Now that it runs I wanted to get the cooling system plumbed so I could run the engine a bit longer. That meant it was time to get started on the center "console". This is a tight area with a lot if plumbing, cables and wires running through it. The original plan was to keep it 2 inches wide to match the width of the spine that runs down the center of the car and to use gear lever and mount from the SRT-4. After some measuring bit of CAD design I decided to cheat it to be a bit wider in front of the seats, primarily because the shift mechanism was closer to 4-inches wide.
CAD was turned into metal and welded to the cut down shift assembly.
To get the position correct I sat in the car and made vroom noises.
The next order of business was to connect the gear lever to the transmission. I used the part of the original gear lever bracket that was designed to fit the cable ends. It was cut apart and combined with another coolant tube support bracket, welded up and tacked to the chassis.
The stock shift cables are too short to reach with the engine behind you. My plan to avoid expensive custom length cables is to make bolt on extension rods to make up the extra length. I found some 1/2" square tube that was just the right size to fit the ends. The first rod went smoothly after a bit of figuring on the best way to make the ends.
At this point it was about midnight, but I wanted to be able to run through the gears before calling it a night. The second rod went quickly, even though I had to re-do it after messing up one of the ends. I offered it up to the car and....it was an inch too short. I had measured to the wrong cable. No matter, I cut the end off and used part of the first one to add some length.
Tried fitting it up again, and now it was too long?! Measure twice, cut 4 times! Oh well, I cut and weld again and got it to fit, then went to bed.
In the morning I decided the second lever was a bit too close to the driver's seat, so I cut it in half again and added a half-twist so the cable end was on the opposite side that it was before. That made it fit perfectly.
To complete the forward end of the console I needed to locate the end of the throttle cable, and that meant that it was time for the throttle pedal to go into the car. I wanted to use the pedal from the donor car, but didn't like the sloppy plastic mounting bracket. A couple of bearings and some tube and I made an improved version.
I clamped on some sheet metal for a temporary floor and mocked up the pedal in a location that was comfortable and seemed good for heal-toe shifting. I decided to make the pedal bracket bolt on as it's a bit fiddly pressing in the bearings and I thought it would be a lot easier to do on the bench rather than in the foot well. The SRT-4 pedal had an arm coming off the top that connected to the throttle that pulled backwards when the pedal was pushed. I lopped it off and welded it to the side of the pedal arm so that it pulls forward when the pedal is depressed.
That wraps up the main driver controls.
