ANOTHER console fitting question.

tferrer

tferrer

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So I've looked through all of the threads on fitting the center console and didn't see a solution presented for this problem, though it seems several people have it.

My console sits too low to match up with the notches in the lower dash designed for the purpose.

When I disassembled my center console, the brackets where flat with angled ends. Those angled ends match the angled, semi knife edged bottoms on the console sides (see pics).

The issue is, with the brackets mounted to match the shape of the console sides, the ends point down and hense bring the entire console down, away from the dash, creating the gap where none is supposed to exist.

It's apparent that the mount brackets and console sides fit together in this fashion (ends pointed down) so:

Do I have the incorrect brackets?

Is there supposed to be a spacer below the tunnel brackets thereby raising the whole assembly up?

How have others addressed this?

It's really strange these interiors were so poorly constructed (compared to other euro 70s cars I've owned).

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My bracket points up. This is a CS with AC. Brackets are different.
Can you turn them over?
When installing the side panels I always have to push them up in the slots in the dash before tightening the screws. Many miss this step and you see big gaps at the top.
 

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Its best to focus on the fit of the side panels to the underside of the dash, your bracket is damaged, attach the side panels together with the rear bracket and rest it on the tunnel that will give you some stability , then lift up the side panels so that you have a snug fit to the dash , you will then see how far that you need to bend the front bracket to get the upward pressure that you need. Then go back to the rear bracket and fine tune that to suit the front.
 
burky said:
Its best to focus on the fit of the side panels to the underside of the dash, your bracket is damaged, attach the side panels together with the rear bracket and rest it on the tunnel that will give you some stability , then lift up the side panels so that you have a snug fit to the dash , you will then see how far that you need to bend the front bracket to get the upward pressure that you need. Then go back to the rear bracket and fine tune that to suit the front.
Click to expand...

Well I was thinking perhaps bending the brackets would help but they really aren't that stiff and would revert to the original flat shape over time. It's just flat steel sitting on the round tunnel.

@m5bb -Gary - the non-A/C brackets don't seem to work pointing up. Both the bends in the brackets end tabs and the angle of the screws through the original side panels prevent it fitting in any coherent way. IF you could somehow flip the brackets up, it would have the opposite problem, with the side panels being too high.

A conundrum for sure. I keep coming back to some type of spacers under the brackets to "fine tune" the position of the side panels but that doesn't appear to have been seen by anyone.
 
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Unforntunately I didnt dissasemble my dash, but here is what I show, tabs up on a 71 Euro 3.0 with A/C.
Note the bracket is bent upwards on each end.
 

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SkiFast said:
Unforntunately I didnt dissasemble my dash, but here is what I show, tabs up on a 71 Euro 3.0 with A/C.
Note the bracket is bent upwards on each end.
Click to expand...

Yes, the AC cars seem to all have the tabs pointed up with a entirely different shape.
 
tferrer said:
Well I was thinking perhaps bending the brackets would help but they really aren't that stiff and would revert to the original flat shape over time. It's just flat steel sitting on the round tunnel.

@m5bb -Gary - the non-A/C brackets don't seem to work pointing up. Both the bends in the brackets end tabs and the angle of the screws through the original side panels prevent it fitting in any coherent way. IF you could somehow flip the brackets up, it would have the opposite problem, with the side panels being too high.

A conundrum for sure. I keep coming back to some type of spacers under the brackets to "fine tune" the position of the side panels but that doesn't appear to have been seen by anyone.
Click to expand...
Surely someone has a CSL that can chime in or knows how this can work. It would be easy to make some brakets out of aluminum stock and shape them to provide the correct height.
@Mario L.
@craterface
 
You can use a washer (or two or three) underneath the bracket where the center is mounted the chassis to raise the top of the console. This may require a longer screw. I did this with my car.
 
You can tweak and use spacers etc but the bottom line is that the two sides have to come together so there are no gaps at the radio face plate and the walnut insert has no gaps and is not raised too high to clear the brackets that it rides high up the front face of the shifter cover.
 
bavbob said:
You can tweak and use spacers etc but the bottom line is that the two sides have to come together so there are no gaps at the radio face plate and the walnut insert has no gaps and is not raised too high to clear the brackets that it rides high up the front face of the shifter cover.
Click to expand...

Yup, several things need to happen at the same time. Awesome.

I've decided to try using some old shims I have laying around for the bonnet on the jaguar. They use them to trim that huge piece of metal and come in lots of different thicknesses. At least for experiment sake...
 
yes its a simple thing the brackets point up
and set the top of thew side panels to seat at the dash then just shim
at the trim tunnel to align the (E) holes
 
SkiFast said:
This was in my Service Book

View attachment 105579
Click to expand...
Yup - my brackets are completely different as my pics show.

I've resigned to putting shims in. I spoke to another CSL owner and they also had to add some material to raise them. The brackets are normally sitting on undercoating carpet under padding which weren't in CSLs from my understanding... I could be wrong there but that's the conclusion in arriving at.

Until someone has an in period pic of CSL console brackets.
 
As you know, I am having the same issue. I totally agree that the shape of the brackets for non AC cars is totally different and intuitively, have the ears down. I ended up with my rear bracket with the ears up and the front with the ears down. I used rubber spacers at the screw holes to allow adjustments, rubber is soft enough so screws can be tightened or loosened. The other thing is that I have a third bracket, zinc coated and is clearly OEM as it has the appropriate taper of its ears. For the life of me, I cannot figure out where it goes. It may be a support for the radio plate but not sure. Posted an image a while back and nobody was able to tell me what it was for.

I would add that since I have a Euro car that had no antenna, I bought one of those amplified little bars, found a sweet spot under the dash and get great reception.
 
Great! I bought a variety of different shims so I can adjust as necessary. I'm just waiting on my console sides to come back from the upholsterer and a couple of other things before I start putting everything back together but I'm still a couple of weeks off before testing of the fitting.

Question on the wood tray in the console. Are there specific mounts that the tray sits on? Mine seems to be just sitting in there randomly.
 
Wow... Jinky. I have to stop comparing old 911s to BMWs. The difference in the thought and engineering is shocking.
 
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