Since I’ve had my 07 4Runner, I, like many of you, have struggled with the storage capacity of the center console. It is perhaps one of my very few gripes with the car, but somehow have managed to overlook this minor issue for the past five years. When I first needed something to keep things organized, I outfitted it with a wire mesh rectangular container for $5 and have been using it ever since. It’s smaller and not very ergonomic, and I’ve still struggled to keep it clean and clutter free.

This past weekend, after having the design in my head for a while, I decided to build my own storage box for the center console. Using 1/8” maple from my father’s stash of wood in his garage, I assembled it with basic carpenters glue and a small nailgun. Start to finish took me about two hours in the smoldering heat.



I engineered it to fit the grooves of the center console while maintaining maximum capacity. The base was a near exact measurement of the floor except for two small changes: I measured out 1.5” for clearance of my AUX jack, and another 4” for my spare change container. Next I built the sides up piece by piece until the entire unit was closed in. I added a stunted divider in the center to separate things a little. The unit measures about 9.5” in length (not counting the grooved cuts), 6.5” in width, and 6” in height.





Lastly, I added the lid, which my dad thought would look sharp in a gray coloring to match the car. I then added a small hinge to the back so that when opened, the lid would rest against the exterior center console door. I wanted to keep the contents of the wooden box hidden, since many of them were not used on a day to day basis. The flat surface of the lid was paramount for me to store my wallet, iPod, and parking keycards for work while driving. I also needed quick access to the change compartment, since I’m always dumping coins in and digging them out.







Designed by me for my own personal needs, this was something I should have done a while back. I’m not sure why it took me so long.

so, you traded a bit of capacity for a bit of organization?

Looks nice!

@gaterose: Thanks for the compliment.


@berettashot117: Yea just a bit of loss of space! Just wanted to keep things tidy. I felt like I was always just throwing things in there, only to dig around for them later. Losing a 1/8" all the way around didn't phase me one bit!

Lol well cool, the woodwork looks good. You shoulda stained the wood lol

Looks good, I've been thinking about building something similar. I'm one of those "everything has its place" type of people, so this is going to be a good mod for me!

looks good I like it

I thought about staining it but since it's out of sight, I didn't mind. I have always enjoyed the natural look of wood though. Simple but elegant.

For me, everything in the console has to have a place. I keep essentials like contact solution, bandaids, medicine, phone batteries and chargers...things I can grab quickly while driving solo, or for my wife so she doesn't have to look into every nook and crany of my car to find stuff. I could never get to anything before hand, and I needed a way to separate things and have designated spots for items. It's been working out great so far!