Has anybody ever thought about cutting 2 holes in the top of the dash (see picture) and buying some nice inserts? I have a junk dash that I'm thinking about trying this on unless somebody else has done it and there isn't enough clearance or something.

 

Could use a cup holder insert from a Honda pilot like this:

 

If memory serves (and it could easily be wrong), I don't think you have a lot of clearance between the dash and the heater core/duct box, so I'm pretty sure you couldn't fully recess whatever you used. Very interested to see what happens if you try it anyway; all of my dashes have the same damn crack in that center area - good candidates for something like this.

 

Yeah, I can't remember exactly what's under that part of the dash and how close it all is. Mainly didn't want to recreate the wheel if somebody had already done it or tried.

 

So check this out - I finally found a picture of a dash from the bottom side - I'm not sure if I can get 2 cup holders up there, but there is definitely room for one I think.

 

Pull on your center air vent and stick your hand in there. There really isn't that much room. There was another thread where a few HT'ers figured out decent cupholder solutions, but I forget. It was somebody's build thread or something.

You might be better off putting the 94-01 Integra console in there. I've had mine for a good 6-7 years now and it's decent.

Pic is from a random google search:


Edit: Post #235 in Marcos Barrios's thread has a picture of it. Much more elegant than cutting a hole in the dash. Maybe Marcos can chime in with what it takes.

 

Wouldn't that be a bit of a reach? I would think putting them there would defeat the potential of having a drink close by.

 

yea dude im the cup holder guy got all 4 too
check out my build thread
marcos new work car 90 sedan
there on the last bit of page one and on page two

if you were to make that work it would be a far reach to get the drinks
and it would also kinda but not really be in your line of sight when driving
and if you were to ever have a hot cup of anything, your windsheld would fog up

 

You make a very good point about the hot drink - I'm sure the wife would always be putting her coffee up there. I wish I could find the cup holder tray thing I use to have in my wagon, but I haven't seen them in quite a while - would love to get one if anybody knows where to buy them. I've checked amazon and ebay and I'm not seeing them.

 

I have never used it, but there is a one-cupholder 3d printed solution that goes in place of the ashtray - that might be worth looking into. There are also people who have used Corolla cup holders, Taurus ones, and so forth. Just do a google search; maybe one of those solutions would still have cupholders in a local junkyard or for sale on ebay.

 

I've been searching for years. My first car in '99 was an EF sedan, had EF's since except for 3 years. Never new about the 3d printed one - might have to look at that on as a buddy of mine has a 3d printer. Now I have to learn how to do 3d printing so I can make my own cup holders for the center console area. The best one I've found is that cup holder tray that goes over the shifter, but can't find them anymore.

 

I saw them recently at my local napa

 

So I'm scrapping the in dash cup holder idea I think. I have a couple friends with 3d printers and since I've played with 3d graphics a little a long time ago, I played around it a basic design to see if I still have the patience. ha ha Anyways, here is a quick render of what I'm thinking. I'm probably only going to do the part in front of the shifter as my neighbors 3d printer isn't big enough to do the whole thing. What do you guys think? Also, if you could have anything in your center console what would you have - cell phone holder? coin holder? I might be able to make a multi-part center console with more than what we have now.

 

X2 on the Integra console. I have it as well, and it looks like it belongs there. Only downside is the cup sizes are limited, but for a standard paper coffee cup or can its great.

 

My other sedan has an integra console in it, but all that space under the can is just wasted. Could get a taller can (ice tea) or soft drink cup in there without interfering with the radio if I can lower the cup holder down to the top of the center hump.

 

I took some measurements today and made a v1 mockup of the cupholder I'm wanting for my sedan. My buddy is going to print it tonight. Here is the render, I'll post pictures if it completes without issues.

 

as a designer, do you really need to design the cup HOLDER to be a CUP? i get that youre just working sketchup, but like, put a little more elegance in your design. you just need the top ring of the cup, undrafted, and a bottom. and then whatever you want to hold that up.

 

I've never designed anything for a 3d printer before, so I'm focusing more on making sure it butts up to the center console correctly and the cup holders are placed correctly so they don't hit the shifter when shifting or hit the radio bezel. Once all that is done and tested then I'll worry about aesthetics.

 

I hope your buddy's printer is a dual extruder and runs support material, or that it can manage those overhangs in another fashion.

 

I'm not sure what printer he has - he's going to look at the file when he gets home and we'll go from there.

 

Just cut two 2 liter bottles up and glue them together.

Good luck with the printing! I'm sure it will take several attempts to get to one that you like.

 

Just to add a comment to the idea of cutting holes in the dash for cup holders, I've seen an 88/89 hatch in the JY with that done before. I was very disappointed, because I was considering taking the dash when I first saw it since mine is a little beat up and that one initially looked pristine. Whoever did it just took a hole saw and cut two holes in the dash where your red outline is and at least one of the holes went through the heater duct. The duct was only like 1/4"-1/2" below the dash, so I'm assuming they had a good amount of pressure as they were sawing away and it just went right through before they realized what they had done.

I hope you come up with a good solution that doesn't involve chopping things up, I hate seeing things unnecessarily modified. At the moment, if I ever need a drink in my '88, I just wedge it between the seat and the plastic console around the e-brake. Usually it's a bottle with a cap on it unless I feel daring and want to risk a fountain drink going forward onto the carpet on a hard brake.

 

We finally got the new cup holder design to print, my buddy was having issues with his print bed, my design was about the max size he can print so we had to tweak the design a couple times. This is V1, mainly so I can fine tune my measurements - it's not to look good, even though I like the simplicity of it, I still have some design changes/additions I want. I have to go to the junk yard and get a junk center console that I can cut and test fit this with to see how close some of the larger cups come to the shifter and dash. I've already noticed that the ice tea can doesn't fit how I want, so the lower part of the cup holder has to be larger to fit that. But most other cups feel pretty secure. Anyways let me know what you guys think. Enjoy the pics.

 

Thats a good looking 3D print. Do you have pictures of it in the car?

 

Not yet, I'm trying to get a spare center console to mount it on - it started snowing this week so makes it harder to get out and get parts. Have a few buddies checking their parts though. I'll post pics as soon as I can test it.