Homemade PFC Commander holder

speedjunkie · 11-21-2010, 02:40 AM

This is a pretty weak write-up for a pretty weak product haha, but I figured it might help some of you if you have a PFC and need to figure out a way to mount the commander...more specifically for those of us that have 94 or 95 FDs and can't use the common commander mount on the Banzai website. I made a mount a couple years ago but it was broken by the guys that did my body work and paint and I like this one much better anyway. It's REALLY easy and cheap too.

In short, all I did was cut a slot into the dash between the stereo surround and where it meets the soft part of the dash. You can see where the hole is if you're looking for it but you'd never notice if you didn't know it was there. When cutting the hole you have to be sure that it's not too wide or long for the metal you're going to use because it needs to be tight in order to hold the mount without shaking out during driving or under boost. To make the cut I just disassembled that part of the dash, taking the stereo surround piece off, I cut some of the soft part back so I could cut the slot as far over as possible so it wouldn't press the surround piece over against the gauge cluster. Not sure if that makes sense haha. I used a dremel with a cutting wheel to cut the slot.

Then I found a thin but sturdy piece of metal and cut it so it would have a long piece to slide into the dash. I thought about bending it once I had it into the dash to ensure it wouldn't slide out but it's holding in there pretty well as it is and I want to be able to pull it out too. Then I painted the parts of the metal that would show with some bed liner from a rattle can. Then I used molding tape to stick the commander to the metal piece and put it in the dash. Here is what the mount looks like stuck to the commander and the last pic is of what it looks like from the back when it's in the dash.

Like I said, it's pretty weak, especially compared to some of the stuff others have come up with, but I love this thing and the way it sits. Plus it helps that it cost me basically $0 to make it and I ALWAYS love that haha.

Richard Monster · 11-28-2010, 06:55 AM

Actually if you modded that so the commander and bracket were separate, I think that wouldn't be too bad.

speedjunkie · 11-29-2010, 04:07 AM

I played with that idea but it would have made the commander stick out further and I wanted to keep this as low profile as possible. And besides, you can pull it out of the dash if you want to get a closer view of it anyway. And it's not difficult to put it back into the dash either. I do wish I'd had a better looking piece of metal but this is what I had on hand.

Force13b · 11-30-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Monster

Actually if you modded that so the commander and bracket were separate, I think that wouldn't be too bad.

Velcro

speedjunkie · 12-01-2010, 11:25 AM

Yeah IIRC I used velcro on the previous mount I made but it would have put this one in contact with the e-brake when it's down and I didn't want to do that. I'm using velcro on my EBC right now and I don't really care for it because the velcro sticks together so well that when I try to separate it the whole thing pulls off and the glue becomes non-sticky in just a few times and the velcro has to be replaced. I also have my turbo timer mounted to the top of my steering column with velcro and I've never actually removed it lol. I like using velcro but sometimes it just doesn't work as well for what I need.

93rx7r1 · 12-08-2010, 06:15 AM

Looks like it puts it in a nice place and was fairly simple to make.

speedjunkie · 12-08-2010, 01:01 PM

^Indeed on both, which is why I love it haha. I also like the fact that you can't see the mount unless you look at the back, and even then it's subdued. If I could make it to where you can even see it on the back that would be even better.

Sideo · 02-14-2011, 12:28 AM

i like it too bad i don have commander just datalogit

speedjunkie · 02-15-2011, 01:35 AM

Well, get a commander too! LOL

No, actually I don't even use my commander for anything other than monitoring a couple things. I think I've used it to make adjustments twice in the several years I've had it. It's not very useful, for me anyway.

11-21-2010, 02:40 AM	#1
speedjunkie RCC Loves Me Not You Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 2,089 Rep Power: 20	Homemade PFC Commander holder This is a pretty weak write-up for a pretty weak product haha, but I figured it might help some of you if you have a PFC and need to figure out a way to mount the commander...more specifically for those of us that have 94 or 95 FDs and can't use the common commander mount on the Banzai website. I made a mount a couple years ago but it was broken by the guys that did my body work and paint and I like this one much better anyway. It's REALLY easy and cheap too. In short, all I did was cut a slot into the dash between the stereo surround and where it meets the soft part of the dash. You can see where the hole is if you're looking for it but you'd never notice if you didn't know it was there. When cutting the hole you have to be sure that it's not too wide or long for the metal you're going to use because it needs to be tight in order to hold the mount without shaking out during driving or under boost. To make the cut I just disassembled that part of the dash, taking the stereo surround piece off, I cut some of the soft part back so I could cut the slot as far over as possible so it wouldn't press the surround piece over against the gauge cluster. Not sure if that makes sense haha. I used a dremel with a cutting wheel to cut the slot. Then I found a thin but sturdy piece of metal and cut it so it would have a long piece to slide into the dash. I thought about bending it once I had it into the dash to ensure it wouldn't slide out but it's holding in there pretty well as it is and I want to be able to pull it out too. Then I painted the parts of the metal that would show with some bed liner from a rattle can. Then I used molding tape to stick the commander to the metal piece and put it in the dash. Here is what the mount looks like stuck to the commander and the last pic is of what it looks like from the back when it's in the dash. Like I said, it's pretty weak, especially compared to some of the stuff others have come up with, but I love this thing and the way it sits. Plus it helps that it cost me basically $0 to make it and I ALWAYS love that haha.

12-08-2010, 06:15 AM	#6
93rx7r1 Rotary Fan in Training Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 89 Rep Power: 16	Looks like it puts it in a nice place and was fairly simple to make. __________________ My FD3S Build Thread 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX (daily)

11-28-2010, 06:55 AM	#2
Richard Monster The Newbie Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	Actually if you modded that so the commander and bracket were separate, I think that wouldn't be too bad.

11-29-2010, 04:07 AM	#3
speedjunkie RCC Loves Me Not You Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 2,089 Rep Power: 20	I played with that idea but it would have made the commander stick out further and I wanted to keep this as low profile as possible. And besides, you can pull it out of the dash if you want to get a closer view of it anyway. And it's not difficult to put it back into the dash either. I do wish I'd had a better looking piece of metal but this is what I had on hand.

12-01-2010, 11:25 AM	#5
speedjunkie RCC Loves Me Not You Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 2,089 Rep Power: 20	Yeah IIRC I used velcro on the previous mount I made but it would have put this one in contact with the e-brake when it's down and I didn't want to do that. I'm using velcro on my EBC right now and I don't really care for it because the velcro sticks together so well that when I try to separate it the whole thing pulls off and the glue becomes non-sticky in just a few times and the velcro has to be replaced. I also have my turbo timer mounted to the top of my steering column with velcro and I've never actually removed it lol. I like using velcro but sometimes it just doesn't work as well for what I need.

12-08-2010, 01:01 PM	#7
speedjunkie RCC Loves Me Not You Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 2,089 Rep Power: 20	^Indeed on both, which is why I love it haha. I also like the fact that you can't see the mount unless you look at the back, and even then it's subdued. If I could make it to where you can even see it on the back that would be even better.

02-14-2011, 12:28 AM	#8
Sideo The Newbie Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 20 Rep Power: 0	i like it too bad i don have commander just datalogit

02-15-2011, 01:35 AM	#9
speedjunkie RCC Loves Me Not You Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 2,089 Rep Power: 20	Well, get a commander too! LOL No, actually I don't even use my commander for anything other than monitoring a couple things. I think I've used it to make adjustments twice in the several years I've had it. It's not very useful, for me anyway.