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 79-86 Center Console Restoration 

Please excuse the low quality of some of the pictures.  I had to try to use fairly high compression to keep the size of this site under control. Please be helpful and send comments here.

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Part 8:  Ashtrays used to be like cup holders.

They were!  You used to find ash trays in the doors, consoles, dash, etc.  I think I counted 5 in an old friend's 70's car once.  Now, you're lucky to find 2.  For the 79-86 Mustang/Capri, both are in the console.  And both  of these are atrocious.   Thank God there aren't more.

To remove the rear ash tray from the console, just press the metal "button with a plus in it" down while pulling the top away from the console (as if you were opening it farther than it should go).



The next thing to do is to separate the ashtray cover from the inner "tray".  Just gently pull up on the tabs holding the cover in place.



The front cover went off to be cleaned up.  Eventually it was wire wheeled and then primered and painted with Eastwood's Under Hood Black.



The ashtray can be pulled apart a bit to be able to get a wire wheel and Dremel in there to clean it all up.  I then used Eastwood's Crystal Clear for metal parts on the ash tray to inhibit rust.



Then reassemble the two pieces.  Push the ashtray back in shape and insert under the tabs.  Take a metal spike or something and working on a soft surface, smack each tab down so that the ash tray cover is securely fastened to the ashtray.



The rear ashtray's housing needs to be removed from the console.  Carefully drill out the rivets (11/64" is the perfect bit size). 



Once the rivets are gone, it pulls right out. 



Again:  Wire wheel.  Dremel.  Primer.  Paint Black.

Once everything is dry and ready to be reassembled, re-rivet the housing back into the console.



3/16" diameter rivets are needed.  1/8-1/4" shank.



Put the ashtray housing in the console.



Insert rivets (You might need to run the drill through the holes to get the rivets in easily).



Use rivet gun.



Pop in the ash tray.



Done.
In Conclusion:

Pretty straight forward.  No real tricks to getting things done.

 Part 9: Too Much Information Center. Coming Soon!