63: Rear bracket on console? Any clue?

[petelempert]

Interior on my 63 is going back in: Looking at my console, there is a hole in the very back, at  the base of the chrome fluted section beneath the courtesy light. I assume that hole receives a screw that anchors it to the existing hole in the top of the transmission tunnel. So just to make sure, I looked at the manuals. The manual shows a small u shaped bracket that anchors the sides of the console to the tunnel BUT-in the manual there is no screw hole shown at the base of the console. I've never seen any bracket in the box of parts for my interior and my console shows no sign of ever having any bracket back there. Yesterday, I drove up to CTC AutoRanch (coolest junkyard in the southwest) to see if I could find a bracket. None of the cars up there had any type of bracket and they all had the one screw hole at the base of the console just like my car. Is this bracket for real or is it some item that appeared in the manual but not in the actual car? Anybody? Thx PRL

 

 

[Pat Curran]

There is a hole for the screw at the rear of the console (head of the screw is chrome plated) and it goes in on an angle.  It is a long screw but I can't remember what it fastens to.  It is not unusual for shop manuals to have wrong illustrations as production changes can take place after a manual is printed. 

[Rivman]

I remember something coming up about that screw at the meet in Lexington, it seemed there was a '63 there that had one and Jim C. had not seen it there before. Perhaps it was a mid-year/running change that didn't make it into the Svs Manual? Maybe there were different bezels, some with the screw hole and some without?

 

I believe there was a topic about it on here shortly after that meet, with the screw in question pictured, possibly someone can find it and post it here?

 

Maybe Jim can shed some light on this?

[steelman]

It was a mid year change. Jim did a poll to see about when it occurred. My 12B car has one. Jim said this was the earliest car he knew of that had this change. There was a thread on here where this was discussed, but I didn't see it at a quick glance.

[Rivman]

After some searching I was able to find the topic ...

 

http://forums.aaca.org/topic/219061-another-mid-63-model-year-change/?hl=cannon

 

From the angle of the screw pictured, in the other topic, it looks like it probably just screws into the tunnel itself?

 

Hope this helps,

[petelempert]

Very helpful. I'm going to forget about the bracket and just use the long screw. My car is a post December number and I'm thinking it never had a bracket at all. I was going to fab one since I couldn't find one, but now think I'll go without. The entire console is pretty robust, has several attachment tabs and is very snug at the dash if the "ears" are intact (mine are now that I rebuilt them). Also, unlike other GM cars where the console sits high and gets lots of lateral pressure from leaning drivers and forward folding seats this one sits low enough that I think the screw will keep it stable.  PRL