Wood refinished & custom boost guage mount ... pics

[BodhiBenz1987]

This seems hard to believe, but I actually finished my console wood refinishing project. I started this around Christmastime and it turned into an epic journey, to say it dramatically. I completely stripped and refinished the CC cover and shiftgate cover. I also fabricated a piece to mount the boost guage and 12v charger in the place of where the ashtray was. I cut it out of a squ ft of plywood (using a power dremel), veneered it, stained it and finished it to match the other pieces. The pics are huge, so I set them up on a Web site: www.geocities.com/cat8741/console.html
I'm going to add some description and other photos of the process (if I can find them). Pics have a lot of funky reflections, but you get the idea. I'm thrilled with how it came out. Here's one, but check out the site if you want to see the rest (too big to post them all here).

[jkoebel]

Wow, that's beautiful. Great job. I'm thinking about doing something similar with my 240D's wood trim around the CCU, switch panel, shifter, and replacing the ash tray with an inverter power socket or something.

[dieseldiehard]

Beautiful! Just tell me how to do staining like that and I'll work on installing a similar set up on my Blue '87 300D. I've got the boost gauge already.
PS What a cllean 124 you've got! Its definitely well worth the work invested

[toomany MBZ]

GORGEOUS!

Well done.

[TheDon]

man that wood looks great

[KarTek]

Looks great - like it came from the factory that way!

[bgkast]

Looks sharp! Want to do mine?

[TheDon]

what did you use on the wood? I need to refinish my zebrano and wouldn't mind going a little darker to match my black interior.

I'd kill for burl

[Chad300tdt]

Looks like all your work was worth the end result Bodhi.

[progun]

You are an artist!

[Jeremy5848]

Where did you connect into the 603 for the boost gauge?

[Bajaman]

Looks ausgezeichnet! What did you use for/where did you get veneer?

[BodhiBenz1987]

Originally Posted by Bajaman

Looks ausgezeichnet! What did you use for/where did you get veneer?

I lucked out on eBay, bought it from this guy: http://stores.ebay.com/Doeringer-Custom-Guitars-and-Parts
Nice 6X9-inch piece for a total of $12 ... it was a little warbled, but it flattened out when I glued it to the plywood and put an upside-down table on it as a "press."

Thanks for all the compliments, guys! I'm so excited with the way it came out. My only concern is that I may have gone a little heavy on the Magnalac, which may lead to cracking down the road. But heck, if that happens, I strip it and try again with less. I'm going to add a section on my picture page that lists the process and materials (stain color and everything) ... that way if anyone wants to try a similar approach, it will be easy to reference. Hopefully I'll have time to update that tonight if I get a break at work.

[Dee8go]

Great job, Bodhi. Great idea cpvering the place where the ashtray used to be.

[BodhiBenz1987]

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

Where did you connect into the 603 for the boost gauge?

There's more than one place to put it, but I just T-ed into the line that goes from the overboost protection relay to the ALDA. (I can shoot a picture of this is you want). I then ran the line through the firewall behind the instrument cluster. I had to pull the cluster, but that was a good time to change the bulbs in it. I then ran the line behind the climate control, past the radio and out into the ashtray area. The lighting was real easy there because there are already wires right there for the light in the ashtray (two + and one ground) I just put crimp-on connectors and plugged it right in. The charger I bought from the dealership because the one I pulled out didn't seem to work (but the connections checked out OK). The black circle around it is just a rubber washer I cut to use as a gasket (there's one on the back, too) to hold the charger in place.