I just bought a 95 993 Cabrio and it has what appears to be a factory option leather center console, it is wider at the front and has a cell phone holder (Motorolla Star Tac) mounted in it it has a black screen to the left of the phone holder. There appears to be nothing behind the screen. It also has switches mounted at the bottom. It mounts all the way up to the dash and covers the ashtray. I would like to go back to the narrow stock console.
Can anyone tell me what I have and what is it for?
and where can I get a stock black center console at a reasonable price?

 

It sounds like you may have a European center console. If it is an European center console, it is my understanding that they are pretty rare, and , if it is, I would be more than happy to purchase from you if it is black. I can also get you a standard console replacement as part of the deal. Feel free to shoot me an email.

Can you post a pic of it?

 

Yes, that is the console installed when you ordered a phone with your car. I think that option was deleted from the '96 order guides but quite a few '95's had it. Tom Randel, a regular Rennlist board member, has it also.

See if you can replace it with a conventional console from <a href="http://www.carnewal.com" target="_blank">www.carnewal.com</a>

 

Viken, any pictures of the '95 console you are describing anywhere? I'd love to see it.

Thanks!

 

[quote]Originally posted by dcpmark:
<strong>Viken, any pictures of the '95 console you are describing anywhere? I'd love to see it.</strong><hr></blockquote>

It's not particularly good looking and doesn't really fit the interior of the 993 but I'm pretty sure Tom will post a pict as soon as he sees this thread. Or, maybe pookee will do it, hopefully smaller than 640x480.

 

Here's what the phone option console looks like. I believe the "screen" that pookee described is a speaker grill behind which a hands free speaker could be mounted. In the pic, it's replaced by a panel w/a Porsche crest. IMO, it's not too attractive, but would make a nice mount for a GPS display.

It is pretty rare & I'd think someone out there would be interested in a trade - maybe even with a few bucks thrown in.

 

I saw one today in black handstitched leather in a black interior car that looked pretty good. The guy told me that it was a European part. I think part of the problem with the pic is the contrast between the tan console and the black dash. The car I saw ('97 993tt) had a black full leather dash and this piece in the same leather.....looked great!

The reason I am interested in this is the top portion of the console is the perfect fit for the screen for an Alpine Nav system. Looks phenominal in this application.

 

[quote]Originally posted by dcpmark:
<strong>... the problem with the pic is the contrast between the tan console and the black dash. The car I saw ('97 993tt) had a black full leather dash and this piece in the same leather.....looked great!

The reason I am interested in this is the top portion of the console is the perfect fit for the screen for an Alpine Nav system. Looks phenominal in this application.</strong><hr></blockquote>

You might be right about the contrast. I'm aesthetically visualization impaired - I look at an empty room & see an empty room. My wife looks at an empty room & sees a dozen ways to empty our bank acct. The console did seem like an ideal way to mount a Nav screen & have it look like it belongs.

 

The one I saw was flush mounted, too! REALLY nice......anyone know where I can get one in black?

 

Hi,
Yes, I had one of these consoles. I'd post a picture, but that's already been done. Pookee, if yours has a Star Tac, someone updated it. It originally came with a Fujitsu analog phone. The black screen you refer to is where the original speaker went (where the Porsche crest is in Dan's picture). Like Pookee, I wanted to get rid of mine and go to a standard console. I was lucky and found someone who wanted to mount, you guessed it, a nav system in it, just like dcpmark wants to do. This is apparently a popular use for these consoles, as the analog phone is all but useless. Another popular use is to upgrade them to a modern phone, like someone did already in Pookee's car.

It seems like Pookee and dcpmark should be able to make a trade. They both have black consoles. Swapping the consoles was trivial in my car. It took about an hour. I was told that the cell phone console has two screws that bolt to the dash. I figured I'd have to do some vinyl repair to cover the holes. However, when we removed the console, there were no screws in the dash. Pookee, try pressing sideways on your console. If you can move it slightly, you probably don't have these screws. Mine was able to move a quarter inch or so. If it's tight, you might have them. I was also concerned that I'd have to get a matching color ashtray, but it was already there, hidden and useless behind the console.

Tom

 

[quote]Originally posted by Dan 96C2 St.Louis:
<strong>

I'm aesthetically visualization impaired - I look at an empty room & see an empty room. My wife looks at an empty room & sees a dozen ways to empty our bank acct. </strong><hr></blockquote>

LOL My wife and I had the same discussion this weekend about an empty room at our house.
Greg

 

[quote]Originally posted by Dan 96C2 St.Louis:
<strong>

I'm aesthetically visualization impaired - I look at an empty room & see an empty room. My wife looks at an empty room & sees a dozen ways to empty our bank acct.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

I bet you have skills in this area. Your wife looks at a Porsche and sees a car. You look at a Porsche and see a dozen ways to empty your bank account.

 

[quote]Originally posted by Mark D - 993TT CA:
<strong>

I bet you have skills in this area. Your wife looks at a Porsche and sees a car. You look at a Porsche and see a dozen ways to empty your bank account. </strong><hr></blockquote>

Hey Mark, just whose side are you on anyway? How could you possibly compare necessities like tires, wheels, suspension upgrades, etc. for a Porsche with such trivial luxuries like ... chairs, sofas, tables - now a big screen, maybe. Man, get real!!!

 

[quote]Originally posted by Dan 96C2 St.Louis:
<strong>

Hey Mark, just whose side are you on anyway? How could you possibly compare necessities like tires, wheels, suspension upgrades, etc. for a Porsche with such trivial luxuries like ... chairs, sofas, tables - now a big screen, maybe. Man, get real!!! </strong><hr></blockquote>

Sorry. I lost my head there for a moment. I will keep repeating...
You can live in your car, but you can't drive a house.

 

I test drove a '95 993 which had this OE phone / console option. Sems to me I recall a analog Fujitsu cell phone too.

There is a OE 993 accessory (Euro) which mounts to the right side of a standard console which facilates mounting a Cell or Handi phone. Its unobtrusive, sort-a. My car has one.

The OE phone option with the wide mouth console should be easy enough to change out I'd think.