Overhead Console

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Major System Category: Interior
Task: Construct overhead console
Parts:
Acrylic 1/32 inch thickness
Metal Brake Machine
Angle Die Ginder
Prerequisite Tasks: Cockpit Rear Window Install
Additional Costs: $20 (estimate)
Time Requirement: 12+ hours
Date Started:  June 1, 2015

Date Completed:  August 5, 2015

The overhead console is not part of the build. It is an optional item I decided to build to accomplish a number of things. It houses the following items:

• Overhead lights
• Front and rear speakers attached to the parking sensors
• TPMS control panel
• The wiring associated with the rear view mirror (i.e. themostat, power, compass)
• GPS receiver
• Blue tooth microphone
• Powered FM antennae
• HomeLink Control Panel
• Power jacks for radar detector
• Compartment for phone and remotes

I started with a flat sheet of acrylic and drew out the pattern.

The biggest challenge associated with the overhead console is the curvature of the roof. There are very few straight lines. I never really figured out a good way to create a pattern for this. So I started with straight lines and worked at shaping the ends that meet the roof.

This is a very rough looking after I applied the initial bends to the acrylic.

My earlier experiments with 1/8 inch thickness proved that the acrylic was difficult to work with. I decided to try 1/32 thickness. This is easy to bend and very unforgiving if it gets too hot. It proved too weak to simply fold into the shape I needed for the console.

I used about every clamp I could find to hold this thing together.

I discovered that I needed to reinforce the overhead console, and fabricated ribs (like for a container ship). I also drilled through each rib so I could run wiring through out console. I have wires coming off the front roll bars via the A pillars and from the rear cockpit window frame as well.

One of the [rob;es with the ribs are gaps between the reinforcing ribs and the shell. 

I fashioned the ribs our of 1/8 inch acrylic. I had this from some of my earlier experiments. The thicker acrylic proved too difficult to shape. I added angle aluminum to the edges of the ribs. I riveted the angle aluminum to the ribs, then used 3M's 8115 panel bond to adhere the ribs to the inner wall of the console.

I ended up purchasing bigger clamps to hold everything together, while the panel bond cured.

The overhead console is very ungainly, and it needs to be fitted inside the car. I used a ratchet strap to hold the console against the inner roof. There is a lot of fitting that has to take place, due to the curvature of the roof and the height of the console. I ended trimming the top of the console twice. The ratchet strap was the only way to hold the console in place.

I constructed a box out of 1/8 inch acrylic to hold remotes and my cell phone. This didn't go as smoothly as I wished. I ended up fiber glassing the opening to hide the mess I had made. This looks very rough, but as with all fiber glass projects on the build, I just kept working at it until it looked better.

It is important to center the console and hook it around the forward roll bar, This needs to be in place before the the A pillar and corresponding roll bar coverings are fabricated. The other issue is level. I used both a bubble level and the cross hatch laser level to ensure the console is sitting level in the center of the cockpit.

This is the overhead console prior to being primed for hydrographics work/

The overhead console will be installed using a rail system of 3/16 all thread that ties into the front and rear roll bars. This is run through the ribs and is designed to act as a hanger. This can only be installed when the body shell is off the car for paint.

Primed and ready for the carbon fiber treatment. Note: This is upside down in this photo.

This entire interior process took a huge amount of time. I had expected to purchase all these parts, and when it became obvious I would have to manufacture everything, I didn't have a clear idea of what materials to use or how to go about it. I think I will end up with a product that is superior to anything I could have purchased, because I designed it for this car and my needs.