DIY Center Console - material to use?

I am going to be making a center console for the Mini. After having the car for 12 years, it is now time to out in a radio and some speakers. I am also planning on two cupholders and a place to put and charge my phone.

It seems like the common materials for making a console are MDF or fiberglass. What else is out there that is suitable? I saw a youtube video where a guy uses PVC foam sheets and I've seen where people make them out of sheet metal.

The design I have in mind would be fine to make out of MDF, but that stuff seems so heavy. I don't want to mess with fiberglass. What other brilliant ideas do you guys have that I'm not thinking of?

I've used 'glass over a foam core, which was pretty easy and very lightweight, but you said you didn't want to mess with fiberglass.

I'm not sure of the whole process but I've seen where you stretch some fabric over a wire form and then coat it with polyester or epoxy resin. Once it hardens you can then reinforce it on the back side with fiberglass mat and more resin. Once you do that you can sand smooth the exterior and then paint or you can also cover it with a layer of carbon fiber it you like that look.

You can make it out of metal but unless you can bend it you will be stuck with flat pieces that you have to fasten together in some manner.

Thin pieces of hardwood (like 1/4 inch plywood or maybe you can get 1/4 inch or 3/8 boards) will be much lighter than MDF and with a good stain and seal, it might not look too far out of place in a mini. Or you can cover the thing in leather from the fabric store.

I was surprised at how good painted Coroplast looked and felt, and it weighs nothing. Here's a DIN gauge pod I made this way:

When installed you can't see the edges and it looks way more professional than it should.

Bend up a simple console from aluminum and upholster it with vinyl in a colour of your choice. If you have access to a TIG the shape can be more complex, although the upholstery will be a little tougher.
Before I went to MDF I'd be trying to use 1/4 plywood just to keep the weight down. Or, hit the junk yard and see if there's anything usable from another model of vehicle.

This book essentially covers what you're asking and describes it with enough detail to make it look easy enough to try. Well worth $20, IMHO:

http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Auto-Interiors-Don-Taylor/dp/1931128189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416844179&sr=8-1&keywords=custom+auto+interiors

Like anything, I'm sure it takes practice to master. I wouldn't expect your first attempt to be perfect. To be hoenst, I'm looking forward to the interior fabrication more so than any other aspect of my pending car projects - since that's what you are always touching/feeling when driving. Even more than power.

You can also do some searching online - there are ready made consoles for Minis out there that may work for you.

I saw a dash recently somewhere that a guy made for a hot rod. It was simple aluminium, but covered with some aged, worn leather, it added a lot of charahter to a basicly flat piece of metal

I'm reconsidering fiberglass. I think I'll make a frame out of wood and use fiberglass for the sides and top surfaces. Will not be nearly as heavy as a whole structure made out of MDF.

I was thinking thinner plywood instead of MDF already to save weight.

There are consoles I could buy, but I want to make one myself.

Not much chance of anything from the pick and pull fitting into the space I have.

I am also planning on new front seats, so I really need to settle on those first to be able to see how much room I really have to work with, then I will move into the cardboard mockup stage.

This whole project is Guido's fault. I am planning on a 6+ hr each way drive in the car in April. It started out with the idea that I needed an outlet so I could charge my phone, then moved onto cupholders and music. I am planning on adding an amp and a bluetooth receiver dongle doohicky and not installing an actual head unit and just using my phone as a music source. Hoping to fit two cupholders, little storage area, USB outlet and two 4" speakers in the console. Going to put rear speakers under the rear seat. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks for your input so far.

MDF form then stretch and staple fleece to the form. Coat with fiberglass resin. That the way we did all our mini truck interiors.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

I thought about coroplast the other day. I wasn't sure if it would be strong enough. May end of with an armrest in this thing. That idea is what made me think there may be some other material that would be suitable that I hadn't thought of.

MDF. You can get it in very thin thicknesses. Cover it in an appropriate colored laminate.

If you layer coroplast with the corrugations at a right angle (bonded with super glue), it's TOUGH. That's what I did for the face of that gauge pod.

PVC sheet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSjfKLH9P20

GameboyRMH wrote: If you layer coroplast with the corrugations at a right angle (bonded with super glue), it's TOUGH. That's what I did for the face of that gauge pod.

Good idea! You could also cover any edges with wire loom or split rubber hose for a cool 'luxury race car' look.

I also thought Plasti-Dip might make it look more factory-ish. I used rattle-can paint on mine.

In reply to T.J.:

Well... hopefully you're Mini is better at hwy cruising than mine. I had the same thought for my trip up to Watkins Glen in 2013 for the vintage festival where Mini was the featured marque. Installing a stereo in mine proved to be a waste of time - at hwy speeds I needed ear plugs to keep my ears from ringing due to the road/engine noise. Forget hearing the stereo.

I added a 12v outlet wired to the hot side of the fuse box (with a fuse) and screwed it in under the dash to keep my phone charged (used for GPS speedometer).

Plan on noise insulation and lots of it...

In reply to Ian F:

Yeah, at highway speeds it is loud. My car is decently loud inside even at idle. Realistically, I just want a cupholder and way to charge my phone, the rest of it is gravy. I'm not expecting miracles, just a fun project to tackle. I'm more excited about finding some new seats. I have some fixed back Corbeau seats in there now. The drivers side is worn through on the bolsters and the passenger seat was made for someone with a 25" waist and no hips.

Anyone ever work with ABS plastic sheet? Looks like it can be formed with heat. Not sure about a local source for it though, but I could order some online to play with. Looks like it comes in various thickness and even extruded shapes.

youtube link

T.J. wrote: In reply to Ian F: Yeah, at highway speeds it is loud. My car is decently loud inside even at idle. Realistically, I just want a cupholder and way to charge my phone, the rest of it is gravy. I'm not expecting miracles, just a fun project to tackle. I'm more excited about finding some new seats. I have some fixed back Corbeau seats in there now. The drivers side is worn through on the bolsters and the passenger seat was made for someone with a 25" waist and no hips.

I hear ya... I'm on the look-out for seats as well. When I get to fixing the suspension, I plan to try seeing how my E30 sport seats fit. My existing seats are original style seats with packed-out cushions and no head-rests. I can go about an hour in the car before I need to get out and stretch.

I picked up some seats yesterday. Got a set of leather power seats from a Saab 9-3. It doesn't look like it will be too hard to work out the mounting. I also have to figure out the wiring for the seats, then it's on to center console construction time. I settled on fiberglass construction. I'll make a separate thread in the build log section to document the seat and center console project.

what's wrong with aluminum? *(Since you've stated you don't want to go the fiberglass route)

In reply to Autolex:

Nothing is wrong with aluminum, although I don't have a sheet metal brake. Decided on fiberglass.

T.J. wrote: In reply to Autolex: Nothing is wrong with aluminum, although I don't have a sheet metal brake. Decided on fiberglass.

It's a good decision; it allows more flexibility (in my mind) and complex curves. That's the way i'd go too if i weren't worried about the weight (Fiberglass/MDF can be a heavy combo)