E-Bodies.org Cuda Challenger Forum

Need to figure out how to make my console lid sit flush on the passenger's side. I can make it flush on the driver's side by lowered the lock catch, but the passenger's side is quite a bit lifted. There ain't much vertical adjustment points, only the lock catch (slides and up down).

This makes me think there's something wrong with that much part gap.

I'm sure many of you have been through this before. What gives?

Yes: Sometimes it's just the hinge loose but most likely the two halves are separating. They weren't the highest quality piece.

So using some good two-part bumper epoxy and some c-clamps is what it takes to fix the day?

Here's the problem. The waviness around the mounting holes on the inner peice. This keeps the hinge from setting flat, which in turn will "kick up" the peice.

Is there a process for straightening this area out so it's flat again?

Yes, that should work.

This is what I think is causing it.
It's the inner panel that mates with the hinge for the console lid. The areas around the fasteners are bulged. This creates that lift away from the hinge, therefor, creating a higher surface area on the hinge side.

My thought is to stick a blow dryer on it and put it in the vice with a towel on each side. Risk of cracking?

"Living with it" is certainly OK, but since I'm installing the lock, I thought I'd at least take a stab and investigate.

I wouldn't live with it. Tonys Parts makes a repro if you can't get your's repaired.

Quote from: RUNCHARGER on July 14, 2018, 06:10:11 PM
I wouldn't live with it. Tonys Parts makes a repro if you can't get your's repaired.

I can speak for the quality of tonys console lids, so if it does not survive the repair you have an alternative.   

Bad ass. Tony's Parts looks like a great resource!

I used a heat gun and successfully made the inner console lid hinge flange "flat". Kudos!

Turns out, that wasn't what was creating the "lift."

My best guess as this point is that after 50 years, sun, plus elbows, is that these plastic parts will deform, both inner and outer, over time.

I'll mount it back up. There's other fish to fry. But I'll contact Tony's when it's time to get into the nitty gritty. Suspect that grabbing some sort of vinyl compatible orange spray is the best way to repaint?

Member AARuFAST used paint from Herb's Auto. These are pictures he took, they're from CC.c

I ended up bending the Hinge to get a better fit on my console.
A lot of trial and error. Make sure you have the correct orientation of the hinge to console... having the hinge 180* will make it sit wrong too. Been there too.

After reading this post this morning, I went downstairs to the basement to grab an extra console door I have and take pics of it for comparison, only to find the basement floor starting to get wet from a broken water pipe just outside the wall. So, thank you for posting! Otherwise I might not have gone down there for another day or so and therefore not discovered the problem until it had become much worse.   :cheers:

So here now are the pics, there should not be such a large separation around the area of the console lock. As you've already mentioned you've obviously got some warping going on but I wanted to also wanted to say for others with the same problem that this could also be resulting from something as simple as someone using screws that are longer than they should be, and forcing the two halves apart. For the lock they should be a #6 x 1/2 pan head. I've restored quite a few consoles and have seen all kinds of mismatched hardware over the years from people using whatever they had on hand to replace a screw that got lost or whatever.

I had one console door where a clever individual took a small piece of sheetmetal and bent it to 90 degrees to make a small bracket, and put a small screw in each side to reinforce the area and keep the two halves from separating like yours has. Problem solved on that one.

One other tip I like to mention is to use a hinge from a 71-74 console on a 70 if you are still having problems, after you've fixed everything else. The 70 hinge has a u-shaped end to the spring on either side where the newer style has one u-shaped end, and one square end. The sheetmetal they used on the newer one is I think a little thinner gauge and seems to make the door fit better, I believe the tension of the spring is also somewhat less. 

Very interesting, thanks for doing that. Happy to hear it saved you major leak damage!

Only the area below the lock has a gap on mine. What this does is lower the lock button, but I could probably fathom a guess that if I somehow fastened them together (using an L-shaped bracket) that I would still have the fitment issue where the hinge side sticks up way too far...

I confirmed that all screws are 1/2" and matching, they look correct.

Interesting that the 71-style and above hinge differed. May be worth playing with.

At this point, it seems like it would be best to replace the lid with Tony's unit. Does he's have the Chrysler logo stamping on the backside?

Yeah I only ended up with a wet carpet in one corner of the basement, it definitely could have been a whole lot worse!

A while back I bought one of the repop console doors on ebay, it didn't come from Tony's but I assume they're all made by the same supplier.  As already mentioned it is a really nice piece, looks and fits good. Mine didn't come with the logo, I assume this is to save the cost of licensing. The one other minor fault was mine didn't come with the sheetmetal lock retainer that the originals have, I guess this piece helps keep the console lock screws from stripping out, I salvaged one from a broken door I had and glued it in with ABS cement.

But before you lay out 80 bucks or whatever they cost for a new door, are the six screw attaching points all intact on yours? Any stripped out so the screws can't be tightened enough? A lot of these, usually any of the top row of 3, get broken over the years and that can also cause fitment problems. If they're broken they can be easily repaired with plastic dowel rod and some of the ABS cement. Same if they're stripped, just fill the hole with cement and drill a small pilot to start the screw again. If they're all intact, how does the door fit with the two halves screwed together but just laying on the console without the hinge? How about just with the top half of the door laying on the console? 

Here's some pics laying it in without hardware. Sits flush in the rear. Still has a bulge on front hinge side.

I'm actually thinking that it's this black material that is causing the lift now...might try shaving it.

I cut out some of the rubber felt stuff and got it to sit near perfect without hinge.

As soon as hinge goes on, it lifts up....

 EV2RTSE, it almost looks like your 70 hinge is slightly different than mine. Hard to tell from the angles.

The black stuff on your door must have been added by someone to help quiet a squeak or a rattle; so yeah get rid of any of it that might be causing an alignment problem. Looking at that last picture, I'm still not liking the way the two halves of the door are fitting together though - if the screws are all getting a good bite and it still looks like that then it's probably warped pretty badly. Those two halves should fit together tightly, ideally even better than the first picture of the green console door that I posted.  It may just be too far gone, but you might try putting just the top half out in the sun for a while with a lot of weight on it, to hopefully take the bow out.

Your hinge looks to be correct for a 70 console, you might want to try to elongate those 3 bottom holes to possibly gain a little more vertical adjustment, and make sure the bend of the hinge matches up against the edge of the console.

It's just weird that without a hinge (or hardware) then it sits 95% perfect....

 I had the same problem as the lid sat high on the hinge side. On a 1970 the hinge material is much thicker than later years. What I did is "sandwich" the lid portion of the hinge between the two lid pieces. Not sure if this is factory correct but it actually looks much cleaner this way and lowers the hinge side of the lid. The lid still sat a little high so I eliminated the spring tension on the pin securing the two hinge halves. Now the lid sits like it should.

Now that's an awesome idea...I should try that when I get home! Never thought about putting the hinge in between the halves...but that could work. I could see how it would look pretty clean, too!

The Kawasaki Mach H2 750 is a serious two-stroke btw! :)

Sadly, this did not work for me. :(

Question for you guys, that rear "pocket" that doesn't appear to have any function...is that what Chrysler calls the "seat belt holder" feature? Can someone snap a photo of how a seatbelt actually looks being "held" in that?

Seat belt holder, 70 only.

Which mine is.... and I'm guessing it's that pocket in the back with the ribs...how does it hold seat belts?

You place the buckles in there pointing up. Kind of hinky, I guess that is why it was a one year deal.

Haha. I keep getting asked about it. Now I know.

Do people lay their belts in there for car shows?

Ha, ha: I have had at least 4 70's with consoles and I've never used them.

Here's how I keep mine in there.

I suppose these are for the "rear" belts?

I wonder if anyone has repurposed this hole for something else...

Nope, those are the front belts. Lots of of people don't bother putting them there because it could be a pain to always reach back.

Yea, i could see that. Awkward. It's easier just to lay the belt across the passengers seat!

Perhaps it has some utility with a passenger.

But yea.

Seems like someone could have made a molded rubber "pocket" that could fit in there by now...would be a nice place to place some things.

@kawahonda (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/kawahonda_2011) , thought I'd post on your old thread since you said you're still having trouble with the lid fitting.

So on the burnt orange console I just restored, afterward, I noticed the lid fit horribly. After reading this post, I decided a 1971 hinge would help plus it seemed the lid might be warped. In checking the lid, it was warped bad. So, bad, I'm going to replace it. The plastic lugs inside were broken and epoxy glue wasn't working so probably best to replace anyway.

I have a 1971 blue console in storage so I pulled it out and tried the lid and hinge. Fit perfect. The 1971 hinge is shorter, fits nicer, and has less tension.

So I'll be looking for a 1971 or later hinge along with a new unwarped lid.