What should have been a very simple install turned in to a bit of a problem when something didn’t come apart as easy as it should have.
I recently decided to replace my piano black center console, something that many a DE5 Integra Type S review has complained about, with an Alcantara-wrapped center console from Overland Designs. They have a couple options available for this console. You can choose to send your factory one in to have it wrapped, which is slightly cheaper but requires shipping both ways and some wait time. You can also choose to purchase a new OEM center console from hem that’s already pre-wrapped. I opted for the latter option. The console arrived only a few days after purchase and looked great!
Installation of the console should be fairly simple. The console is held in place by some nylon tabs and just simply pulls up. The beautification ring around the bottom of the factory shift knob is supposed to simply pull straight down and “pop off” of the 14mm nut that holds the shift knob in place. Anyone who has dealt with Honda shifters before should be familiar with this setup, as they’ve been doing it for decades. The problem here was that my beautification ring did not want to pop off. I tried gently prying with a trim tool to no avail, and not wanting to scratch or break anything, I decided to research a little.
After finding a video where someone explained how he had the same problem and how he got around it, I decided to go that route. Basically what you do is leave the shifter and the beautification ring in place, pull up the center console in such a way that you can get to the under-side of the beautification ring, and cut the plastic zip tie that holds the shift boot itself to the beautification ring. You can then pull the console out, leaving the shift knob and the beautification ring on the shifter’s shaft. From there you can remove those components separately, transfer the buttons and shift boot including the trim ring over to the new console, replace the zip tie that you cut, and reassemble.
Doing this didn’t really warrant a YouTube video explaining the process, but I figured if it helps someone else out in the future it’d be well worth it.
Overall I’m very happy with the quality of the center console, and I’ve been dailying the car for weeks now. Quality is excellent and if you’re tired of the fingerprints and dust that accumulate on the factory piano black plastic piece, this replacement is well worth the upgrade.