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Pre98 Center Console, finally installed in my SVT.

C

Chris@CTA

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Jul 20, 2000
Messages
646
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Finally, finally, I spent the weekend prepping and installing the Pre98 console I purchased last year. Luckily, I still had an almost full can of original Ford Alchemy interior paint to paint and repaint the console and side pieces that fit on either side of the heater box. The Alchemy paint I was sent with my console was lighter in colour, looked blue/gray and gave a matt finish when dried. As per the pictures, you will see that the OEM Alchemy paint has the right sheen and is close match to the dashboard (digital camera makes the painted surfaces look blue not "purplish" like the OEM dash and seats). In real life, the painted parts look almost exact to the dash. By the way, the spray can I had is over 6 years old. Ford does not sell it any more.

Here are some pics.

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Looks good. Interesting on the paint though... I never had any problems with my paint. Heres a pic from my install before I tore my car apart.

console2mj7.jpg
 
Very nice. Once you have a pre98 console its a "must-do" mod on any other csvt, just doesnt feel right driving.
 
CSVT#49 said:
Looks good. Interesting on the paint though... I never had any problems with my paint. Heres a pic from my install before I tore my car apart.

console2mj7.jpg
Click to expand...

Where did you get the armrest cover? Redline Goods?

Also, looks like you had the proper side pieces, where the screw at the top of the console meets them. With the ones I was supplied, the holes on the side pieces did not match the console, so I ended up screwing the console into the brackets which held the old front section, then made another set of holes to screw the console into the side pieces.
 
gomach1 said:
Very nice. Once you have a pre98 console its a "must-do" mod on any other csvt, just doesnt feel right driving.
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Thanks.

One of the factors for me finally getting around to doing this is my other cars have real armrests and when I hopped into the SVT I pretty much fell over into the passenger seat since I'm so used to leaning on the armrests in the other cars as I get into them. :)
 
Chris@CTA said:
Thanks.

One of the factors for me finally getting around to doing this is my other cars have real armrests and when I hopped into the SVT I pretty much fell over into the passenger seat since I'm so used to leaning on the armrests in the other cars as I get into them. :)
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Yea it makes a big difference! I took an arm rest out of a cougar cause it matched pretty decent, but i would love to have one like csvt#49 ^^^ has. That looks real nice. I need to find a better paint, the SEM stuff i used didnt match they way i would have liked.
 
Big fan of doing this. I just never find nice ones at the junkyard. If you watch the original Contour SVT promo video, one of the cars they use has the pre-98 in it...looks great
 
boumacj said:
Big fan of doing this. I just never find nice ones at the junkyard. If you watch the original Contour SVT promo video, one of the cars they use has the pre-98 in it...looks great
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I heard about the promo video on this forum, just never got around to viewing it. I'm sure it looks great with the pre98 console.
 
Chris@CTA said:
Where did you get the armrest cover? Redline Goods?

Also, looks like you had the proper side pieces, where the screw at the top of the console meets them. With the ones I was supplied, the holes on the side pieces did not match the console, so I ended up screwing the console into the brackets which held the old front section, then made another set of holes to screw the console into the side pieces.
Click to expand...

The armrest cover... I got it from me ;). I made a post on it a while back I think. I made it by canbilizing my broken passenger side door panel. I used the vinyl wrapping from the center section of the door, ironed it flat, and then shapped it to fit my armrest. I love the look of it against the rest of the interior. Looks like it belongs. As for the console parts, yea I pulled everything I needed from a donor car in a junk yard.

As for the promo video... center console shown at 0:58.

 
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Mike, I happen to run across your old thread and yes, you did mention about using the material off a door panel to cover the armrest.

I watched the video (Thanks for the link) and there was a few shots of the pre production console (1:35 too), and, there is one scene with the final production console too (1:15). Heck, if they had put the pre production console in the cars, we would have had one less mod to do.
 
boumacj said:
Big fan of doing this. I just never find nice ones at the junkyard. If you watch the original Contour SVT promo video, one of the cars they use has the pre-98 in it...looks great
Click to expand...

Car also has the mystique tail lights in the promo like your bondurant csvt.... Maybe you have or have had the promo car lol...oooooooo yeah and back to the original subject I am a big fan of the pre 98 council and if you want a mnb pre98 center boumacj I'm pretty sure there is a nice one at my local junkyard.
 
Did you match up the HVAC/radio trim piece from the Pre-98? It looks like the 98+ is still there but it's been so long since I did mine, I can't remember what the base looks like. The Pre-98 has mounting points on it for the center console that the 98+ would be missing.

Also, the screws on the side of the console can be swapped with the original ones which have a flat surface and have color matched caps that go over them. Same idea as the cowl cover screw caps.

Looks awesome though! It's nice to see another Pre-98 console done right!
 
CSVT1214 said:
Did you match up the HVAC/radio trim piece from the Pre-98? It looks like the 98+ is still there but it's been so long since I did mine, I can't remember what the base looks like. The Pre-98 has mounting points on it for the center console that the 98+ would be missing.

Also, the screws on the side of the console can be swapped with the original ones which have a flat surface and have color matched caps that go over them. Same idea as the cowl cover screw caps.

Looks awesome though! It's nice to see another Pre-98 console done right!
Click to expand...

I used the 98+ radio bezel, didn't get a chance to get a pre98 bezel. I utilized the exisitng support ingbrackets from the original centre console, couple extra screws, and it's sturfy, even without being directly connected to the radio bezel. Fitment came out well too.

As to the flat headed screws, I have them, just no plastic covers for the screws. Are the covers still available? Or do you know where I could get 6 covers? Thanks.
 
Chris@CTA said:
I used the 98+ radio bezel, didn't get a chance to get a pre98 bezel. I utilized the exisitng support ingbrackets from the original centre console, couple extra screws, and it's sturfy, even without being directly connected to the radio bezel. Fitment came out well too.

As to the flat headed screws, I have them, just no plastic covers for the screws. Are the covers still available? Or do you know where I could get 6 covers? Thanks.
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If you secured it in other spots, then I'd say leave it. I've seen some installed that don't line up at all because it has the wrong trim and not secured in other spots to make up for it. It ends up with a gap between the HVAC and the console. If you get the Pre-98 HVAC trim, it has to be from a 97 otherwise you'll need to paint it black. 95-96 used a metallic gray for all the trim. 97 switched to black like the 98+.

I ended up getting mine from a couple different junkyard Contours and Mystiques. Some didn't have any, and others had a few. I ended up with a bunch of gray and tan ones that I painted MNB.
 
Another cool mod you can do is illuminate the lighter socket like the Pre-98's had. You just need to pick up a Pre-98 lighter socket plug which will have the additional bulb wire and extend it up to the HVAC and tap into one of the bulb wires.

I have pics that I was planning on doing a How-To for and I never got around to it. I did mine red to match the rest of the interior lights.
 
CSVT1214 said:
If you secured it in other spots, then I'd say leave it. I've seen some installed that don't line up at all because it has the wrong trim and not secured in other spots to make up for it. It ends up with a gap between the HVAC and the console. If you get the Pre-98 HVAC trim, it has to be from a 97 otherwise you'll need to paint it black. 95-96 used a metallic gray for all the trim. 97 switched to black like the 98+.

I ended up getting mine from a couple different junkyard Contours and Mystiques. Some didn't have any, and others had a few. I ended up with a bunch of gray and tan ones that I painted MNB.
Click to expand...

I'm happy with the current fitment, took my time to make it fit nice. Gotta get me some of those caps.
 
CSVT1214 said:
Another cool mod you can do is illuminate the lighter socket like the Pre-98's had. You just need to pick up a Pre-98 lighter socket plug which will have the additional bulb wire and extend it up to the HVAC and tap into one of the bulb wires.

I have pics that I was planning on doing a How-To for and I never got around to it. I did mine red to match the rest of the interior lights.
Click to expand...

Already thinking about it. I already have the lighter powered and grounded using the factory connector. The lighter already has the bulb and I tested so what I plan to do is power it from the ignition wire from the radio, means it will be on any time the accessory is on, or I'll have to find a wire from the light switch to put 12V to a single wire to connect to the bulb at the lighter.
 
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