• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Re98 Center consoles

N

Nezerconezer

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Jul 4, 2006
Messages
1,651
Location
PHX AZ
Is there any differences in pre 98 center consoles, including the Mercury Mystique? If so wich one is the best option? And how easy is an install to a 98 plus tour? Anythink I should look out for?

Looking for a few pics as well, I've only seen a few pre 98 center consoles but only the front part, wanting to see the whole enchilada.

Thanks.
 
pre98 consoles

pre98 consoles

I believe the pre98 consoles were all pretty much the same, except for the fact that there were a few variations on the cupholders. There was a double small holder, single small holder and a single large holder. Sturdiest was the non-spring loaded single large holder (they all sucked IMO). As for installing a pre98 console into a 98+ Contour, it has been done, some one on here customized a console and it looks amazing. The only thing I would think that would be trouble is that the radio trim panel on the 98+ doesn't have the cubby hole under the radio so the console would be too short.You could get a pre98 radio trim panel from an auto wrecker for cheap and work something out.
 
the pre98 contour and mystique center consoles are different, you can only use one from a contour in post 98 mystqiues. basically the second din location in the pre98 contour is part of the center console where in the pre98 mystique it is part of the dash ...

all pics with blue interior are from my 95 Mystique, photos with the grey interior are from my 99 with a pre98 center console ...


DSC02789.JPG


DSC02788.JPG



DSC02790.JPG



DSC02791.JPG



to properly make the pre98 center console work you need the following items

center console
arm rest
radio tray
radio/hvac trim dezel
kick panels
ash try
cig lighter bezel
din pocket
filler trim peice
pre-98 shift boot/gear selector
cut holder - dual for atx, single for mtx and coresponding bezel, both will for on mtx or you can put in a filler plate for switches, etc ...


DSC00825.JPG
 
Thanks for the pics and info, I like the pre 98 console a lot better, looks more finnished and thought out. The post 98 looks cheap and more of an after thought.
 
Nezerconezer said:
Thanks for the pics and info, I like the pre 98 console a lot better, looks more finnished and thought out. The post 98 looks cheap and more of an after thought.
Click to expand...


ding ding ding, we have a winner, I completely agree with you the pre98 console gives a more finished and enclosed look and feel, the reason why I switched
 
I agree with you guys, the only thing I don't like however is the shifter/boot area. It looks like a big mess of vinyl/leather.
 
Id be all over the pre-98 consols if they didnt have the raised arm rests. I really dont like arm rests like that. I always bash my elbow while im shifting
 
Pudmunkie said:
Id be all over the pre-98 consols if they didnt have the raised arm rests. I really dont like arm rests like that. I always bash my elbow while im shifting
Click to expand...


don't know what you are talking about, I am 6 foot and I don't hit my arm on the pre98 armrest, no the pos armrest on the side of the see in my 99 I did hit my elbow on when it was down ... :nonono:
 
It's called an ARMrest for a reason. If you couldn't rest your arm on it, it would just be a lid.

AFA the post 98, I too hate the armrest that's mounted to the side of my seat, but mainly because it looks like crap. I have a pre-98 console in my parts car, but the two interiors are completely different greys. Damn Greystone in my 98+ has a lot of brown in it, isn't anywhere near an actual grey. Looks like crap next to the medium grey from the pre 98. Means I'll have to paint the dash to match, and that looks to be a LOT of work.
 
BrApple said:
don't know what you are talking about, I am 6 foot and I don't hit my arm on the pre98 armrest, no the pos armrest on the side of the see in my 99 I did hit my elbow on when it was down ... :nonono:
Click to expand...


Is it possible that, because of the fact you are 6 foot your arm is higher then mine? Being that im shorter then you are, there is a chance... Maybe, just maybe my elbow hits, where as yours does not?

IRingTwyce said:
It's called an ARMrest for a reason. If you couldn't rest your arm on it, it would just be a lid.

AFA the post 98, I too hate the armrest that's mounted to the side of my seat, but mainly because it looks like crap. I have a pre-98 console in my parts car, but the two interiors are completely different greys. Damn Greystone in my 98+ has a lot of brown in it, isn't anywhere near an actual grey. Looks like crap next to the medium grey from the pre 98. Means I'll have to paint the dash to match, and that looks to be a LOT of work.
Click to expand...

Its ok, you guys are allowed to like your ARMrests. I wont hold it against you.

Some people want to rest their ARMS on the ARMrest but I prefer to leave my hand on the shifter and let my arm relax.
 
Pudmunkie said:
Is it possible that, because of the fact you are 6 foot your arm is higher then mine? Being that im shorter then you are, there is a chance... Maybe, just maybe my elbow hits, where as yours does not?
ok you got me, didn't think about that ... actually for some reason the armrest in the Mystique is closer to my elbow then in my contour ...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
brian, does the pre98 mystique also have a different shaped hvac? it looks like its curvy and not dead flat in the pic. would the hvac indiglo fit on the mystique? i prefer the look of the mystique radio bezel. would be the better choice if molding in a doubledin radio or doubledin screen

just realized the mystique dash also comes down further to match the bottom of the radio bezel. the radio bezel would be naked on the sides with the shorter contour dash. would require modding the lower center console to continue up to reach the bottom of the contour dash and down well for it to look oem
 
Last edited:
hmouta said:
brian, does the pre98 mystique also have a different shaped hvac? it looks like its curvy and not dead flat in the pic. would the hvac indiglo fit on the mystique? i prefer the look of the mystique radio bezel. would be the better choice if molding in a doubledin radio or doubledin screen

just realized the mystique dash also comes down further to match the bottom of the radio bezel. the radio bezel would be naked on the sides with the shorter contour dash. would require modding the lower center console to continue up to reach the bottom of the contour dash and down well for it to look oem
Click to expand...


the hvac on at least the pre98 mystique is not flat, that panel is raised and flush with the bezel, not flat and set back from the bezel as in the contour so overlays for the pre98 Mystique will not work
 
That's not what I mean. I am referring to how it's all asymetrical and partially slanted and there's no plastic bezel lining. Just looks funny to me.
 
pre 98 console

pre 98 console

The person that had my car before must have been a memeber as they already did the pre 98 swap on my 99... Only problem is that they weren't very skilled... Thje thing is just kinda setting there... it's not fastened in any way to the floor. Pull the e-brake too far back and it moves the console back. It's a joke. Anyone that has done this, did you make new brackets to hold it in place?
 
difference ... the pre-98 console mounts at the rear with screws which are located on the inside of the cubby ... the post 98 console mounts with screws on the outside ... I just drilled some holes in the bracket so that it would mount from the inside of the cubby under the armrest. if the front is not attached then they most likely didn't use the radio tray from the pre 98 as the post 98 radio trim peice doesn't allow for the pre98 center console to be attached to it
 
I came across this pre-98 console in a scrap Do-it-Yourself scrap yard in my area. It was a lucky find, with a matching leather armrest, MTX shift boot, and the "Full width" ashtray cover that was apparently only on the very early ones. It also (as they all do I think) has a little flip out ashtray on the back for the rear seat. I found a set of working cup sholders in another car, but they would not fit in my car becasue of some steel box bolted to the floor...it didn't allow the insert to go down all the way.

The plastic storage sleeve on the pre-98 consoles pops out to reveal a radio-size hole, so I did a little switcheroo, and took advantge of the "new" old radio slot for a Oil press, Vacuum and Volts gauge location.

I also did without some of the "necessary" hardware from the doner car, having just taken the console and its components. The factory cup holder insert that sits forward of the shifter on the Post-98 cars is still there, the front "flaps" on the console just overlay it, and I just used it as a structure to screw the new console to. I had to cut out the center portion of it to get the radio to slid all the way in though.
Again, I did without the radio/HVAC surround from the doner 1995 car. I trimmed plastic underneath the stock panel so that the console had enough clearance under the dash.
Dispite taking a little less tidy aproach, it all looks seamless and everything lines up and fits correctly. It just took some trial and error to get it in right.

ContourInt0151.jpg
 
Scottsters interior is exacly what I'm going for. What did you pull that Ford button, on your steering wheel, off of? I'd like to do that as well as the plstic stamed ford badge if very cheep looking.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top