Earlier this year we introduced you to our newest project car, called simply “Project Boxster Clubsport”. In that first installment we found the right car, we purchased it for a song, and it was sitting politely in our garage waiting for its first modifications. So far, the Boxster has been happy to simply rack up the miles and keep things rocking along. It’s an excellent Porsche, and we aim to make it just a little bit more excellent.
Before we get started we would need to thank Michelin. As many of you know, Michelin is a long-time sponsor of FLATSIXES.com. Recently, they have generously offered to sponsor Project Boxster Clubsport as part of their involvement with our site. Please consider checking out what Michelin has to offer by clicking their banners on this page. Without Michelin’s support, and others like them, this site really wouldn’t be possible.
Project Boxster Clubsport Continues With A GT3 Style Center Console Delete –
This project was on our list for the car from the day we bought it. Being a 6-plus-footer in an early Boxster is a little uncomfortable, as the center console storage box would press into my leg. A long-standing solution to this is to simply swap in the center console from Porsche’s quasi-racer, the 996 GT3. This swap is simple and easy, and can be sourced from any number of Porsche parts suppliers (including site-sponsor SuncoastParts.com). For this budget minded project though, the nearly two-hundred dollar buy-in was deemed a bit steep, and we decided to do our own on the cheap.
The first step was to remove the sides of the center console in order to access the attaching hardware. Then we needed to remove the small plastic cover at the bottom of the console. The padded pieces on each side simply pull off with a little force. The plastic cover required a little bit of prying with a flat-head screwdriver or similar.
Once those pieces are off, there are a pair of carpeted pieces on either side that also unclip with some gentle prying. Be careful with these, as it is relatively easy to break off the tabs that hold them on. From here, the console section can simply be removed and set aside. Keep the carpeted pieces handy, as you’ll be reusing them for our version of the project.
On the carpeted pieces, some modifications are required to make this work. First, grind down the little black tabs the protrude from the angled sections. Then, you’ll need to drill an upper and a lower mounting hole in the plastic backing of the carpeted section.
You can see the finished product above, as the original carpeted pieces fluidly connect the carpeted hump up to the dashboard. We used a small section of corrugated plastic (This can also be sourced from discarded political signs if you are even more frugal than we are) and four small J-type speed nuts to build the backing plate for the felt-covered center section. This requires a bit of a ‘measure ten times and cut once’ mentality to get right, as the angles are a little tricky to deal with sometimes. Basically, once the shape was figured out, we scored the edges and folded over a flap to hold the speed nut, into which the mounting screws can be attached. You can see the screws above.
We chose to use a black felt for the center section, as we felt it helped flow the black of the center console up the dash, and because it was readily available for little money. Once our home-built cover was installed, we picked up the small piece of the GT3 center console separately, which installs with a simple clip-in. The finished look isn’t far off from factory, and it definitely provides a much more comfortable driving experience for taller drivers.
Center console delete project costs –
Plastic cover (Porsche part number 98655224102A03) – $30 (Stoddard NLA)
Corrugated plastic – $4 (Home Depot)
Miscellaneous hardware – $2.15 (Home Depot)
Felt cover material – $4 (Michael’s Arts and Crafts)
Total – $40.15
Center console delete weight loss total – 3 pounds
Next up are some exterior aesthetic improvements including the installation of an LED License plate bracket, headlight polishing, tail light tinting and rear insignia delete. After that we’ll move on to even more weight saving improvements.
Other Porsche Blog Posts You Will Enjoy
Project Boxster ClubSport – Part 1: Introduction
Video: How to Restore the Paint on Your Porsche
Watch as The Paint on This Barn Find Porsche 912 is Brought Back to Life
Behind The Wheel Of The New Boxster GTS And Cayman GTS