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Automatic Shift Boot project - G/I... fabrication, cost and fitment

Soda Popinski

By Soda Popinski
in Interior/Audio

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Vbelisle Rising Star

Vbelisle

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Can you show us pics? Where did you get your boot?

I got mine from another member on here who was selling it. the packaging appeared to be from japan but I dont know much about where it was from.

 

Here are my pics:

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n227/OOOVICT0ROOO/DSC_0003-10.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n227/OOOVICT0ROOO/DSC_0002-6.jpg

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Soda Popinski Mentor

Soda Popinski

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The other factor I set out to conquer in this was cost: some companies are charging way to much for 4 fabric triangles and some thread. I wanted to keep it around the $50 range if possible.

 

The chrome ring won't sit in the hole correctly if you file down it's pinch points. There's nothing to hold it in place.

 

The trim rings sit on something that looks like the letter "T" fitting into the socket "U".

 

There the top of that gate is the only piece to delete, I would consider it, and it would open up an entire world of fabric from real suede leather grain to virtually any fabric from bride to kevlar to burlap if you wanted.

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Vbelisle Rising Star

Vbelisle

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The other factor I set out to conquer in this was cost: some companies are charging way to much for 4 fabric triangles and some thread. I wanted to keep it around the $50 range if possible.

 

The chrome ring won't sit in the hole correctly if you file down it's pinch points. There's nothing to hold it in place.

 

The trim rings sit on something that looks like the letter "T" fitting into the socket "U".

 

There the top of that gate is the only piece to delete, I would consider it, and it would open up an entire world of fabric from real suede leather grain to virtually any fabric from bride to kevlar to burlap if you wanted.

 

 

mine is 2 triangles, and was around that price range. maybe if you use less triangles it will not crack the ring.

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Soda Popinski Mentor

Soda Popinski

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the problem isn't the number of fabric pieces... but the thickness of the seams where they come into contact with the ring. The OEM model uses 4 triangles. Depending on the shape of the triangles you can get the boot to fold or crease in certain ways that look cool... much like how I made the e-brake boot.

 

Pinch the back seam and it bulges out... etc.

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kram Enthusiast

kram

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I always hated that chrome trim piece. It looks so out of place. I don't think they have one on the MT's.

 

After reading what a pain it was for everybody to try to wedge the boot in between the console and the trim ring, I was curious to see for myself. There was no way my boot was going to fit without cracking the trim ring.

 

I used a bench grinder on mine to reduce the depth of it. Then I used Velcro on the top of it and the inside of the shift boot and put it underneath the console, where it belongs. Now it holds the shift boot in place, but is out of sight.

 

Before somebody brings it up, I do have a matching emergency brake cover, just haven't gotten to it yet.

 

Yours looks really, really good. I'd like to do something similar.

 

If I'm understanding your description correctly...you did re-use the chrome ring correct? But, reversed it, putting it underneath the console? The part of the trim you reduced the depth of is the part that protrudes down into the dash (when installed normally)?

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Soda Popinski Mentor

Soda Popinski

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I made a dust cover for my 5EAT. This one is a prototype, I will be making another one with red stitching to match the e-brake handle boot. What do you guys think?

 

I noticed you went OVER the bezel instead of under it? Why? Is the fitment easier? The clearance for under the bezel is very very tight. I've tried everything from vinyl to real lether, suede and cloth. The ring has broken on me twice.

 

I started this project a while back, and since I got laid off I had to move. I've really forgotten about this. I should revisit this. I have a huge box of patterns, guides, fitments, fabric samples, etc. I've made some nice boots but none of them have really fit without busting the ring and that's not what I was trying to do.

 

If anyone is really serious about making these, I would be happy to share my findings with you.

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snow05gtRI Grand Master

snow05gtRI

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what about tucking the fabric inside the shifter console area and having some way to secure it down there? and then just snapping the ring into place normally, instead of having it hold the fabric into place? or is there just no room for fabric+ring in that area?
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lieutenantcolumbo Proficient

lieutenantcolumbo

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Yours looks really, really good. I'd like to do something similar.

 

If I'm understanding your description correctly...you did re-use the chrome ring correct? But, reversed it, putting it underneath the console? The part of the trim you reduced the depth of is the part that protrudes down into the dash (when installed normally)?

 

Thanks for the compliment.

 

Yes you are correct. I just trimmed the portion of the chrome ring that normally fits down into the console, put the whole ring underneath the console and used it as wedge to hold the shift boot in place. I got my shifter boot and e-brake boot from Redline Goods http://www.redlinegoods.com/ or search this site for "fine Italian leather." The quality and customer service was very good.

 

Still have to get around to installing the matching emergency brake cover. Hope to get to it in the next couple weeks, and then I'll post some more pics.

 

I think you're going to have to grind something to get the leather to fit into the thin slot between the shifter plate and the console, so hacking up the nasty chrome trim ring seemed to be the least drastic step. There might be a way to just remove portions of the chrome trim ring that go down into the console and get it to fit, but I never liked it anyway.

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kram Enthusiast

kram

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Thanks for the compliment.

 

Yes you are correct. I just trimmed the portion of the chrome ring that normally fits down into the console, put the whole ring underneath the console and used it as wedge to hold the shift boot in place. I got my shifter boot and e-brake boot from Redline Goods http://www.redlinegoods.com/ or search this site for "fine Italian leather." The quality and customer service was very good.

 

Still have to get around to installing the matching emergency brake cover. Hope to get to it in the next couple weeks, and then I'll post some more pics.

 

I think you're going to have to grind something to get the leather to fit into the thin slot between the shifter plate and the console, so hacking up the nasty chrome trim ring seemed to be the least drastic step. There might be a way to just remove portions of the chrome trim ring that go down into the console and get it to fit, but I never liked it anyway.

 

Great! Thanks for the info! This is the route I want to go...I don't like the chrome trim ring as it is. Looks like Redline has perforated leather for both the eboot/shifter...should match the wheel pretty nicely.

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Connect4 Enthusiast

Connect4

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I noticed you went OVER the bezel instead of under it? Why? Is the fitment easier? The clearance for under the bezel is very very tight. I've tried everything from vinyl to real lether, suede and cloth. The ring has broken on me twice.

 

I started this project a while back, and since I got laid off I had to move. I've really forgotten about this. I should revisit this. I have a huge box of patterns, guides, fitments, fabric samples, etc. I've made some nice boots but none of them have really fit without busting the ring and that's not what I was trying to do.

 

If anyone is really serious about making these, I would be happy to share my findings with you.

 

There is no room inside the chrome piece, so I had to go on the outside. I'm using the chrome ring to hold the boot in place.

 

I'm having a hard time finding different materials. I would like to know your sources.

 

Like you, I'm trying to perfect this before I offer it to others. That is if people are interested in it. I decided to make the shift boot and the e-brake boot because I hated stuff falling into the cracks of the shifter and the factory boot for the e-brake was falling apart due to the extreme cold here in MN.

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Connect4 Enthusiast

Connect4

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Thanks for the compliment.

 

Yes you are correct. I just trimmed the portion of the chrome ring that normally fits down into the console, put the whole ring underneath the console and used it as wedge to hold the shift boot in place. I got my shifter boot and e-brake boot from Redline Goods http://www.redlinegoods.com/ or search this site for "fine Italian leather." The quality and customer service was very good.

 

Still have to get around to installing the matching emergency brake cover. Hope to get to it in the next couple weeks, and then I'll post some more pics.

 

I think you're going to have to grind something to get the leather to fit into the thin slot between the shifter plate and the console, so hacking up the nasty chrome trim ring seemed to be the least drastic step. There might be a way to just remove portions of the chrome trim ring that go down into the console and get it to fit, but I never liked it anyway.

 

I like your idea, but I didn't want to ruin the chrome piece. I think mine looks good, my new one anyways. I will post pics of the new one later.

 

Does Redlinegoods sell just the leather?

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lieutenantcolumbo Proficient

lieutenantcolumbo

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I like your idea, but I didn't want to ruin the chrome piece. I think mine looks good, my new one anyways. I will post pics of the new one later.

 

Does Redlinegoods sell just the leather?

 

Redlinegoods sells just the leather. Make sure they know it is for an automatic shifter, and not the manual 5 speed as that would not fit.

 

I sent in a diagram of the shifter plate and various measurements when I got mine, so he should have those on hand.

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kram Enthusiast

kram

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Like you, I'm trying to perfect this before I offer it to others. That is if people are interested in it. I decided to make the shift boot and the e-brake boot because I hated stuff falling into the cracks of the shifter and the factory boot for the e-brake was falling apart due to the extreme cold here in MN.

 

I like how your e-brake boot came out...looks good! Would be interested to see your newer shift boot design. The first one you posted looks decent, but I like the flushed look of lieutenantcolumbo's (btw, I noticed Redline used his pics on their site for the auto shift boot).

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