Fitting a Clutter Catcher Model 542 storage console to the Element
I can never have too much storage space, and the stock Element storage caddy
between the front seats was too limited for my taste. There are many consoles available on the market,
but for the Element, the console must not only fit, but also allow operation of the hand brake.
This thread
at Element Owners Club led me to the
Texas Saddlebags Clutter Catcher
Model 542 console.
To fit in the Element, the console must be turned around from the intended orientation, i.e., with the tall end
facing the front of the car (Figure 1). It's secured to the stock console with four sheetmetal screws.
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First, I removed the outer plastic shell, then trimmed the lip where it comes close to the hand brake (Figure 2).
This leaves just enough space between the console and the driver's seat to operate the brake without scraping
your knuckles.
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Figure 1
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Figure 2 |
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I also cut the cupholders and change holder (Figure 3) off the "back" end because it stuck too far into
the rear passenger area, and eventually would have gotten kicked and broken. (There are already enough
cupholders in the back anyway.)
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Figure 3
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Cupholder Adapters
The cupholders have an inverted wedding cake design (Figure 4), so as to allow for a wide
variety of cups and bottles. That's all well and good, but it means that a tall cup or bottle can be a little tippy.
Sleeves were the answer.
I measured the outermost (top) circle as 3 3/8" and the next circle down as 3" even.
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Figure 4
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A walk around the hardware store revealed a 3" PVC-DWV no-hub adapter (Figure 5) to have the right diameter and
thickness for a sleeve.
I bought two adapters and cut off the wide end of each. One is cut a little higher up than the other to include
the tapered part (Figure 6).
Figure 5
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Figure 6
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Figure 7
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Results
The travel mug and water bottle I normally carry fit nicely, and the
sleeves are easily removed to accommodate a bigger vessel.
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Figure 8
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