Thanks very much for the tip, exactly the kind of thing that makes this forum so great. :thumb:
Today's job was to remove the centre console and CD holder. I will be going with a GT3 centre console delete, so the cd holder was coming out anyway. The lid on the centre console doesn't stay down, there is some damage to one part of it, I want to paint it body colour and also plan to retrim the covers, not to mention a change to the gear lever. So it all has to come out. Fortunately this is a pretty straightforward job.
Start by pulling the side covers off the cd holder. Pull them out at the back and they will then slide off the front clips. If you pull at the front you WILL break the tabs on the centre part. I know because I did this on the first one...
Pull out the cubby hole, cd holder, and small plastic infill triangle. Easiest way to remove the CD holder is to eject a couple of the trays and pull on those.
Next pull off the two carpet trim pieces behind the first trim panels. These just pull outwards. There are two screws on each side of the cd holder trim, remove these.
Pull up the gear gater and undo the bolt underneath it.
You can then remove the centre piece from the car. I had to undo some wires for the phone interface which was also fitted. This will all be removed.
To remove the main centre console, pull up on the ashtray lid to remove it, undo the clip for the light in there. Then undo the two screws underneath which hold the switch surround in place. Lift this up and remove the wires for the electric windows, noting which order the connectors are in.
There is another screw under hear which must also be removed.
Unclip the cover at the side of the handbrake, it goes outwards at the top to unclip and then lifts upwards. Mine already had one broken tab at the top.
Lift the lid to the compartment tray and remove the screw at the back of it.
The base then lifts up and there should be a screw underneath, this was missing on mine. Remove it.
Remove the gear lever, this is held on with a 5mm allen bolt.
There is a metal bracket at the front of the centre console held down with 4 nuts. Remove this as well otherwise the console won't move far enough to clear the bracket. This needs to be removed anyway for the GT3 centre console delete.
Then the console can lift out of the car.
There is clear wear around the gear linkage, not helped due to the plastic bushes used. Also further evidence of some dog hair around the place wherever there is room. I'm looking forward to giving the inside a really good clean.
This is a super easy job, start to finish in about 30 minutes including buggering around taking photos and walking between two garages for tools. I will probably wait until I pull the console out of my C2 in the near future to decide which one to paint, as this one has some damage to it. At least I can look at covering the panels though.
MC