Both before and after I permanently mounted the console frame to the floor, I began measuring for the backing plates that will sandwich the pod and secure it to the top of the console. The hole placement is critical because you are working in close quarters with the side nut plates and the various mounting tabs. Once you have the holes on the console complete, they lead the way for every other piece of this project such as the larger pod backing plate and the hole placements for the pod itself.
Another feature I needed to integrate into the backing plate design was that it needed to have a finished face measurement that was above the sides of the console by a small but adequate amount in order to allow for the sides of the console to be removed without binding on the pod itself. The lower backing plate fits perfectly on top of the console, while the pod backing plate is much larger in order to distribute the stresses as much as possible.
