EK center console in EG
This DIY is for fitting an EK center console, into an EG.
This is a fairly difficult alteration, if you not confident trying what I’ am doing here please do not attempt it, if you follow what I do, but your parts get damaged because you don’t know what you are doing it is not my fault.
Sorry if the pics are not the greatest my camera batteries were dead, so I used my phone.
One of the hardest things for me was to find the console as a whole. I spent an hour at a local junk yard searching around.
Here is a list of parts you need:
- Console shell
- Manual shifter boot – if the boot is ripped you can reuse the boot itself from your EG, you just have to put it on the metal bracket of the EK( as far as I can tell you can only do this with a 5spd car because the shifter boot hole itself is moved forward.)
- Cup holder and Tape deck assembly – In my search I found many cup holders with missing clips to keep the lid closed, so make sure you pay attention to this. For the attached piece, I found two options, either a tape deck, which I removed so essentially I have a deck hole. I also found a large pocket in the same spot but unfortunately the pocket is too deep and will hit the dash to body mount.
1. Phillips screwdriver
2. Dremel tool,exacto knife, and/or hack saw – for cutting plastic, I used exacto knife and it worked fairly well, just be careful(cut my thumb up pretty good, patched it up but bled all over everything)
3. Masking tape
4. Drill and small drill bit
First thing I did was remove the console which housed the cigarette lighter and ashtray. There a four screws which hold it in, two on the side near the floor and two up top above the ashtray and cig lighter. When you pull it out you will have to disconnect the harness going to the cig lighter.
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This is what you will get
The next thing would be to remove the console which houses the shifter. There are two screws on the front sides. There are also two under the E-Brake, remove the cover first. Now this part may be tricky, release the handbrake, and see if you can remove the screws, use a large Phillips screwdriver and apply lots of pressure and be firm. I’ve taken many of these apart and I’ve stripped lots of screws, so be careful.
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After that I started to get the EK console ready, there are extruded brackets on the rear of the console that I cut off with a utility knife, take your time because if you put a gouge in it there is nothing you can really do about it.
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Next is to cut the shifter housing to make room for the new consoles cup holders. I used a piece of masking tape to help cut a straight line.
Then I needed to cut the bottom half of the cig holder console. Essentially cutting it just bellow the ashtray is best. It’ll fit behind the new console. But first you need to remove the flip down compartment. There are three screws in total holding it in place, two in the back and one attached to the ashtray bracket. Take the screws out and take a bit of time taking it out, may come out easy for you may not, only tip I have is keep the flip down closed. And take the harness mount off the bracket as well.
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The next thing would be to cut the console. Again I used tape to mask a straight line. Now I wasn’t very careful when I cut mine and the wrap around part at the rear does not flow with the new console, there are gaps. So I will have to buy a new console, but this is how I would do it the second time: Mount the cig console back in the car then line up the new console next to it and trace a line on the cig console where the two will meet. Then cut just below the line. But here are pics of my first attempt.
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Next you need to remove this plastic piece from under the carpet (gets in the way of the cup holders)
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Now the tabs on the new console will interfere with the old console, so you need to remove some plastic. Do some eyeballing first, dont want to much off, take your time, there is a pic below of what you need to cut.
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After I was able to I mocked up the console to make sure it fit well. And the next step was to mount it.
I didnt want to take too much time and effort at this point in mounting it. I had some self tapping screws
and plastic covers for them so i decided to drill some guide holes first. Before I drilled I installed the large
steel screws in the old console under the Ebrake so it would align properly. made sure it all lined up and drilled away.
Quickly painted the caps, ill hafta re-do, but this is the final product.
Cant really see them, unless you are looking for them, so figured to everyone else and the untrained
eye noone would know
Here is another pic of the final product
Only thing I have not done is fasten the front, not going to worry about it because it all holds solidly into
place.
Because I have nothing to put into the tape slot right now I just got a piece of plexi glass from work,
painted the back side black, flipped it and had the clear side out, and it looks clean. Because it is temp.
I just taped it up on the back.
