Guys with original consoles..., is there full carpet underneath? Options

[FlacaProductions]

My car did not originally come from the factory with a 3-gauge center console.

PO installed one. I recently swapped that one for a cosmetically better one.

Did cars that came from the factory with a console have a full-length piece of carpet under the console, covering the tunnel and around the shifter just like cars without the console?

[914werke]

yes

[FlacaProductions]

Thank you - I wondered because it seems extra hard to get to the shifter adjustment with a console in place - AND - the carpet under that.

[wonkipop]

Thank you - I wondered because it seems extra hard to get to the shifter adjustment with a console in place - AND - the carpet under that.

original carpet or aftermarket carpet?

[FlacaProductions]

I think it's original. it is set up like all you had to do is add back the OEM rubber shifter boot and you'd be good to go.

Now, in order to adjust the shifter or replace bushings, etc. you'd have to remove the shift knob, pull up and remove the console panel with leather boot and then you still have a layer of carpet over the shifter.

If you didn't have the console, you could easily pull the center tunnel carpet out and the shifter base is right there.

Seems to me that if you have the console, you wouldn't want/need the carpet under there and I was wondering if there was a different piece for consoles that just went down the outer edges of the tunnel - OR - if it was just covered with the vinyl that is in other places under/around the seats.

[wonkipop]

I think it's original. it is set up like all you had to do is add back the OEM rubber shifter boot and you'd be good to go.

Now, in order to adjust the shifter or replace bushings, etc. you'd have to remove the shift knob, pull up and remove the console panel with leather boot and then you still have a layer of carpet over the shifter.

If you didn't have the console, you could easily pull the center tunnel carpet out and the shifter base is right there.

Seems to me that if you have the console, you wouldn't want/need the carpet under there and I was wondering if there was a different piece for consoles that just went down the outer edges of the tunnel - OR - if it was just covered with the vinyl that is in other places under/around the seats.

ask @StarBear - his is original 74 with console (appearance group) and had original carpets he recently replaced with NOS stock. pretty sure the carpet piece was in there under the console.

i would have thought the console could be manouvered up over the gear shifter knob.
think it has a hole there big enough?
certainly the original carpet has a hole large enough to get past the shifter knob, but then again is a lot more flexible than wrestling with a console.

[wonkipop]

page from factory workshop manual.

carpet is there.



tells you to remove gearshift knob.
thats pretty tedious (given how fragile those f#$kers are).
i assume the gaiter won't get past the knob?
(thanking my lucky stars now i don't have a console, instead the storage bin which is very useful).
i would have thought you could manouver what remains of the console around enough with the bottom panel and guage panel out and some screws loosened to lift the carpet.
its a moulded carpet if factory and not glued down. and kind of leave everything there but out of the way to get at the base of the shifter.

[chmillman]

page from factory workshop manual.
carpet is there.

tells you to remove gearshift knob.

Hmm, don't see where it tellls you to remove the gearshift knob in the instructions above, only the heater lever knob. If you have to remove/replace the shifter boot, yes, but not the console - mine comes out no problem without removing the shifter knob. And yes, mine also has carpet underneath, but don't know if it is OEM, probably not. Looks pretty original though.

[wonkipop]

page from factory workshop manual.
carpet is there.

tells you to remove gearshift knob.

Hmm, don't see where it tellls you to remove the gearshift knob in the instructions above, only the heater lever knob. If you have to remove/replace the shifter boot, yes, but not the console - mine comes out no problem without removing the shifter knob. And yes, mine also has carpet underneath, but don't know if it is OEM, probably not. Looks pretty original though.

i'm a visual kind of guy. look at the pics. the knobs off the shifter.
i don't have one of these consoles. so i dunno for sure.
but the gaiter is attached to the console? and it won't go over the knob? you guys with the console would know whether the gaiter can get past the knob if you want to get that horizontal part of the console right out of the way.

being a visual kind of guy, sure looks to me like thats carpet under the console in the factory pictures. but again, i don't have one. but i'm looking at a picture which i usually take as a reputable source when attending to other mechanical matters with the car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

anyway, if it were me doing it i would just have them lifted up enough out of the way to lift the carpet up and do the shift adjusting. i know i got the carpet out to adjust my shifter back 5 years ago. no console. but the carpet is in the way if its there.

[StarBear]

Yes, it is a full carpet piece. Gotta remove everything and drop in over the shifter.
That was the one NOS piece that I never found but George’s carpet seamstress at AA used an extra passenger side floor carpet to make a center piece. Not heat formed so used heat gun, light glue and braces to hold in place until it settled in. Perfect!
Thanks, @wonkipop !

[chmillman]

i'm a visual kind of guy. look at the pics. the knobs off the shifter.
i don't have one of these consoles. so i dunno for sure.
but the gaiter is attached to the console? and it won't go over the knob? you guys with the console would know whether the gaiter can get past the knob if you want to get that horizontal part of the console right out of the way.

As you can see, the hole in the console lower panel is big enough to go over the shift knob. The 'boot' (what you are calling the 'gaiter') is not attached at the bottom, you can pull it up along the gearshift shaft. It would be necessary to remove the shift knob to take it off entirely.

I am guessing that my carpet is not original as the cuts made to go around the gearshift are not nice and the edges are not sewn. I imagine it would be a good thing to cut away more of the carpet to expose the shifter mechanism if it needs adjusting - haven't needed to do that personally.

[FlacaProductions]

Thanks for all of this, guys - confirms my carpet suspicions.

GREAT call on the boot/panel actually NOT being permanently attached to each other @chmillman . They are just friction fit and usually act like one unit.

I moved my original boot over to my current panel when i installed a short shifter but had the knob off when I did it, of course and just forgot that it popped right into the panel cutout.

I really need to tidy up some of the wiring under that panel and this is the so-obvious way to get easy access. Duh. thanks for pointing it out - I was making it too hard!