JDM/USDM J48 centre console swap

TheMAN · 17-10-2013, 11:17 PM

Last year, I chanced upon a J48 centre console at the wreckers. It is still relatively rare at the wreckers and is still hard to find in good condition. It was a chance to get rid of the wimpy cup holders and get something that could hold drinks a lot more stable! But, it's only since a few months ago when I started getting serious about getting that swapped into my car. This whole process has taken longer and more tedious than I thought... I've gone OCD on it!

So... I guess it was time to write a thread documenting my progress...

This is what I started out with last year:

Pretty disgusting, eh?

I got it pressure washed and it came out in great shape. Just some scuffs in the back, but no big deal... the JDM rear cup holders will pretty much hide it. Besides, there's nothing to cry over about since I paid only $35 for this entire console!

The silver cup holder piece was pretty stuffed. I tried to get a better condition one off someone on the US forums, but it wasn't too much better. I decided to just buy one of the last new ones from Mazda. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it!

I had my mate at the panel beaters clear coat it for me. It didn't come out perfect as I have hoped, but it is good enough and the idea is to protect it from nicks and scratches which happens so easily to begin with!

Last week, I discovered the RX-8 cup holder drink coasters are a perfect fit. the idea is to help absorb condensation from cold drinks and to protect the bottom of the cup holders from scratches if I place things in it other than drinks.

They're 2mm thick and 72mm diameter. Goes into the 74mm diameter cup holders no problem. As a matter of fact, I did more measurements at the time and found out these J48 cup holders are 70mm deep, while the regular BJ2 flip lid cup holders have a wimpy 45mm depth. This is a big difference!

And tonight, I did a lot more additional work on the console in preparation of swapping it sometime in the next couple of weeks. First, I made copies of the rear cup holder drilling template and printed out the mirrored LHD version of the clean box drilling template I made.

This time around, I decided to relocate the rear cup holders lower, near the floor because the recommended Mazda way sucks! When the rear cup holders are installed the proper way, there's no way to open the arm rest lid fully. You have to hold it open to retrieve items. I will drill into the blanking cover instead and the rear cup holder will mount onto there. Because the blanking cover is just clipped on, my initial concern was that the weight of the drinks will pull the cover off along with the cup holders. So, I first did some stress test before drilling. The blanking cover is clipped on at the top and the two long edges, but the bottom edge is hooked on, which makes it very secure. Since the holes are located near the bottom edge, it is very secure and I tried to push it out from behind with at least 5kg of force. It didn't move except for distorting the plastic instead!

So drilling, on the blanking plate went as planned

The template was designed for an open low top console, not the tall version with the arm rest. So the template wasn't quite a match to the console. So afterwards, I made measurements of where the holes need to go. Any higher and you run the risk of drilling into the reinforcement ribs of the blanking plate, which weakens it, and also potentially making the blanking plate pop out from under the weight of drinks.

Test fitting showed, that the rear cup holder hovers just 10mm above the floor, which is enough clearance for floor mats and carpet.

And confirmed it was not a problem on the existing console on the car

Next thing was drilling the hole necessary to mount the clean box bracket:

And looks like it will be a perfect fit

I also made a rubber mat for the front storage bin to not only protect the console from scratches, but to keep things from sliding around. It took a long time to figure out how to trace the shape of it onto a piece of paper, then trimming it down to shape, and finally using it as a template to trace onto a scrap piece of rubber mat I have laying around (originally for my tool cabinet).

Finally for the day, I found some strips of low density rubberised foam I have laying around that I will use to further protect the silver cup holder trim and potentially eliminate rattles.

TheMAN · 19-10-2013, 04:50 PM

getting closer to install now...

today I picked up one of the last of the 03.5 MSP shift boots... It's been sitting in the warehouse for over 10 years, the bag was filthy and the boot was all dusty!

It is made of leatherette and is four pieces stitched together with yellow double stitches. The regular shift boot (borrowed off the GF 626) is just a single piece stitched together with no contrasting colour.

I also picked up a piece of felt console mat for an RX-8 as it is really cheap and the material is really thick. I cbf going to the fabric store and finding the right colour I want in a small enough piece. $4 was dirt cheap, so getting it from the dealer was piss easy as I was picking up the shift boot at the same time.

I measured and cut to size a 126x80mm rectangular piece I needed.

It fits perfectly in the storage compartment under the armrest to better protect the bottom and to reduce noise from loose items moving around inside. Newer/more expensive Mazdas (and other expensive cars) have these mats in the consoles.

TheMAN · 29-11-2013, 06:49 PM

After waiting 2 months for the final piece of the puzzle to come from Germany, I went ahead and swapped the console a couple of days ago on a "balmy" 7 degree day...

This is a EDM BJ turbo diesel shifter/floor insulator. I think it is for reducing noise from the exhaust and to keep heat way from the shifter/cupholders.

it is a piece of jute glued onto a thick piece of rubber

From the factory, all petrol BJs do not have this insulator and you just see exposed sheet metal around the shifter. The turbo diesel version has it, and it is a borrowed part from the GE/GF/GW 626. As you can see, the only way to install this is to have the console removed and I wasn't about to do it again just to put in that piece. So I just waited for the insulator till it arrived and did everything at once!

But while I had the console out, I also spent some extra time getting rid of an annoyance that have plagued my car since new... the driver's seat belt buckle squeaks over bumps and when I move around my seat... it was coming from the bolt area and not inside the buckle itself.. I learned of a countermeasure fix from mazda's TSB R081/07 intended for Mazda3s which had that problem. All it took was wrapping the wave washer with felt tape at several points.

Mazda sells a precut 250x100mm felt tape sheet but it is stupid expensive, the Subaru one was only 1/4 the cost but not precut. So I just cut a 5mm strip just like how mazda had it and it worked!

Once that was done, the noise was completely gone!

I also applied strips of felt tape on the inside of the console to eliminate potential rattle noises from the cupholder trim but also to protect the finish as all of the 2nd hand examples I've seen had paint rubbed off the edges

And finally, the J48 centre console was swapped over with the new 03.5 MSP shift boot and cupholders

The JDM clean box was fitted at the same time using the custom made mirrored "for LHD use" bracket

The relocated rear cupholders fitted perfectly too

TheMAN · 29-11-2013, 07:22 PM

When I took out my stock BJ2 centre console, I placed it next to the J48 console and was able to finally see the subtle differences between them

the J48 console is about 10mm taller to accommodate the deeper open top cup holders

You can also see that the top side wall trim pieces that meet up to the lower dashboard are shaped differently... the original BJ2 ones are curved and contoured to the same profile as the lower dashboard's ashtray and cigarette lighter... the J48 one is just straight

the original BJ2 front storage cubby is about 30mm deeper than the J48 version, so in other words you sacrifice storage space in favour of deeper cupholders in the J48 console... that's fine with me!

The original BJ2 console's rear storage bin also has a dimpled "liner" moulded into the bottomm. The J48's is smooth, more the reason to cut a piece of felt liner to put in there! Mazda cheaped out on the J48 console!

And of course, most importantly, those of you who want to know if the BJ2 centre console is compatible with the J48 cup holders... it is not! it is unfortunate that you have to swap the entire console

Some idiots on the US forum say you can just cut the support ribs on the console beneath the cupholders and the J48 cupholders will fit... it will not work properly... those support ribs are necessary to support the weight of the drinks and of course keep the entire trim panel from falling in! There's 6 slots for 6 locking clips from the trim panel and cupholders... if you are to cut something, you will need to cut the front 4 slots and support ribs to even get the entire panel from fitting... it will not work and it is stupid to even think about cutting it!

So if you really want the much improved J48 cupholders, you can either get it from a JDM J48 Sport20 (auto FWD only), or from North America (either manual or auto, in 3 different colour choices)... when looking for a 2nd hand console from non-forum sources (such as ebay), compare the pics with the ones in this post to identify whether it is a J48 console or regular BJ2... the most obvious differences are the 2 side wall pieces

17-10-2013, 11:17 PM	#1
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	JDM/USDM J48 centre console swap Last year, I chanced upon a J48 centre console at the wreckers. It is still relatively rare at the wreckers and is still hard to find in good condition. It was a chance to get rid of the wimpy cup holders and get something that could hold drinks a lot more stable! But, it's only since a few months ago when I started getting serious about getting that swapped into my car. This whole process has taken longer and more tedious than I thought... I've gone OCD on it! So... I guess it was time to write a thread documenting my progress... This is what I started out with last year: Pretty disgusting, eh? I got it pressure washed and it came out in great shape. Just some scuffs in the back, but no big deal... the JDM rear cup holders will pretty much hide it. Besides, there's nothing to cry over about since I paid only $35 for this entire console! The silver cup holder piece was pretty stuffed. I tried to get a better condition one off someone on the US forums, but it wasn't too much better. I decided to just buy one of the last new ones from Mazda. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it! I had my mate at the panel beaters clear coat it for me. It didn't come out perfect as I have hoped, but it is good enough and the idea is to protect it from nicks and scratches which happens so easily to begin with! Last week, I discovered the RX-8 cup holder drink coasters are a perfect fit. the idea is to help absorb condensation from cold drinks and to protect the bottom of the cup holders from scratches if I place things in it other than drinks. They're 2mm thick and 72mm diameter. Goes into the 74mm diameter cup holders no problem. As a matter of fact, I did more measurements at the time and found out these J48 cup holders are 70mm deep, while the regular BJ2 flip lid cup holders have a wimpy 45mm depth. This is a big difference! And tonight, I did a lot more additional work on the console in preparation of swapping it sometime in the next couple of weeks. First, I made copies of the rear cup holder drilling template and printed out the mirrored LHD version of the clean box drilling template I made. This time around, I decided to relocate the rear cup holders lower, near the floor because the recommended Mazda way sucks! When the rear cup holders are installed the proper way, there's no way to open the arm rest lid fully. You have to hold it open to retrieve items. I will drill into the blanking cover instead and the rear cup holder will mount onto there. Because the blanking cover is just clipped on, my initial concern was that the weight of the drinks will pull the cover off along with the cup holders. So, I first did some stress test before drilling. The blanking cover is clipped on at the top and the two long edges, but the bottom edge is hooked on, which makes it very secure. Since the holes are located near the bottom edge, it is very secure and I tried to push it out from behind with at least 5kg of force. It didn't move except for distorting the plastic instead! So drilling, on the blanking plate went as planned The template was designed for an open low top console, not the tall version with the arm rest. So the template wasn't quite a match to the console. So afterwards, I made measurements of where the holes need to go. Any higher and you run the risk of drilling into the reinforcement ribs of the blanking plate, which weakens it, and also potentially making the blanking plate pop out from under the weight of drinks. Test fitting showed, that the rear cup holder hovers just 10mm above the floor, which is enough clearance for floor mats and carpet. And confirmed it was not a problem on the existing console on the car Next thing was drilling the hole necessary to mount the clean box bracket: And looks like it will be a perfect fit I also made a rubber mat for the front storage bin to not only protect the console from scratches, but to keep things from sliding around. It took a long time to figure out how to trace the shape of it onto a piece of paper, then trimming it down to shape, and finally using it as a template to trace onto a scrap piece of rubber mat I have laying around (originally for my tool cabinet). Finally for the day, I found some strips of low density rubberised foam I have laying around that I will use to further protect the silver cup holder trim and potentially eliminate rattles. __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years Last edited by TheMAN; 17-10-2013 at 11:21 PM.

19-10-2013, 04:50 PM	#2
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	getting closer to install now... today I picked up one of the last of the 03.5 MSP shift boots... It's been sitting in the warehouse for over 10 years, the bag was filthy and the boot was all dusty! It is made of leatherette and is four pieces stitched together with yellow double stitches. The regular shift boot (borrowed off the GF 626) is just a single piece stitched together with no contrasting colour. I also picked up a piece of felt console mat for an RX-8 as it is really cheap and the material is really thick. I cbf going to the fabric store and finding the right colour I want in a small enough piece. $4 was dirt cheap, so getting it from the dealer was piss easy as I was picking up the shift boot at the same time. I measured and cut to size a 126x80mm rectangular piece I needed. It fits perfectly in the storage compartment under the armrest to better protect the bottom and to reduce noise from loose items moving around inside. Newer/more expensive Mazdas (and other expensive cars) have these mats in the consoles. __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years

29-11-2013, 06:49 PM	#3
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	After waiting 2 months for the final piece of the puzzle to come from Germany, I went ahead and swapped the console a couple of days ago on a "balmy" 7 degree day... This is a EDM BJ turbo diesel shifter/floor insulator. I think it is for reducing noise from the exhaust and to keep heat way from the shifter/cupholders. it is a piece of jute glued onto a thick piece of rubber From the factory, all petrol BJs do not have this insulator and you just see exposed sheet metal around the shifter. The turbo diesel version has it, and it is a borrowed part from the GE/GF/GW 626. As you can see, the only way to install this is to have the console removed and I wasn't about to do it again just to put in that piece. So I just waited for the insulator till it arrived and did everything at once! But while I had the console out, I also spent some extra time getting rid of an annoyance that have plagued my car since new... the driver's seat belt buckle squeaks over bumps and when I move around my seat... it was coming from the bolt area and not inside the buckle itself.. I learned of a countermeasure fix from mazda's TSB R081/07 intended for Mazda3s which had that problem. All it took was wrapping the wave washer with felt tape at several points. Mazda sells a precut 250x100mm felt tape sheet but it is stupid expensive, the Subaru one was only 1/4 the cost but not precut. So I just cut a 5mm strip just like how mazda had it and it worked! Once that was done, the noise was completely gone! I also applied strips of felt tape on the inside of the console to eliminate potential rattle noises from the cupholder trim but also to protect the finish as all of the 2nd hand examples I've seen had paint rubbed off the edges And finally, the J48 centre console was swapped over with the new 03.5 MSP shift boot and cupholders The JDM clean box was fitted at the same time using the custom made mirrored "for LHD use" bracket The relocated rear cupholders fitted perfectly too __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years Last edited by TheMAN; 30-11-2013 at 08:37 PM.

29-11-2013, 07:22 PM	#4
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	When I took out my stock BJ2 centre console, I placed it next to the J48 console and was able to finally see the subtle differences between them the J48 console is about 10mm taller to accommodate the deeper open top cup holders You can also see that the top side wall trim pieces that meet up to the lower dashboard are shaped differently... the original BJ2 ones are curved and contoured to the same profile as the lower dashboard's ashtray and cigarette lighter... the J48 one is just straight the original BJ2 front storage cubby is about 30mm deeper than the J48 version, so in other words you sacrifice storage space in favour of deeper cupholders in the J48 console... that's fine with me! The original BJ2 console's rear storage bin also has a dimpled "liner" moulded into the bottomm. The J48's is smooth, more the reason to cut a piece of felt liner to put in there! Mazda cheaped out on the J48 console! And of course, most importantly, those of you who want to know if the BJ2 centre console is compatible with the J48 cup holders... it is not! it is unfortunate that you have to swap the entire console Some idiots on the US forum say you can just cut the support ribs on the console beneath the cupholders and the J48 cupholders will fit... it will not work properly... those support ribs are necessary to support the weight of the drinks and of course keep the entire trim panel from falling in! There's 6 slots for 6 locking clips from the trim panel and cupholders... if you are to cut something, you will need to cut the front 4 slots and support ribs to even get the entire panel from fitting... it will not work and it is stupid to even think about cutting it! So if you really want the much improved J48 cupholders, you can either get it from a JDM J48 Sport20 (auto FWD only), or from North America (either manual or auto, in 3 different colour choices)... when looking for a 2nd hand console from non-forum sources (such as ebay), compare the pics with the ones in this post to identify whether it is a J48 console or regular BJ2... the most obvious differences are the 2 side wall pieces __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years Last edited by TheMAN; 29-11-2013 at 07:24 PM.