EJ/EK center console Swap
woodi
Wagonist
I picked up arm rest/center console for a 6th gen EJ/EK civic from a friend for free this past weekend. I was thinking of doing the common DC center console swap but decided to see if I could make this work instead.
I played with my existing wagon console and the new one in the car for awhile to see what I might be able to make work.
Then I headed into the workshop and started playing. I traced the shape of the EK armrest onto the wagon center console right at the back of the hump for the shifter.
Then I got out my trusty hack saw and went to work. A different cutting tool might have made a bit cleaner cuts but the hacks saw worked. Unfortunately I forgot to take any more pictures at this point so you'll have to take my word on the rest of it.
I cut a few small pieces of plastic cutting board and drilled a hole in them to lineup with the existing holes in the EK console. I bolted them onto the EK console then drilled a new hole in my old wagon console and into the cutting board. I screwed those together with some small black speaker screws I had kicking around.
I then layed out and drilled the two mounting holes from that are covered by the plastic cover in the wagon console into the ebrake depression in the EK console.
I also took the rear half of my wagon console and held it against the EK rear and traced the bottom porfile onto the ek rear and cut it out with a hacksaw to match the floor.
Then out to the car we went. I put the two halves in used the standard front screws on the wagon console screwed them together with my cutting board connecting pieces then had to go the hardware store for some longer metric bolts to go in the holes under the ebrake handle. It all ended up pretty solid and I like how it looks.
It's a little rough where the two halves meet but if I had used something other than a hacksaw and made a little cleaner cuts I think it would hardly even be noticeable that it was a bastard hybrid.
As for performance...
The storage compartment is nice but the armrest itself sits a little low and far back for my liking. Still I think it's a big improvement over the stock piece and for free.
I played with my existing wagon console and the new one in the car for awhile to see what I might be able to make work.
Then I headed into the workshop and started playing. I traced the shape of the EK armrest onto the wagon center console right at the back of the hump for the shifter.
Then I got out my trusty hack saw and went to work. A different cutting tool might have made a bit cleaner cuts but the hacks saw worked. Unfortunately I forgot to take any more pictures at this point so you'll have to take my word on the rest of it.
I cut a few small pieces of plastic cutting board and drilled a hole in them to lineup with the existing holes in the EK console. I bolted them onto the EK console then drilled a new hole in my old wagon console and into the cutting board. I screwed those together with some small black speaker screws I had kicking around.
I then layed out and drilled the two mounting holes from that are covered by the plastic cover in the wagon console into the ebrake depression in the EK console.
I also took the rear half of my wagon console and held it against the EK rear and traced the bottom porfile onto the ek rear and cut it out with a hacksaw to match the floor.
Then out to the car we went. I put the two halves in used the standard front screws on the wagon console screwed them together with my cutting board connecting pieces then had to go the hardware store for some longer metric bolts to go in the holes under the ebrake handle. It all ended up pretty solid and I like how it looks.
It's a little rough where the two halves meet but if I had used something other than a hacksaw and made a little cleaner cuts I think it would hardly even be noticeable that it was a bastard hybrid.
As for performance...
The storage compartment is nice but the armrest itself sits a little low and far back for my liking. Still I think it's a big improvement over the stock piece and for free.
Comments
i happen to have one that will fit that slot, if interested... PM me about it.
console looks great though! very nice job man
Out of an EK? I looked at that and it didn't even look close to fitting. I know would you have to switch all the metal framework underneath if it does work. Just taking the plastic off for the front doesn't get you much. I'd like to see a picture of your setup.
i would give you a picture but I took out all of that i am stripping the wagon..to me it worked out better with the cup holders in there then with a pod or a universal one....plus it looked like it came like that...
Yeah definitely would look better and probably work better too. I pulled the forward plastic half out of my 2000 4 dr and it didn't look like it would have a chance of fitting that's why I was surprised and skeptical you got it to work. After I took a quick look at it I didn't bother trying to source the forward half (the rear I got from a friend). Maybe I'll have to look at it again having the full console would be sweet.
Thanks!
ETA: looks like you guys sort of answered my question a little later. I'd still like to see if it'd work. Hard headed that way. TV>