ChrisAU
War Damn Eagle
Hey guys I'm looking for a overhead console from a 95-98 to put in my 92 when I re-do my headliner, I can't seem to find any blue ones on eBay!
BLUE 95-98 Overhead Console
- Thread starter ChrisAU
- Start date
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sewlow
Bitchin' Stitchin'
They are really easy to recover, in whatever material you choose, to contrast or match your headliner.
Devs93
OBS 4 EVA
I have a grey one you can recover or dye make me in an offer its in the fs section
ChrisAU
War Damn Eagle
Whats the process like for recovering them? I am going to get some fabric to re-cover my headliner with here shortly and I'd like to just use a piece of that.
sewlow
Bitchin' Stitchin'
You will need the following tools.
A decent pair of scissors.
Small flat screwdriver
A pair of side cutters
Heat gun (a paint stripper will work)
Spray glue. 3M '76' or '90' is what I prefer. Do not use a glue called 'feather spray'. Available @ home improvement stores.
Couple of 1.5"-2" screws or nails. Screwdriver or hammer.
A large towel or small blanket to protect the console on the bench when you turn it over.
From the inside, there are a couple or 3, maybe 4, screws that holds the dark grey plastic center piece in place. The part with all the doors. Once the screws are removed, separate the two pieces. The vinyl or fabric can be removed from the outer ring. Do this carefully as it's probably glued to the foam underneath. The material may also be stapled to the plastic. They can be removed with a small flat screwdriver & a pair of side cutters. Try to not damage the foam under the material. A bit of heat may be required to convince the glue to release.
Once the material is off, cut a new piece of the material you are recovering the console with, about 3-4 inches larger than the console. Vinyl stretches in one direction, but not the other. You want the stretch going in the long direction.
Do not cut the center out at this time.
Once you have it all ready, spray the backside of whatever material your using, with the glue. Spray it like your spray painting a car. Straight lines from side to side, overlapping each pass by about 50% of the previous one. Don't soak the glue on. Two light coats are better than one heavy one. Let the glue dry between each coat about 5-10 minutes.
Coat the whole piece of material. Edge to edge, side to side.
Do the same to the console piece being recovered. You can alternate between the fabric & the console when you're doing this. By the time you get a coat of glue on one, the other piece glued will be dry enough for the second coat.
Place the console face up on the bench, lengthwise away from you. Inside the inner opening at the top, the farthest away from you, put the screws or nails into the bench, in the inner corners of the console. They have to be lower than the highest point of the console. Place the material on top of the console. Do not press it down, yet. At the top, the farthest away from you, press down the material down, but just in the middle of the short span, & not all the way out to the corners.
Use the heat gun to warm up the vinyl, if that's what your using. For fabric, skip this step.
If your right handed, put the palm of your left hand on the part that you just pressed down. With your right hand, grab the material closest to you and pull it fairly hard, away from your left hand. This is what the screws/nails are for. They will keep the console itself from sliding around while your pulling the material. Having the stretch go lengthwise, & with the pulling of the material, it will cause it to want to wrap around the console.
Push the material down on the end that your holding with your right hand, the same as the other end. Just in the middle, not quite out to the corners.
Now, in the middle of the long sides, pull the material out, firmly but gently, so there are no wrinkles over the opening of the console. Push it down so that the glue sticks. This is why you let the glue dry. It won't stick permanently until it's pushed down.
Lift up the console. Remove the screws/nails. Turn the console over, & put it on the bench protection that your using.
Spray some glue on the inner edges of the console & let dry. Both the outside edges & the inner edges of the opening.
Start at one corner. Pull the material around & with the thin edge of the small flat screwdriver push the material down, in the center of the corner.
Smooth the material on the straight edges down, but not right out to the corners.
You will now have 2 wrinkles/puckers on either side of the corners that you first glued down with the screwdriver. With your thumb & forefinger, grab the center of each wrinkle & wiggle it slightly back & forth, so that there are no wrinkles on the outside. You will now have 4 puckers where there was 2. Repeat this step for each wrinkle, until there are no wrinkles on the outside. Don't worry about the inside wrinkles. Push it all down on the inside. Tuck it right in there. Push pretty hard. You can use the screwdriver to get the material right down tight in there. Do the same to each corner, pulling the material slightly tight. Once they are all done, push the material all down tight. You will have bunched up material in there.
The extra material on the inside can now be cut. Cut the wrinkles in the material using the scissors, starting from the outer edge into the inside. This is just to remove some of the bulk. Don't go too crazy doing this. Trim the rest of the material on the straights, but not too close to the edges. Leave as much as you can.
For the inner opening, cut the material away, leaving about an inch & a half all the way around.
Cut reliefs in the corners, starting in the center of the curve, but not quite to the plastic. About an 1/8 of an inch away. These are cut straight into the corner. Do the center of the curve first, then three or four on each side of the first one, about an 1/8" apart. Use your thumb to wrap the material around from the outside, in.
Trim the material, removing any really big build up, but not too close to the edge. Trim around the screw holes.
Re-assemble the two main parts. Turn the console over. Admire your work, & pat yourself on the back. It's done.
These take me about 45 minutes to do. Rookies...twice that.
A decent pair of scissors.
Small flat screwdriver
A pair of side cutters
Heat gun (a paint stripper will work)
Spray glue. 3M '76' or '90' is what I prefer. Do not use a glue called 'feather spray'. Available @ home improvement stores.
Couple of 1.5"-2" screws or nails. Screwdriver or hammer.
A large towel or small blanket to protect the console on the bench when you turn it over.
From the inside, there are a couple or 3, maybe 4, screws that holds the dark grey plastic center piece in place. The part with all the doors. Once the screws are removed, separate the two pieces. The vinyl or fabric can be removed from the outer ring. Do this carefully as it's probably glued to the foam underneath. The material may also be stapled to the plastic. They can be removed with a small flat screwdriver & a pair of side cutters. Try to not damage the foam under the material. A bit of heat may be required to convince the glue to release.
Once the material is off, cut a new piece of the material you are recovering the console with, about 3-4 inches larger than the console. Vinyl stretches in one direction, but not the other. You want the stretch going in the long direction.
Do not cut the center out at this time.
Once you have it all ready, spray the backside of whatever material your using, with the glue. Spray it like your spray painting a car. Straight lines from side to side, overlapping each pass by about 50% of the previous one. Don't soak the glue on. Two light coats are better than one heavy one. Let the glue dry between each coat about 5-10 minutes.
Coat the whole piece of material. Edge to edge, side to side.
Do the same to the console piece being recovered. You can alternate between the fabric & the console when you're doing this. By the time you get a coat of glue on one, the other piece glued will be dry enough for the second coat.
Place the console face up on the bench, lengthwise away from you. Inside the inner opening at the top, the farthest away from you, put the screws or nails into the bench, in the inner corners of the console. They have to be lower than the highest point of the console. Place the material on top of the console. Do not press it down, yet. At the top, the farthest away from you, press down the material down, but just in the middle of the short span, & not all the way out to the corners.
Use the heat gun to warm up the vinyl, if that's what your using. For fabric, skip this step.
If your right handed, put the palm of your left hand on the part that you just pressed down. With your right hand, grab the material closest to you and pull it fairly hard, away from your left hand. This is what the screws/nails are for. They will keep the console itself from sliding around while your pulling the material. Having the stretch go lengthwise, & with the pulling of the material, it will cause it to want to wrap around the console.
Push the material down on the end that your holding with your right hand, the same as the other end. Just in the middle, not quite out to the corners.
Now, in the middle of the long sides, pull the material out, firmly but gently, so there are no wrinkles over the opening of the console. Push it down so that the glue sticks. This is why you let the glue dry. It won't stick permanently until it's pushed down.
Lift up the console. Remove the screws/nails. Turn the console over, & put it on the bench protection that your using.
Spray some glue on the inner edges of the console & let dry. Both the outside edges & the inner edges of the opening.
Start at one corner. Pull the material around & with the thin edge of the small flat screwdriver push the material down, in the center of the corner.
Smooth the material on the straight edges down, but not right out to the corners.
You will now have 2 wrinkles/puckers on either side of the corners that you first glued down with the screwdriver. With your thumb & forefinger, grab the center of each wrinkle & wiggle it slightly back & forth, so that there are no wrinkles on the outside. You will now have 4 puckers where there was 2. Repeat this step for each wrinkle, until there are no wrinkles on the outside. Don't worry about the inside wrinkles. Push it all down on the inside. Tuck it right in there. Push pretty hard. You can use the screwdriver to get the material right down tight in there. Do the same to each corner, pulling the material slightly tight. Once they are all done, push the material all down tight. You will have bunched up material in there.
The extra material on the inside can now be cut. Cut the wrinkles in the material using the scissors, starting from the outer edge into the inside. This is just to remove some of the bulk. Don't go too crazy doing this. Trim the rest of the material on the straights, but not too close to the edges. Leave as much as you can.
For the inner opening, cut the material away, leaving about an inch & a half all the way around.
Cut reliefs in the corners, starting in the center of the curve, but not quite to the plastic. About an 1/8 of an inch away. These are cut straight into the corner. Do the center of the curve first, then three or four on each side of the first one, about an 1/8" apart. Use your thumb to wrap the material around from the outside, in.
Trim the material, removing any really big build up, but not too close to the edge. Trim around the screw holes.
Re-assemble the two main parts. Turn the console over. Admire your work, & pat yourself on the back. It's done.
These take me about 45 minutes to do. Rookies...twice that.
Last edited:
sewlow
Bitchin' Stitchin'
Opps! Forgot to mention about the front screw mounting hole. There is a plug in there that has to be removed when the console is dis-assembled. A small screwdriver or an awl can be used to push it out from the inside.
For re-assembly, after it's all done, feel for the hole under the new material, & cut a small (small!) 'X', then push the little plug back in, making sure that it's clocked to the right direction, as the top edge of it is angled to match with the shape of the console.
For re-assembly, after it's all done, feel for the hole under the new material, & cut a small (small!) 'X', then push the little plug back in, making sure that it's clocked to the right direction, as the top edge of it is angled to match with the shape of the console.
ChrisAU
War Damn Eagle
Wow thank for the detailed write-up!
sewlow
Bitchin' Stitchin'
No problem. I keep this up, & I'll make uholsterers out of you guys, yet. May end up putting myself out of work.
ChrisAU
War Damn Eagle
Well I found a blue one on eBay for $15 + $12 shipping in great condition! It had the A/C controls but I sent the guy a message because he had a few listed and he said he would put a blank plate on it no problem.
