Gen 4 Console in Gen 3 - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

renmike · 02-08-2009, 07:53 PM

Hey all,

I've been away from TN for awhile but still have my Camry. Been using it as a daily driver, so mostly what I've done to it involves new tires and general maintenance (fixing leaks, etc.). I've still got the custom CAI installed but for the most part it's stock-looking.

Anyway, the last time I posted anything I was wondering if anyone had tried to put a gen 4 console w/armrest in a gen 3 and no one seemed to have tried. Well, I had a couple of days off this week and the weather was so nice, I decided to take a trip to my local yard. I found a 99 Camry with the same brown/tan interior that I have in mine and yanked out the console and the parking brake assembly. When I brought it home, I found that with a little modification, the console swaps in with little effort:

I hadn't put the armrest on in that pic, but I've got it on now. Other than a little bit of an uneven spot where it meets with the original center console by the shifter, it fits nicely. The biggest issue I had was to keep the rear cupholders, I had to remove (I'll someday relocate) the airbag sensor module that was under the old console. I was surprised that the Air Bag light has not come on since I did this. I also had to swap the parking brake out, trim a little piece off the original center console, bend/twist the bracket to attach the console under the armrest compartment, and redrill a couple of holes at the front where the radio/center console and the new console mates up.

So if anyone wants to do this, here are the parts you are going to need:

-Gen 4 console
-Gen 4 parking brake assembly, including plastic piece that is under it
-Gen 4 armrest
-Gen 4 mounting bracket

Total cost at pull-a-part: $25 bucks
Lack of worry about where to fit my rt44 sonic drink: priceless

I also scored a spare MAF sensor and a black gen 3.5 trunk panel while I was there, so when I finally get the windows tinted, I'll take some new pics.

N35QU!K · 02-08-2009, 08:57 PM

Looks like it turned out pretty well, nice job dude

Chris Crash · 02-08-2009, 10:08 PM

That's really awesome. The only thing I don't like about the Gen 4 console on a manual is the cup holders...when you have a cup in there, sometimes it gets in the way of shifting.

Maybe it doesn't for others, but it gets annoying for me personally.

renmike · 02-08-2009, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

That's really awesome. The only thing I don't like about the Gen 4 console on a manual is the cup holders...when you have a cup in there, sometimes it gets in the way of shifting.

Maybe it doesn't for others, but it gets annoying for me personally.

Maybe it sits a little farther back installed like this, because I don't notice any problems shifting with a large drink in the front cupholder. All I know is that it's much better than the regular gen 3 cupholders and the manual shifter

bigbird · 02-09-2009, 04:30 AM

OMG.......you have just solved the gen3'd ONLY flaw(aside from power)....cup holders from hell. great work man, im gonna have to try this.

Chris Crash · 02-09-2009, 12:00 PM

Do you have any pics of the original Gen 3 console in there? I've never seen it...

MyFreeCamry · 02-09-2009, 12:37 PM

Damn now im looking for a gen 4 center console and hand brake. If anybody finds all those parts at their local pullapart for cheap and can ship at a decent price let me know. I wants.

renmike · 02-09-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

Do you have any pics of the original Gen 3 console in there? I've never seen it...

Sorry I don't have any pics of the original one but if you search on here or on google you should be able to find some. The biggest difference is in the Gen 3 the parking brake handle is directly in the middle of the console, so there is no place to even fit cupholders. The gen 4 brake mounts at an angle, with the same mounting locations, to allow for the cupholders.

***CharmCityES*** · 02-09-2009, 03:25 PM

very nice! i never thought that would be possible
nice work!

renmike · 02-09-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbird

OMG.......you have just solved the gen3'd ONLY flaw(aside from power)....cup holders from hell. great work man, im gonna have to try this.

Yeah, the only real issue I had was with the air bag computer under the original console. I just removed it for now. I was just surprised how much actually bolted up, especially the parking brake.

***Eye8Pussies*** · 02-10-2009, 12:21 AM

very surprised that it fit so well also

but where it matches up to the gear shifter area...that would bug the crap out of me I think...

renmike · 02-10-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eye8Pussies

very surprised that it fit so well also

but where it matches up to the gear shifter area...that would bug the crap out of me I think...

I think with a little bit of work, I could make it much better. There is a small gap where the shifter cover meets the new console, but to be honest, this car is 16 years old, there are a few other gaps in the trim work around the interior, so it pretty much blends in

MyFreeCamry · 02-10-2009, 01:39 PM

I wonder how well the front part of that console that meets the dash will fit or how much it would take to fit it????

renmike · 02-10-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyFreeCamry

I wonder how well the front part of that console that meets the dash will fit or how much it would take to fit it????

It's shaped completely different. There was a gen 3 about 2 cars down in the yard and I was able to compare how they line up with the dash.

***Eye8Pussies*** · 02-10-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renmike

I think with a little bit of work, I could make it much better. There is a small gap where the shifter cover meets the new console, but to be honest, this car is 16 years old, there are a few other gaps in the trim work around the interior, so it pretty much blends in

lol...fair enough

have you tried using a heat gun?