GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
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- Christchurch, New Zealand
My XEDI L Series has the basic trim between the front seats and I wanted to 'upgrade' to a 'cubby box' for extra storage. The process is simple, but if you are buying a console (eg off eBay) there are a couple of pitfalls - so worth a read. I took mine off my parts/project car so had all the bits that might not be supplied from a breakers.
I have not (yet?) taken over the electric windows from the back doors and have left the front window switches in their original location on the dash board. So the switches on the console are not connected.
Pitfall 1 : the mounting points for the front are the same as the existing trim, but the bracket for the rear mounts is different to the old one - so you'll need the mounting bracket and the bracket that bolts to it to clamp the brake cables.
Pitfall 2 : the hand brake handle gaiter is different, its a shorter 'stubby' gaiter, not the long one covering the whole handle with the basic trim. I'm not sure if the cubby box can be used with the long gaiter, it may or it may not - but I could not find a way to swap the gaiters over, and could find no reference to it in Rave. So it is worth taking the whole hand brake lever/handle assembly over together with its gaiter.
Bits you'll need:
1) The console. Make sure it has the cover plate for the front screws. Make sure it has the rear panel with ash tray and aux power socket. Make sure it has the 5 switches - even if you're not going to use them, you'll need something to put in the holes!
2) If for some reason the storage box has been taken off of the console - make sure it is supplied with the 4 securing screws.
3) The mounting bracket for the console's rear securing screws. Probably also the 2nd bracket it bolts down with to secure the brake cables - although you may be able to use your existing bracket for this.
4) The hand brake handle/assembly with gaitor from car the console came from (or another car with console). You may be able to reuse your existing assembly and gaitor - not sure.
Tools you'll need:
Basic 'Phillips' type screwdriver and socket set with an extension bar. Also a Spanner (possibly socket) for hand brake adjustment (although I used pliers!) and a pair of long nose pliers.
Sorry I didn't note the sizes.
Removing the old trim.....
1) Pull out the ashtray to give access to...
2) Remove the 2 screws securing the rear of the trim.
3) With a flat head screw driver, ease up the cover plate in front of the hand brake handle - ease it up from the front of the plate.
4) Remove the 2 screws securing the front of the trim.
5) Remove the trim, easing it forward over the hand brake handle, but it will not go far as there is still a wire in place. Turn the trim upside down.
6) Pull the wire from the back of the aux power socket.
7) With long nose pliers pinch the clip that holds the aux wire to the trim to push through the hole and release the trim. Try not to break the clip as it will be reused.
The area will look like this. Note the rear mounting bracket for the 2 securing screws.
Preparing for the Cubby Box console...
1) Remove the hand brake handle assembly...
1.1) Remove the hand brake adjusting bolt (on the end of the rod encased in a spring).
1.2) Remove the 2 bolts securing the whole hand brake handle/assembly - they bolt into the chassis - there is 1 on the left side (looking at the image above) at the rear of the assembly and 1 on the right at the front. You can see these bolts in the image below - I reinserted them when cleaning the area to stop rubbish going down the holes.
1.3) Disconnect the hand brake switch wire.
1.4) Remove the hand brake handle/assembly - pull forward to slide adjusting rod from bracket.
1.5) Retain the block within the bracket that the adjusting rod passes through - this will fall out and you'll wonder what was there!
2) Remove the rear mounting bracket and hand brake cables clamp plate...
2.1) Remove the 2 bolts securing the rear mounting bracket and hand brake cables clamp plate.
2.2) Remove the mounting/clamping plate.
3) with everything out of the way, now is a good time to clean the normally difficult to access parts!
4) Install rear mounting bracket for Cubby Box...
4.1) Slide mounting bracket under brake cables and into position and align with the bolt holes to the chassis. The mounting points for the Cubby Box should be forward. The bracket needs to be eased under the carpet edges - its wider than the cut out in the carpet.
4.2) Slide the brake cable clamp bracket over the cables and align with the bolt holes to the chassis.
4.3) Secure the 2 brackets with the 2 bolts you removed previously.
The area will now look like this.
5) Install hand brake handle assembly (from Cubby Box doner car with appropriate gaiter)...
5.1) Ensure spring is located over the adjusting rod.
5.2) Place the block the adjusting rod passes through in the bracket, with hole aligned for the rod and hold there with 1 hand.
5.3) With your other hand, maneuver the brake handle assembly into position passing the adjusting rod through the block - the block will then stay in place.
5.4) Screw on the adjustment bolt over the end of the adjustment rod - only a little for now just to stop the rod falling out.
5.4) Secure the assembly in place using the 2 bolts into the chassis.
5.5) Connect the hand brake switch wire.
5.5) Tighten the hand brake adjustment bolt to the correct position. The Rave manual has a section on what you should do (re counting clicks etc). I adjusted it to what "looked and felt" right!
Install the Cubby Box console...
1) If the storage box is installed in the console remove it by opening the lid and undoing the 4 screws around its edge. To remove the box from the console you may need to close the lid and manouever it about a bit, I found it didn't just slide out as it was catching on something.
2) If the black trim that the hand brake handle passes through has been removed from the console (eg for cleaning) reinstall it into the console, there are 4 screws.
3) Slide the console over the hand brake handle and into position.
4) Secure the rear of the console using the 2 screws into the bracket - the mounting screws from your old trim should be fine.
5) If the place on the rear of the console containing the aux power and ash tray has been removed, install it. It is a push fit, locate the top first, then push the bottom into place.
6) Connect clip on the aux wire to the hole on the side of the console.
7) Connect the wire to the aux power socket.
8) Secure the front of the console using the 2 screws from your old trim into the same holes in the chassis.
9) Push the cover plate for the front screws into position.
10) Install the storage box into the console.
11) Secure the storage box using the 4 screws around its edge.
I have not (yet?) taken over the electric windows from the back doors and have left the front window switches in their original location on the dash board. So the switches on the console are not connected.
Pitfall 1 : the mounting points for the front are the same as the existing trim, but the bracket for the rear mounts is different to the old one - so you'll need the mounting bracket and the bracket that bolts to it to clamp the brake cables.
Pitfall 2 : the hand brake handle gaiter is different, its a shorter 'stubby' gaiter, not the long one covering the whole handle with the basic trim. I'm not sure if the cubby box can be used with the long gaiter, it may or it may not - but I could not find a way to swap the gaiters over, and could find no reference to it in Rave. So it is worth taking the whole hand brake lever/handle assembly over together with its gaiter.
Bits you'll need:
1) The console. Make sure it has the cover plate for the front screws. Make sure it has the rear panel with ash tray and aux power socket. Make sure it has the 5 switches - even if you're not going to use them, you'll need something to put in the holes!
2) If for some reason the storage box has been taken off of the console - make sure it is supplied with the 4 securing screws.
3) The mounting bracket for the console's rear securing screws. Probably also the 2nd bracket it bolts down with to secure the brake cables - although you may be able to use your existing bracket for this.
4) The hand brake handle/assembly with gaitor from car the console came from (or another car with console). You may be able to reuse your existing assembly and gaitor - not sure.
Tools you'll need:
Basic 'Phillips' type screwdriver and socket set with an extension bar. Also a Spanner (possibly socket) for hand brake adjustment (although I used pliers!) and a pair of long nose pliers.
Sorry I didn't note the sizes.
Removing the old trim.....
1) Pull out the ashtray to give access to...
2) Remove the 2 screws securing the rear of the trim.
3) With a flat head screw driver, ease up the cover plate in front of the hand brake handle - ease it up from the front of the plate.
4) Remove the 2 screws securing the front of the trim.
5) Remove the trim, easing it forward over the hand brake handle, but it will not go far as there is still a wire in place. Turn the trim upside down.
6) Pull the wire from the back of the aux power socket.
7) With long nose pliers pinch the clip that holds the aux wire to the trim to push through the hole and release the trim. Try not to break the clip as it will be reused.
The area will look like this. Note the rear mounting bracket for the 2 securing screws.
Preparing for the Cubby Box console...
1) Remove the hand brake handle assembly...
1.1) Remove the hand brake adjusting bolt (on the end of the rod encased in a spring).
1.2) Remove the 2 bolts securing the whole hand brake handle/assembly - they bolt into the chassis - there is 1 on the left side (looking at the image above) at the rear of the assembly and 1 on the right at the front. You can see these bolts in the image below - I reinserted them when cleaning the area to stop rubbish going down the holes.
1.3) Disconnect the hand brake switch wire.
1.4) Remove the hand brake handle/assembly - pull forward to slide adjusting rod from bracket.
1.5) Retain the block within the bracket that the adjusting rod passes through - this will fall out and you'll wonder what was there!
2) Remove the rear mounting bracket and hand brake cables clamp plate...
2.1) Remove the 2 bolts securing the rear mounting bracket and hand brake cables clamp plate.
2.2) Remove the mounting/clamping plate.
3) with everything out of the way, now is a good time to clean the normally difficult to access parts!
4) Install rear mounting bracket for Cubby Box...
4.1) Slide mounting bracket under brake cables and into position and align with the bolt holes to the chassis. The mounting points for the Cubby Box should be forward. The bracket needs to be eased under the carpet edges - its wider than the cut out in the carpet.
4.2) Slide the brake cable clamp bracket over the cables and align with the bolt holes to the chassis.
4.3) Secure the 2 brackets with the 2 bolts you removed previously.
The area will now look like this.
5) Install hand brake handle assembly (from Cubby Box doner car with appropriate gaiter)...
5.1) Ensure spring is located over the adjusting rod.
5.2) Place the block the adjusting rod passes through in the bracket, with hole aligned for the rod and hold there with 1 hand.
5.3) With your other hand, maneuver the brake handle assembly into position passing the adjusting rod through the block - the block will then stay in place.
5.4) Screw on the adjustment bolt over the end of the adjustment rod - only a little for now just to stop the rod falling out.
5.4) Secure the assembly in place using the 2 bolts into the chassis.
5.5) Connect the hand brake switch wire.
5.5) Tighten the hand brake adjustment bolt to the correct position. The Rave manual has a section on what you should do (re counting clicks etc). I adjusted it to what "looked and felt" right!
Install the Cubby Box console...
1) If the storage box is installed in the console remove it by opening the lid and undoing the 4 screws around its edge. To remove the box from the console you may need to close the lid and manouever it about a bit, I found it didn't just slide out as it was catching on something.
2) If the black trim that the hand brake handle passes through has been removed from the console (eg for cleaning) reinstall it into the console, there are 4 screws.
3) Slide the console over the hand brake handle and into position.
4) Secure the rear of the console using the 2 screws into the bracket - the mounting screws from your old trim should be fine.
5) If the place on the rear of the console containing the aux power and ash tray has been removed, install it. It is a push fit, locate the top first, then push the bottom into place.
6) Connect clip on the aux wire to the hole on the side of the console.
7) Connect the wire to the aux power socket.
8) Secure the front of the console using the 2 screws from your old trim into the same holes in the chassis.
9) Push the cover plate for the front screws into position.
10) Install the storage box into the console.
11) Secure the storage box using the 4 screws around its edge.
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