Center Console Cosmetic Bubbles on Silver Surface

[jerrykgt]

I just purchased a 2006 midnight blue GT with 3,100 miles and could not be happier with the overall immaculate condition and performance of the car....with one minor exception....the floor console has some slight "bubbling" or imperfections in the silver finish.

Have other 05-06 owners experienced this same cosmetic issue with their center floor consoles?

I looked up the list price for a new silver center console top and learned they are over $3,000 if purchased new from Ford.

I can live with the only non-perfect thing on the car...but would like the cosmetics to be perfect.

Can the console top be sanded to remove the bubbles and re-painted...has anyone repaired/repainted their silver center console?

Thanks in advance. Jerry Kircher

 

[shelbyelite]

This is a known issue that other GT owners have experienced. Out of 500+ GTs we have bought and sold, I have seen it at least 15 - 20 times in different levels of severity. You would have an extremely hard time refinishing it and it would likely happen again. We stripped one down to bare metal that did that, and even the metal was etched. I do not have a good answer for why they do it, but I have mostly seen it on cars that came from areas with high salt content in the air.

 

[jerrykgt]

Thanks Shelby for the insight. The car was never near an ocean....prior owner history was Indiana and Canada so the salt exposure sounds unlikely. Do you know of any place that might carry a used pristine non-etched console silver cover for sale?

 

[GT101]

We see this often too - it's clearly a corrosion issue that affects some castings. We have had them stripped, filled and repainted successfully, however you can't guarantee that it won't come back.

Dave


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RALPHIE]

...We stripped one down to bare metal that did that, and even the metal was etched....

I believe the center console is a magnesium alloy - please be very careful when dealing with this material.

We see this often too - it's clearly a corrosion issue that affects some castings. We have had them stripped, filled and repainted successfully, however you can't guarantee that it won't come back....

Likely the best solution, but I agree - once the corrosion has started, it would be very difficult to stop the reaction. A carbon fiber replacement would obviously solve the problem also - and could be painted to match the original coloring, if desired.

As a point of reference, the magnesium alloy wheels used in the '50s & 60s are alway suspect for failure modes due to this same problem.

 

[2112]

A carbon fiber replacement would obviously solve the problem also - and could be painted to match the original coloring, if desired..

Is anyone making the interior CF parts at this point?

As a point of reference, the magnesium alloy wheels used in the '50s & 60s are alway suspect for failure modes due to this same problem.

And boy can they burn.

 

[NorthwoodGT]

yes the console is made from magnesium and the environment of the vehicle has nothing to do with the bubbles or surface reaction. there is a special aircraft sealer that has to be used on the console before it's repainted so the reaction doesn't happen again but nothing's 100% guaranteed.

 

[Xcentric]

I have a few bubbles. It's patina. People will be paying a premium for these marks of character.

 

[Kayvan]

Leave it.

 

[shelbyelite]

We have a like new console on the shelf. Call tomorrow and talk to Eric at 8703517008

 

[Sinovac]

Mine looked like an alligator hide before I replaced it. It was the worse one I've seen.

 

[Xcentric]

Post warranty of course.

Of all the GT lore, I have never seen an explanation of why magnesium was chosen for the casting. Aluminum would have added, what?...a few ounces?

 

[NorthwoodGT]

I agree with Xcentric- can't figure out why the magnesium and believe it or not, there are several components in the car that are mag instead of aluminum. WHY? could have redesigned a lighter muffler or used tubular exhaust manifolds and shed a ton of weight. jmo