 |
| The console area is a focal point in any Corvette interior. Any time
you have to shift gears or use the heater or air conditioner, you are
drawn to this area. If this area in the Corvette does not look good, it
will make the rest of the interior look below par. Restoring the
console is a fairly easy task. The whole console top plate can be
removed as one unit without any special tools. The restoration process
is very straight forward and all of the console items that you need are
available from Zip Products, Inc.
The console in our 73 Corvette had seen better days so we decided it
was a prime candidate for restoration. The whole process took less than
6 hours from start to finish and the results speak for themselves. Now
let’s get started and give that worn console a brand new look. |
|
01: Here are all of the items we received from Zip to
restore our 73 console: Woodgrain trim panel, mounting screws,
automatic shift dial indicator, shift lever sliders, A/C-Heater control
assembly, heater blower switch, ashtray cover, sliders, and receptacle
and the console engine decal. You will also need some paint stripper,
1/4” and 1/8” masking tape, semi-gloss black paint, a scuff pad or 600
grit sandpaper, some common hand tools and a shop manual for your year
Corvette. |
|
02: Start by disconnecting the battery and removing
the console top plate assembly from the car. The A/C-Heater controls
will stay in the console. They are removed separately. It is a good
idea to tag each light and connection as you remove them from the top
plate assembly. This makes re-assembly much easier. With the top plate
out of the car, remove the woodgrain trim. |
|
03: Carefully remove the engine identification decal.
Do not pry against the chrome lip around the decal. If you knick it, it
will be noticeable when you are finished. |
|
04: Turn the top plate over and remove the ashtray
receptacle and socket, the ashtray lid and sliders and the shift dial
socket and body assembly. |
|
05: Carefully remove the ashtray lid stop. This will
have to be re-used. Make a note where it is located because you will
have to replace this in the same location when you re-assemble it. |
|
06: Now remove the dial indicator lense and backup.
Also remove both shift lever sliders (if the Corvette is an automatic).
The console should now be totally disassembled. |
|
07: Use a quality paint stripper and remove all of the
black paint and glue from the console. If you are re-using your ashtray
cover, you will also want to strip it. |
|
08: The new ashtray cover and dial indicator lense
backup need to be scuffed before being painted. You can use either a
fine scuff pad or 600 grit sandpaper to do the job. Always sand in one
direction. Do not crisscross your strokes. |
|
09: Use 1/4” masking tape to cover the outer chrome
edge of the console plate. Then use 1/8” masking tape to cover the
chrome edge around the ashtray, A/C-Heater control, shifter, shift dial
area and engine decal plate. When all of these areas are covered, use
semi-gloss black paint and re-spray the whole console top plate. Use
light, even, overlapping strokes. Remember to spray the ashtray cover
and shift dial backup plate. |
| {mosgoogle} |
|
10: When the console top plate is dry, remove the tape
and lay the woodgrain trim in place with the adhesive back cover still
in place. This will allow you to see how it fits. Make a few trial runs
to see how to lay it in place. Once you lay the woodgrain trim in place
with the adhesive exposed, you will not be able to re-adjust it. This
is a one time shot so make sure you get it right the first time. Start
at the wide end and work toward the narrow end. It works much easier
this way. |
|
11: Once the woodgrain trim is in place, use a bondo
squeegee to press it into place. Make sure you get it to fit around
each raised area on the plate. |
|
12: Turn the top plate over and start the re-assembly
by installing the ashtray lid and new sliders. Remember to re-install
the ashtray lid stop back in the original place. You may also want to
put some white lithium grease on the area where the ashtray stop slides
against the console plate. Now install the new shift dial indicator
lense, backup and retainer. This will now hold all of these items in
place. |
|
13: Install the two automatic shift lever sliders into
place. Make sure you get the large sliders cut out facing in the right
direction. |
|
14: On the right is the new A/C-Heater control
assembly that Zip provided. As you can see, there is a big difference
between this new one and the old one that we removed. |
|
15: We installed a new heater blower switch on our new
A/C-Heater control assembly. The installation is very simple. Just two
screws hold it into place. The A/C-Heater control panel can now be
re-installed into the retaining plate that is in the car. |
|
16: Now the engine decal can be put into place. Remove the protective backing, center it into its area, and press it into place. |
|
17: Here is the console top plate ready for
installation. We placed the A/C-Heater control in its opening so that
you could see how the finished product looked. All that is needed now
is to re-connect the lights, cables and switches. Screw the console
plate into place, re-connect the battery and be proud of a job well
done! |
| |
CONSOLE RESTORATION:
HOW TO RESTORE YOUR CORVETTE'S CONSOLE
SOURCE:
Zip Products, Inc.
8067 Fast Lane
Mechanicsville, VA 23111
(800) 962-9632
PARTS LIST:
68-82 Dash and Console Components
The Author would like to thank Scott Coral of Greg Donahue Collector
Car Restorations, Inc. for his assistance with this article. |
