Project-Scuderia

Removing the center tunnel covers includes removing the console cap, and disconnecting all the wiring harness connectors to the switch gear. Disconnecting them is easy. Reconnecting them in the right order can be a little harder, so having a picture of the correct solution is useful.

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This close-up shows three connectors with identical pin arrangement, differing in color only. Good up-front design improves manufacturing and maintenance speed and quality. The photo is also close enough to determine orientation of the connectors, using the colors of the wires if needed, which is useful for the fourth connector on the end.


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Here's the cockpit with the center console covers, fore and aft, removed; the floor boards removed; and the driver's footwell panel removed. Also, the radio delete panels for the deck and the tweeters are back in place. The dead space beneath the driver's floorboard is great for accumulating gravel. I broke out the shop vac and shaved a few more ounces off the curb weight.

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Looking at the aft firewall of the cockpit, with the rear speaker enclosure and three electronics covers removed. The covers will be re-installed with titanium fasteners.

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Here's a side-by-side look at the new forward center console cover to the OEM cover. The new cover is made of fiberglass with a carbon fiber veneer. The OEM cover is a molded foam plastic part with an alcantara cover. The trim pieces will be transferred over from the stock part to the new part.

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Here's a look at the passenger side of the covers. The CF cover comes pre-drilled for the cargo pocket, but not the iPod connector plug. I did not transfer either, so I capped the holes for the cargo pocket.

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The stock OEM forward center console cover weighed in at 1.245 kg/2.75 lb, with the shoe guard in place on the driver's side of the cover, and the cargo pocket on the passenger's side.

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The new Fiberglass/Carbon Fiber forward center console cover weighed in at 1.495 kg/3.30 lb, with the shoe guard transferred over to the new cover, but without the cargo pocket. Because of how it's constructed, the fiberglass cover is about 0.6 lb heavier than the OEM plastic cover.

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Here are the new aft center console cover and the OEM cover. The new cover is also made of fiberglass with a carbon fiber veneer, by the same manufacturer. The OEM cover is another molded foam plastic part with an alcantara cover. No trim pieces that need to be transferred over.

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A look at the other side of the aft center console covers. The CF design matches the OEM part closely.

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Test fitting the OEM carbon fiber console cap to the carbon fiber console cover. The fit is good, and the CF weave is a match.

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The OEM center console cover weighs 1.400 kg/3.09 lb.

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The new fiberglass/carbon fiber center console cover weighs 1.415 kg/3.12 lb. The new console cover is 0.03 lb heavier, or approximately 1% heavier.

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Correct, both the forward and aft center console covers are heavier than the OEM covers. The smaller of the two is heavier by a wider margin. Part of the problem is the choice of materials, but mostly it is a design problem. They are made of fiberglass, with a carbon fiber veneer. That, by itself, is not a problem, although if you are going to put in the labor to make a composite, you should use Kevlar and/or production-grade CF and save on labor by reducing the layer count.

The OEM consoles are made from injection molded plastic, and the plastic is a very low density, with a consistency close to foam. As a result, it is fairly thick in order to produce sufficient stiffness. The plastic is porous, which is well-suited to using adhesive to cover it with Alcantara, Leather, Tech Fabric, etc.

This is where the design problem emerges. The designer simply reproduced the composite covers to the exact dimensions (including thickness) of the OEM covers, not accounting for the increased strength and weight of the composite. If the designer had been a qualified engineer, he would have pulled the data and calculated the thickness/layers needed to replicate the structural properties of the OEM covers. There was another opportunity to improve lightness and stiffness by replacing the two covers with a single, larger cover.

Anyway, the finish on the new composite covers is very good. The craftsmanship is excellent.

 

Here are the forward and aft center console covers installed with Titanium fasteners, and the OEM CF console cap set in place (not fastened down yet). The driver's seat wiring harness pigtail is visible in the lower right.

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Another view of the CF center console and the Ti hardware from the passenger's side.

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Close-up shot of the center console and the Ti fasteners. You can also see some of the new Ti fasteners on the driver's floorboard.

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OEM CF door panel with new Ti hardware.

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New Ti fasteners on the firewall cargo pocket and the electronics covers.

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Ti hardware on the electronics cover.

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Here's what the driver's floorboard looked like when I got it out. Definitely the dirtiest part on the car, this side of the under trays and the wheel well liners!

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