DIY: Floating Console Modification

[silent cilantro]

Does this mean that, for those who haven't installed the shroud, having kept the OEM leather shift boot, the assembly can be lifted to provide enough clearance to slide in the tray and there's no need to remove the top trim?

I’d say so, yes. You’d just have less visibility and would have to access the rear most tray bolts some other way.

Honestly removing the top panels is super easy, takes 10s. I’d do it either wavy

 

[Rapture]

It's funny, I called Gator today to order this part and the guy laughed. I was the 4th person recently to try and order that center console bottom tray. Evidently, it's not an available part here yet @silentcilantro obtained one.

 

[chirowolf]

Yep. I called him this morning and we looked up the local part number. Dino is the parts guy, and he was super helpful.
I told him this would be a mod people are going to be looking for so he told me he would try to get some ordered in and would contact me by email in a few days.
My local dealer could not find the part and were not very forthcoming on helping me look it up.
Gator has a great reputation in the Lotus community. Just wish they were a bit closer to me.

 

[kitkat]

Sorry to all the dealers in advance hahaha

 

[Rapture]

Yep. I called him this morning and we looked up the local part number. Dino is the parts guy, and he was super helpful.
I told him this would be a mod people are going to be looking for so he told me he would try to get some ordered in and would contact me by email in a few days.
My local dealer could not find the part and were not very forthcoming on helping me look it up.
Gator has a great reputation in the Lotus community. Just wish they were a bit closer to me.

Yea, Dino was great. I also asked him to see if he could help me find the unobtanium Lotus wooden gear shift knob I've been trying to acquire.

 

[ADC]

Did you find anyone sensibly priced in the UK that will print this?

Yeah, throwing the template into the online quoting tool here came out at about 30 quid for 100% infill with Carbon Fiber PETG

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[virtualmacho]

Part number is 889073113511B.

Just confirmed with my dealer; part #889073113511B is out of stock right now. Price in Japan is 16,720 JPY + tax.

 

[mr.suntorytime]

Got a center console bottom tray from an automatic and modified it so the shifter assembly fits through it. I also replaced the bolts with SS hex ones. I think now the entire floating console mod looks a bit more OEM

View attachment 60659

Very tidy

 

[Magicman]

Thanks to @kitkat and the others that helped, got round to doing it today and love it. Need to see it lit up at night now

 

[Tomwa]

I got a ton of compliments and interest in it at exotics meet today

 

[B r I a n]

I have experienced lotus owners (non Emira) thinking it was factory.

 

[ej20wagon]

Does anyone know where to get the clips that hold down the center panel? One of my clips is fill out and no longer gripping the plastic tab, so the bottom left corner is sticking a bit up compared to the right bottom corner.

 

[chirowolf]

The tray is raised and doesn't sit flush against the chassis so it's hard to measure that way. It is also difficult to insert the tray if the spacer is attached to the shifter, there isn't enough clearance.

I measured the location of the front left shifter spacer rivnut in relation to the tray's left rivnut in the chassis, then transferred those measurements to the new plastic tray to make the cut. The hole in the plastic tray for the spacer could be any shape really, what you have to get right is the cutout in the rubber liner.

1. Remove top center console panel (where the start button is)
2. Remove factory manual tray (3 bolts under the rubber liner)
3. Unbolt shifter unit from spacer.
4. Unbolt spacer from chassis and remove it (front of the spacer is taller than the rear, keep that in mind when reinstalling and templating)
5. Grab new auto plastic tray and cut an opening for the spacer to go through (I used the chassis rivnuts as reference as explained above to estimate where to cut)
6. Cut an opening at the rear of the tray wide enough to allow the shifter arm to go through.
7. Install plastic tray, secure with bolts
8. Install shifter spacer, secure with bolts
9. Add blue tape to top of rubber liner so you can draw on it
10. Insert rubber liner under shifter unit
11. Mark outline to cut, this may be tricky because there is movement to the shifter unit and you can't see the holes to line it up if the liner installed.
12. Take out rubber liner and cut the opening, start small, adjust as needed.
13. Install rubber mat
14. Fasten shifter unit to chassis, making sure the rubber does not get pinched

Honestly, there was a lot of eyeballing, but it came out ok.

How do you get to the bolts under the manual tray in step 2?

 

[chirowolf]

Dino from Gator started sending out emails yesterday. The lower automatic trays are in. Received mine today

 

[B r I a n]

How do you get to the bolts under the manual tray in step 2?

just lift it up, it pops out.

 

[silent cilantro]

correct, just lift up the rubber liner

 

[chirowolf]

Decided to jump in and do the mod today
A bit finicky, but was able to get it done and now looks much more stock

 

[kitkat]

Decided to jump in and do the mod today
A bit finicky, but was able to get it done and now looks much more stock

Any tips?

 

[chirowolf]

Any tips?

I would suggest doing the mod at the same time you do the floating console. Lifting the whole console would give a bit extra room to maneuver the new tray into place.
I just took out the top of the console around the shift lever and start button (no screws just pry out. Remember to disconnect the start button once you have the trim piece free)
all the bolts have an 8mm head
a box head wrench (ratcheting one if you got it) helps get into the tight areas. I also used an 8mm ratchet with an extension

Total of 11 bolts all together, Remove in this order
3 in the original cubby tray in front of the stick under the rubber mat. once the bolts are out you can remove the short tray.
4 for the base of the shifter mechanism. Shifter will be loose and can be mover around a bit as needed
4 for the spacer for the shifter mechanism. Remove the spacer (slightly higher toward the front. remember when reinstalling

Prep the new long automatic tray
Suggest you cut one square section out of the back of the new tray (the back lip, no need to cut into the bottom at this point) This will help you test fit the tray leaving an opening for the shifter mechanism.
Slid the new tray in place to test fit. May take a bit to get it under the shifter but should slide in place. You will now have a good idea where the spacer sits. The shifters sit directly on top of the spacer so you can mark the bolt holes through the spacer to get a general idea of where you will be cutting the bottom of the long tray
I measured for the rivenuts to determine were to cut out for the spacer. since the tray has a removable rubber liner you do not have to be overly precise cutting out for the shifter spacer. First cut in the bottom if the long tray I erred on the side of smaller cut that I could enlarge. Took 2 or 3 cuts before the tray slid easily over the spacer and sat flush.
Bolted in the tray and the spacer leaving the shifter unbolted
slid rubber mat in and rested the shifter on the spacer
used a pick to poke a hole in the rubber mat though the bold holes. This gave me a good idea where to cut the rubber mat.
Cut out the mat so the shifter rests on the spacer.
Bolt down the shifter and reassemble

I'm Sure I missed something, but this should get you started

 

[Rapture]

I would suggest doing the mod at the same time you do the floating console. Lifting the whole console would give a bit extra room to maneuver the new tray into place.
I just took out the top of the console around the shift lever and start button (no screws just pry out. Remember to disconnect the start button once you have the trim piece free)
all the bolts have an 8mm head
a box head wrench (ratcheting one if you got it) helps get into the tight areas. I also used an 8mm ratchet with an extension

Total of 11 bolts all together, Remove in this order
3 in the original cubby tray in front of the stick under the rubber mat. once the bolts are out you can remove the short tray.
4 for the base of the shifter mechanism. Shifter will be loose and can be mover around a bit as needed
4 for the spacer for the shifter mechanism. Remove the spacer (slightly higher toward the front. remember when reinstalling

Prep the new long automatic tray
Suggest you cut one square section out of the back of the new tray (the back lip, no need to cut into the bottom at this point) This will help you test fit the tray leaving an opening for the shifter mechanism.
Slid the new tray in place to test fit. May take a bit to get it under the shifter but should slide in place. You will now have a good idea where the spacer sits. The shifters sit directly on top of the spacer so you can mark the bolt holes through the spacer to get a general idea of where you will be cutting the bottom of the long tray
I measured for the rivenuts to determine were to cut out for the spacer. since the tray has a removable rubber liner you do not have to be overly precise cutting out for the shifter spacer. First cut in the bottom if the long tray I erred on the side of smaller cut that I could enlarge. Took 2 or 3 cuts before the tray slid easily over the spacer and sat flush.
Bolted in the tray and the spacer leaving the shifter unbolted
slid rubber mat in and rested the shifter on the spacer
used a pick to poke a hole in the rubber mat though the bold holes. This gave me a good idea where to cut the rubber mat.
Cut out the mat so the shifter rests on the spacer.
Bolt down the shifter and reassemble

I'm Sure I missed something, but this should get you started

Did you use a Dremel to make the cuts in the tray?