71 Challenger automatic center console compartment dimensions

[RickyOG90]

Hi all,
Im working on creating a mod where i 3d print a module that will have switches and such that would slot inside the center console compartment; however, I live in another state from where i have my car stored during my restoration process and I dont have anyone reliable to do it for me, and the next trip would be middle of next year. Could anyone on here assist and provide me the internal dimensions of that center console compartment without the lid? like what are the dimensions of the bottom interior of the compartment, the depth of it, the top dimensions, that stuff. Also from my pictures I took at the beginning of the year, it looks like the interior walls angle outward so if you could also measure the height from the bottom edge and the length from the top lip to that height that way i can calculate the length and angle of those angled walls. Or just the depth and length of the angled wall itself as i can extract the data that way too. While this is for a 1971 dodge challenger, i think all years from 70-74 have the same size compartment, but not certain.

thanks greatly in advance!

 

[fasjac]

Hi all,
Im working on creating a mod where i 3d print a module that will have switches and such that would slot inside the center console compartment; however, I live in another state from where i have my car stored during my restoration process and I dont have anyone reliable to do it for me, and the next trip would be middle of next year. Could anyone on here assist and provide me the internal dimensions of that center console compartment without the lid? like what are the dimensions of the bottom interior of the compartment, the depth of it, the top dimensions, that stuff. Also from my pictures I took at the beginning of the year, it looks like the interior walls angle outward so if you could also measure the height from the bottom edge and the length from the top lip to that height that way i can calculate the length and angle of those angled walls. Or just the depth and length of the angled wall itself as i can extract the data that way too. While this is for a 1971 dodge challenger, i think all years from 70-74 have the same size compartment, but not certain.

thanks greatly in advance!

 

[fasjac]

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This is about as good as I get tonight without getting out calipers.
It may help.
I was out here messing around.

 

[RickyOG90]

sweet thanks for that! but i noticed that the top of the compartment widths were missing. I truly do appreciate it, but if you do get around to it, the caliper measurements would be even better, better to measure twice and print once right? haha Some of the measurements were a bit under what i had expected but for the most part i think it will still be doable, the length is especially ideal in that its not smaller than expected at least.

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[fasjac]

sweet thanks for that! but i noticed that the top of the compartment widths were missing. I truly do appreciate it, but if you do get around to it, the caliper measurements would be even better, better to measure twice and print once right? haha Some of the measurements were a bit under what i had expected but for the most part i think it will still be doable, the length is especially ideal in that its not smaller than expected at least.

 

[fasjac]

Ran out of caliper on the length but, you got a close measurement. Hope it helps.
And let us see whenever you get it finished.
If you could make me a polymer glove box, that would be nice.

 

[fasjac]

Ran out of caliper on the length but, you got a close measurement. Hope it helps.
And let us see whenever you get it finished.
If you could make me a polymer glove box, that would be nice.

Someone will probably chime in with a console on the bench. That would be your best specs.

 

[RickyOG90]

Ran out of caliper on the length but, you got a close measurement. Hope it helps.
And let us see whenever you get it finished.
If you could make me a polymer glove box, that would be nice.

ha its all good, although the caliper measurement for the width i noticed you went beyond the bounds of the inner compartment, but i think it still lined up with what i was expecting. If i could ask one final favor, would you be able to use the calipers to get the height of the front and rear of the side walls? like the driver side and passenger side of the inner walls close to the front and then close to the rear, I took one of my pictures to indicate the locations. its kind of hard to visualize it as all 4 sides are angled but i just need the vertical lengths near the front and near the rear as the height varies from from the back along the center, i think with that i can start making a reasonable model. Since I now have the bottom length, bottom width(front and rear), top length, top width(i think the front and rear are the same in that regard), and the center heights, i think to finish my calculations i need those side heights and that should be sufficient to get a flat top to the model

 

[RickyOG90]

Someone will probably chime in with a console on the bench. That would be your best specs.

ha that could be good too. the more data the better really haha

 

[RickyOG90]

Someone will probably chime in with a console on the bench. That would be your best specs.

hey would you be able to measure the width of the lock latch and lid hinge? Like, if you could measure not just the width of those items, but also the length from the bottom of the compartment up to both of them and the distance from the edge on each side of the hinge and just the one side of the latch, that way i can cut out a segment of my frame to fit in there without getting in the way? Oh and how long the lock mechanism is? sorry If im asking a lot, but so far I havent found anyone else presently that has been able to assist yet. I took a pic and marked the measurements im looking for in red, green, and yellow.
As a little note, this is at the moment where I'm at with the design. Was up til about 1:30am designing the layout and did some more after work today. The final piece will be in black to match the center console in mine. Maybe the logos at the top front are a bit cheesy but the car already has so few references, might as well add a little extra flair right?

 

[RickyOG90]

Progress so far, just need the lock mechanism measurements and i should be good to do a test print for final fitment tests of the components going into it, then i can ship it up to the farm and get see if it needs any additional adjustments or if its perfect. Getting anxious to see it realized. Second pic is on the underside of the hemisphere tunnel for cabling from the back to the front with little hangar clips for cable management. Dont worry, the pic is very up close, the width of the cable management clip gap is about 3mm(just under 1/8th of an inch)

 

[RickyOG90]

made additional adjustments on the model so far. changed from the hook method as that wouldnt work out long term due to 3d printed orientation. they would probably snap almost immediately, so i made an insert to slide into the model that way i could print the cable management section separately at a different orientation(vertically) which would be far stronger and robust. And then made further improvements by cutting out sections of the cable management channel to make it easy to feed the cables through it as a singular cover made it very stiff and virtually impossible to open

Did manage to video call my grandparents to walk them through measuring each part of the locking mechanism on both the compartment and the lid and that resulted in having to redo the emblems on the top as the cutout was larger than expected. But in my designing phase i realized instead of just having a cutout which would then expose the wiring mess underneath, i created a cubby essentially for the locking mechanism to sink into without obstruction.

After printing the unit out in the prototype stage with PLA, i started getting everything installed into it, along the way i found some improvements that i could add into it

Namely, as i was doing some initial wiring prep work, i realized that instead of using a single standard relay, which would be hard to fit, i could use mini relays instead. So i did some measurements with some old blown mini relays i have from my focus repair last month and verified i could have them at the top right of the module, and given the room around it, i would have enough space to create a cubby to slot the mini relays into. Im still in the early design phase, but at the moment, whether the stock harness for the mini relays is small enough(doubtful), i may have to wire it up myself, and i may create clips on the rear and front of the cubby so the relays 'click' in and are secured. the other option would be i create a back wall that has slots in it where the relay pins could slide into and essentially build my own harness with the wiring plugs fixed in that wall and pushing the relays in would connect them, making it easy to replace if one fails. Still early in the design but i do have some space in there to make that possible though. i have what looks to be about 57mm(2.24") of space for it and the mini relays are only about 27mm(1.06") in length.

 

[RickyOG90]

oh yea, and heres how the cable management channel looks like too. Its easy to slide into it but not too easy to where it could slide out. Ignore the messy corner of the print, this is the first print so perfection isnt mandatory

 

[RickyOG90]

alright! I made the adjustments and created an insertable mini relay harness that will slot into a cubby on the front right side. Initial print testing found it was difficult to remove supports and insert the spade connectors into it when so many things obscure it. But now thats done, i have shipped it up to the farm and now we just gotta wait for it to arrive and my grandparents can test fit it into the center console. Fingers crossed extremely hard that it fits!

Here is the updated modular harness. Presently printing it out in PC-FR now since this section wont be changing even if the overall design needs adjustments

 

[Katfish]

Coming along nice! Any plans for a light?

 

[RickyOG90]

Coming along nice! Any plans for a light?

what do you mean? something to illuminate the compartment? at the moment i dont but i could add in a little led strip, but i dont think itll be necessary for me as the dome light will be right overhead if i need it

 

[Katfish]

Yeah, I've been looking at something to light up my console.
Want something to provide just a little light, don't want to turn on overhead just find my garage door opener.

https://postimg.cc/QVYjKyX1][/url]

 

[RickyOG90]

Yeah, I've been looking at something to light up my console.
Want something to provide just a little light, don't want to turn on overhead just find my garage door opener.

https://postimg.cc/QVYjKyX1][/url]

ahh I see, you could go about doing something that attaches to the lid to shine down toward the compartment when fully open, and maybe a momentary switch that is NC when you open the compartment lid, that would be cool