Console Delete and AC Control Relocation
Since it has been a while since I updated this thread, here’s a short write-up on the changes I made to my interior over the winter/spring. I decided I would do a console delete, as I prefer this aesthetic.
The first order of business was to pull out the old console. Though the car no longer has AC, the dash fan is still installed, and I decided to keep the controls. The AC control itself has a capillary tube filled with Freon, and I decided that removing this would be too much of a pain, particularly if I ever want to install AC in the future. The previous owner drilled into the ashtray to mount an auxiliary gauge panel, so I used these mounting holes and pop-riveted in a piece of 2.5 x 2.5 inch aluminum angle stock. My buddy and I countersunk the mounting holes to allow the controls to fit the new panel.
The other interesting issue we encountered is the differing methods the Porsche factory employed to keep the AC and fan controls from rotating in their factory mounting locations when turned. The AC control has a small pin that sticks into a corresponding indent on the reverse side of the panel, which was easy enough to replicate with a small drill bit. The fan control has a detent that fits into a corresponding detent on the factory panel. We replicated this with a little aluminum TIG weld.
Of course, I used some wiring wrap and zip ties to clean up the under-dash mess.