one69chev Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 As has been posted in a previous thread, i recently purchased an '07 LGT with 5EAT. And being an '07, it came equipped with the dreaded "SI" drive and a huge control knob. on my '06 NA sedan, that spot on the console was occupied by a little cubbie. and given the choice between a little extra storage or a huge silver knob, i went for some storage space and a stealth location for said knob.... So i started thinking about moving the "si" knob and converting the vacant space in the console for storage. i checked out some cool vacation pics before starting my project of course, but the following pics illustrate the move. First: i disassembled the console box, cup holder, inner box and arm rest extender. *this mod will not work without an extending armrest because that is where in si drive will be moved to* Second: i added approx 6" of length to the black wire with silver tracer that runs to the seat heater switch. I also removed a plastic rib from the outside of the "inner" console box to route the harness around the rear of the console and up through the hole that the end of the armrest occupies. Third: i removed my center arm rest extender lid and unscrewed the four counter-sunk screws securing the soft upper pad from the plastic base. then i peeled back the vinyl covering from the corners of the arm-rest lid to expose 2 screws. by removing these screws, i was able to snake the connector and wire on the inside of the extender, in order to keep it hidden. Also, there are ribs in the plastic base to add rigidity, one of which will have to be removed to allow free movement of the harness as the lid is raised and lowered. Fourth: reassembly. replace the screws and vinyl. place the "si" drive between the lid and the base with the rounded side up--i painted the screw-hole ears black to help the blend in-- and secure the lid to the base again with the original screws. it's a little tight, but the screws have enough thread. Reassemble the remainder of the console and reinstall it in the car. Sorry for the lack of pic detail, i'm not the best photog. My second objective in this mod was to make it as non-invasive as possible, without drilling holes or cutting any visible plastic. Now the "si" knob is at my finger tips.....and if i trade in the car, it's totally reversible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmiller5 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 hey that's nifty! Nice work. Would be a good spot to put an ipod mated with the 08 impreza ipod cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one69chev Posted October 12, 2007 Author Share Posted October 12, 2007 thanks. and i never thought about the ipod, but i bet that would be killer.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmiller5 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 ^^ I might do that. I would like that spot better than the current spot. Maybe fabricate a little cover to keep it out of sight.. hmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakasama Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 hey that's nifty! Nice work. Would be a good spot to put an ipod mated with the 08 impreza ipod cable. My thoughts exactly. -Jim (AKA 09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator GT Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Does your model come with the SI Drive controls on the steering wheel? If so, have you thought about just takingthe knob off completely? 08's do...not 07's. "If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed." - T. Jefferson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pako Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Does your model come with the SI Drive controls on the steering wheel? If so, have you thought about just takingthe knob off completely? Might also add, the S# control on the steering wheel only toggles between your last setting and S#. It's not a 3-setting switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one69chev Posted October 12, 2007 Author Share Posted October 12, 2007 Does your model come with the SI Drive controls on the steering wheel? If so, have you thought about just takingthe knob off completely? if i did have the redundant steering wheel controls, it would've been a lot simpler, but i was not so fortunate..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmiller5 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Man, I was thinking during a meeting I had. That spot is good for an IPOD but I don't think it would be deep enough to completely hide it. BUT, it would be a perfect spot for change. I always have tons of change and I usually store it in a cupholder thingy I made. If I did this and fabricated a little door and change area it would be a great spot to hold all my loose shit. I am glad you did this, it got my gears going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camber Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I think the SI knob makes more sense on manual cars. At first I didn't like the location but know I like the process of shifting and quick change of SI. I use S# to accelerate up to highway speed. Once I finish accelerating and shift into 6th gear for cruising. I just put my hand down in same shifting motion to tap it back into I mode. When I need the extra thrust of S and S# I can usually forsee the need and probably need a downshift. Therefore, my hand is already in that area and it is easy process to select turn the knob to S or S# then downshift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one69chev Posted October 12, 2007 Author Share Posted October 12, 2007 I think the SI knob makes more sense on manual cars. At first I didn't like the location but know I like the process of shifting and quick change of SI. I use S# to accelerate up to highway speed. Once I finish accelerating and shift into 6th gear for cruising. I just put my hand down in same shifting motion to tap it back into I mode. When I need the extra thrust of S and S# I can usually forsee the need and probably need a downshift. Therefore, my hand is already in that area and it is easy process to select turn the knob to S or S# then downshift. It's always a plus when you can keep your hand as close to your knob as possible....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camber Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 My knob responds well to quick taps:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one69chev Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Man, I was thinking during a meeting I had. That spot is good for an IPOD but I don't think it would be deep enough to completely hide it. BUT, it would be a perfect spot for change. I always have tons of change and I usually store it in a cupholder thingy I made. If I did this and fabricated a little door and change area it would be a great spot to hold all my loose shit. I am glad you did this, it got my gears going! i'm waiting for another part to complete the mission. i ordered a rubber cup holder out of an olds to take up the space by the vacated drive mechanism. i'll let you know monday when it comes in how well it worked.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdubs Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Non limited cubbyhole ftw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmiller5 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 no turbo ftl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlad_b Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 I think the SI knob makes more sense on manual cars. At first I didn't like the location but know I like the process of shifting and quick change of SI. I use S# to accelerate up to highway speed. Once I finish accelerating and shift into 6th gear for cruising. I just put my hand down in same shifting motion to tap it back into I mode. When I need the extra thrust of S and S# I can usually forsee the need and probably need a downshift. Therefore, my hand is already in that area and it is easy process to select turn the knob to S or S# then downshift. But this mode is only affects acceleration and gear changes. When you are crusing down the highway - there is no difference whatsowever what mode you in. So what's the point of doing this extra operation of switching between modes? Wouldn't you get the same result by switching to S# and leaving it there? Vlad( thinking about buying GT and trying to understand things) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator GT Posted November 5, 2007 Share Posted November 5, 2007 Vlad, sure it does affect things. If you have it in 'I', you're gonna dog. Place it in 'S' and it'll be like a regular GT. Put it in 'S#' and you'll start feeling response similar to an STI...its an aggressive correlation between the pedal and reaction of the engine. Due to the ratio of how the accelerator and TB plate are tied in (electronically) using 'S#' in city traffic can be rather jumpy and tricky, unless you want to drive with that kind of response all the time. The button just gives you options. I happen to like the soon to come feature of switching between maps right there on the console. "If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed." - T. Jefferson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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