Saw this center console from Bass Boat Seats on here and thought it would be a good addition for my older Ranger, and a lot (~500$) cheaper than the one I wanted from Ranger. At first I thought this would be super easy, but I was wrong. I knew all of the seats would be connected, but I didn't expect the center seat support to extend into the driver and passenger seats about 4" on each side, and I didn't expect the Driver and Passenger seats to be upholstered as one unit with the center seat hiding all of the staples and extra vinyl.
Step by step:
1. Remove the back portion of the center seat
2. Remove the three screws that fasten the carpeted metal pan where the center seat is to the back deck of the boat. These fasteners are just hidden in the carpet and pretty easy to spot.
3. Remove the center portion of the driver and passenger seats and remove the two massive screws on each side that hold the backs to the back deck.
4. Slide the entire seat assembly towards the bow, then the whole thing is free.
5. Unclip the center seat bottom cushion from the back (stern side) and then remove the staples on the front to completely get rid of it. Should be left with a plastic support structure only and the other two seats.
6. Drill out rivets, and pull staples until the plastic support is free from both seats. This is the tedious part, as the rivets are underneath the foam and vinyl of the other two seats.
7. Contemplate what to do next, as this project is going to take way longer than originally estimated.
At this point, I decided to do the best I can to reupholster the driver and passenger seats, and make a new support for the coin box. I contemplated using the existing plastic thingy, but it needed some intense modification because it is contoured for a butt, and not very flat. I started down that route, but then decided to go with plywood for ease of use. I got an 18"x18.5"x1.5" sheet of pressure treated plywood by gluing two 3/4" plywood panels together, then glassed them with resin only. Drilled the mounting and drain holes I wanted, glassed again trying to make the holes waterproof as well. No pics yet, but I was able to mount the coinbox to the panel with 4 1/4" T nuts on the bottom of the panel and 4, 2"x1/4" bolts. The Panel was snug enough to just be held in place on its own, but I do plan on making a clamp that grabs the front lip of the fiberglass. This method also allows each seat to be removed independently for future mods and seat replacement if I ever want to do that. The coinbox and panel survived their maiden voyage, and I plan to finish it either this week or next with another coat of glass, sanding, paint, and an automotive topcoat. The coinbox itself will be removable with four bolts, then the panel will be removable with two bolts hidden underneath the coinbox. Those bolts will go into a clamp wich grabs the fiberglass and secures the whole thing. More pics to come of panel and finished assembly.