the rear cab wall, the top of the console was skinned in 16-gauge steel.
5b. Notice that the console...
5b. Notice that the console stops just short of the window channel. This is done to ensure the window rubber still fits correctly and seals out water.
6. Scissors and carboard are...
6. Scissors and carboard are your friend when making flat side panels for the console. Notice that the side panels begin with a flange. The flange is there so that a removable access panel can be screwed into the console without looking too obtrusive.
7. A bead roller with flanging...
7. A bead roller with flanging dies is used to roll the flange into the sheetmetal. This is done on a separate piece of metal because of the time it takes to build the side panels and contour them to the floor. You don't want to screw up all that work and have to start over, so the flanges are built independently and then welded to the sides of the console.
8. Once all of the pieces...
8. Once all of the pieces were in place, a die grinder with a 3-inch-diameter, 80-grit sanding disc was called upon to grind the welds smooth.
9. Here's a look at the access...
9. Here's a look at the access panels. These will make installing gauges and wiring a breeze when the truck gets closer to being complete.
10. And here's a look at the...
10. And here's a look at the back half of the console. Welding and grinding everything is time-consuming and likely will take longer than forming this console out of wood and body filler.
11. The unfinished product...
11. The unfinished product looks great with a set of '99 Chevy truck bucket seats, and now we've got a blank canvas for mounting air-conditioning controls, suspension switches, and audio equipment.