Custom 3D Printed Glove Box Shelf

Problem:

In the standard Subaru Forester, the glove compartment is a spacious yet unstructured area that often leads to disorganization. Essential items like the owner’s manual, along with insurance and registration documents, can become buried under other contents, making them difficult to access quickly.

Solution:

To solve this issue, I designed and 3D printed a custom shelf for the glove compartment that mimics the functionality found in newer vehicle models. This addition creates a dedicated space for the owner’s manual and related documents, preventing them from being obscured by other items. The design was meticulously crafted to fit perfectly within the existing compartment of my Forester without requiring any modifications to the vehicle's interior aesthetics.

The shelf was installed using four small bolts: one on each side and two in the rear, ensuring a secure and stable fit. It holds the owner's manual snugly, maintains easy access to important documents, and utilizes the remaining compartment space more efficiently.

Outcome:

This simple yet effective modification has greatly improved the functionality of the glove compartment, making it more organized and user-friendly. The shelf not only fits the owner's manual perfectly but also does so without obstructing the space or protruding in any way. It functions exactly as needed, streamlining the organization within the glove compartment.

Now Open Source:

The shelf is free and open source under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — the model, the production Bambu Studio print project (it prints standing on edge with painted supports already set up), the CAD source (STEP and native SolidWorks), and the install notes are all published. Print one for your own SG Forester, or reshape it around another car's glove box entirely.