DIY: Viper Cupholder

DIY: Viper Cupholder

I love doing these DIY posts. Not many people read them - I mean, who needs to install a cup holder in a Viper - but they make me happy for some reason. I usually don't remember to take pictures, but this time I did. 

A couple months ago I got a Viper. It's a 1st gen car and they're very basic. They don't have windows or even door handles, and they certainly didn't come with cupholders. It's definitely not the only car I have without cupholders, but there isn't even anywhere to tuck a drink away while you drive. I was driving home one evening after stopping at McDonald's and my buddy Michael pulled up next to me in his 911 and took off. I tried to keep up, but was handicapped by having to shift while holding a Supersized Dr. Pepper. Obviously something had to be done.

 
I found a cupholder kit at The Viper Store. It's $69 and is pretty basic. It's nothing more than a stainless (or chrome if you prefer) ring with a mesh sleeve in it. 

Install is an easy job and only takes about 15-20 minutes. You'll just need a drill with a 3" hole cutting bit, a file, a ruler or tape measure, and some painters or masking tape. The Viper Store sells a kit that comes with the drill bit but you'd be wasting money. You can buy the bit at Home Depot or any store like that for less than $20.

BEFORE

Here's the BEFORE picture. The console on these things is huge and wide. The instructions call for a very specific spot to drill your hole. I'm not sure if it really matters but I did it exactly where they called for it.

Any time you're drilling a surface that you want a clean finish on it's a good idea to tape it up. I used painters tape.

I measured the exact point to center my hole and then carefully drilled straight down. Once you start there's no going back! It was a little weird drilling into a perfectly good console.

It makes a mess, so I constantly vacuumed as I went. 

The console isn't very thick and there are some wires running underneath so it pays to be careful and not push through with any force. 

The hole needs to be just big enough to force the cupholder to snap into place. It wasn't from just drilling. About 70% of the time and effort on this job was spent filing the hole carefully and evenly until it was just right. I happened to own a file with a curved side and it was the exact tool you need. I'm not sure how you would do it with a flat edged file.

AFTER

Eventually I got it just right and was able to pop the cupholder into place. I'm not in love with the aesthetics, but it does do the job. 

And here it is in practice. As I said, easy job - solves a problem that I, at least, deemed to be an issue - and didn't cost much or take much effort.

1998 Cadillac Seville SLS

1998 Cadillac Seville SLS

I actually owned this car twice. I bought it in Houston originally for my parents. My dad loved it and kept it for a few years but then it failed to start on a few occasions and he lost all confidence in it. He got the idea that he would like a smaller car (they already had another big Cadillac) so I found him a Catera and swapped the cars. I then sold the car again to a 'gangsta' looking dude that paid me in cash.

In between getting it back from the folks and selling it again I drove it all the time. It was very comfortable and I never had any problems with it. 

My dad ended up hating the Catera, but as much as he loved this car, he never considered getting a new one. I think I talked him into a BMW after this.