Here's some pics of my new console.

Plenty of room for seat belts and handbrake.

Lid lifts up with storage underneath.

1 piece mount is bolted to the tunnel by 2 bolts that hold the console.

The whole console lifts up if needed.

Bought a sheet of aluminum at the metal yard, some heavy leatherette, sticky back felt and foam from the craft store, a hinge and misc nuts and bolts from Lowes Hardware. Went down to the auto Junkyard and salvaged an old console for the tray (don't know what it came off of).
After a weekend of cutting, dremeling, drilling, sawing, stapeling, and cussing I came up with a pretty good alternative to the $200+ consoles.
It pulls up out of the way if needed. Doesn't interefere with the seat back adjusters, seat belts, or handbrake either. Plus it's got storage for all those little things.
And it's comfortable too.
Did I mention it cost me about $30.00 in materials. and custom too.
More money in the chest for my performance mods.

Thursday MiniMadness in Portland will be installing a 15% reduction pulley and some new plugs.

 

Could you move the sheep out of the way? They are blocking the shot

 

Baaaaaaaaaa!

 

Baaaaaahhhhhh

 

lol....you beat me to it

 

I think you need to send those pictures to Pimp my ride, they would be proud.

 

I tried to but they sent em back said your mama (the sheep) would have to get out of the car.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....

 

LOL!!!!

Seriously. The metal looks pretty interesting. I'm sure the shots don't do it justice.

The leatherette looks like a home job, though. I bet that would look awesome if you got a seamstress/taylor to sew you a fitted pad with corners.

Great job and you can't beat the price.

 

Man, that's awesome. I love mama jokes, like your mama's so harry, Big foot took her picture.

 

That has got to be the ugliest piece of crap i have ever seen, and i have been around for a long time.

 

To each his own piece of crap
As for the console. I like it, my wife likes it, my elbow likes it, all the little do-dads I've now got a place for likes it.
Oh great one what does your having been around a long time have to do with whether something is a piece of crap or not?impatient

 

CRAP? Did I hear CRAP?

I KNOW CRAP when i see it and that ain't CRAP. A CRAP console would have cost at least $400 (I gather you aint check the latest CRAP accessory prices lately???).

OUTBACK. I think it looks fine. Can't beat the price and there is nothing more satisfying than home made

 

Thanks chow,
Actually I was at a Mini dealer Thursday and they had an 06 with the OEM armrest. I leaned in the car put my hand on the armrest then pressed down fairly hard. The armrest flexed down onto the handbrake and I almost thought I would bust the plastic bracket under the pressure. No storage either.
I put all my weight on mine and no flex. I'll take mine.

 

No if it was crap it'd be a JCW part: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...692#post714692


Um, if the side airbags went off, wouldn't there be wool flying everywhere?

 

Alot of words came to mind when a saw the console pic,i guess i will use THRIFTY.

 

I used 2, 3/4 pipe flanges ,6in 3/4 iron pipe,4x18x1/2in.oak board ,6in of black pipe insulationand a 1911 English coin. I then installed it in the rear cup holder. I dont have pictures now but you can see it at the dragon. WE are the weeee1 pulling the teardrop trailer.

 

Uhmmm....

If I got hit by hard enough by something to make the airbags go off, I'm sure crap would be flying all over the inside of my MINI whether I liked it or not. And I ain't talking about interior "add on" crap, either.

I like your armrest. Shows an imagination that I don't have.

 

interesting in a "do-it-yourself" kind of way. Couldn't you make the material folds for the armrest padding a little less...oh I don't know...a bit more professional looking maybe? I applaud your initative, but I have to say that it looks like it belongs in the same class as the building in which you have your mini in front of.

Sorry man. I'm sure you did your best, but in the interest of saving money by not buying one of the nice expensive armrests(which are waaaay over priced) you've suceeded in making the inside of your car look like it belongs in front of that shack. I'm glad that you and your wife are happy with it. In the future I'd take some classes first if I were you. It's not that the effort isn't there, but that the talent(as it is) to produce a nice neat armrest just isn't showing.

But if that was your intention in the first place then I applaud you for taking a fine piece of English/German engineering and producing a fine juxtaposition between sleek functional sports car and melding it with rural sense of "good enough".

 

You let the cat out of the bag. I thought it was common knowledge around here what CRAP meant

 

Sorry, but by the time it's common knowledge, isn't the cat already gone?

It's not the flying crap itself I was concerned about, but rather the effect of the seatcovers on the effectiveness of the airbags. Since we know the OP is a DIY type, maybe a perforation line on those covers could ensure they'd work properly if needed

 

So many comments so little time. i applaud your inginuity. this is what makes us mini owners unique to the world. We all have our preferences.

 

i applaud your efforts again. never mind the comments. if you are happy with it then thats all that matters

 

That is a valid point. I would hope the originator already checked that out prior to buying the sheepskin since reputable sheepskin deales will tell you which ones to buy to make sure the airbags work.

 

I was going to stay out of this thread, but here's my 2 cents. First Outback you posted the picutres, and I'm sure you're very proud of what you did or you wouldn't have put the picture up for everyone to see. As for the other ones who don't like it, they are also entitled to their opinions. As for me I opted for the overpriced armrest (it's my money) but like others have already said "if you're happy with it" then just never mind what anyone else thinks, and thanks for sharing.