Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

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DanteGTZ
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Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by DanteGTZ »

I'm looking for a new shift knob for my GTZ. I'm tired of the goofy looking factory unit. I've seen a number of nice leather shifters and boots adapted to the Beretta and I'd like to do the same. I can modify my shifter arm for any thread, so it's just a matter of finding the right setup.

What else has everyone else used? I'm hoping to find a full leather shift knob with the 5 speed pattern in the leather. No plastic, metal or any other materials, just leather,

Any ideas? Post some pics!


1993 Quasar Quad4 GTZ - Project WTF

Previous Berettas: 90 GT, 93 Quasar GTZ, 93 Garnet GTZ, 93 Aqua GT
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woody90gtz
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Re: Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by woody90gtz »

Mine is the leather Hurst knob from 4th gen Camaros. No pattern on it, just an H. But it's a comfortable, good looking knob that's cheap. 16mm thread.

For the leather shift boot I had one sewed up by an upholstery guy. But I looked into adapting one from another car too. There is a BMW boot on eBay that is pretty close.


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cintrav
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Re: Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by cintrav »

i have the same knob as Eric but with a suede universal boot from ebay, You have seen mine already


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DanteGTZ
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Re: Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by DanteGTZ »

I finally got around to installing a leather boot a few weeks back. I'm really happy with it (especially over the stock joke). I went with a 4thgen Fbody leather boot. I basically used the 4 screw holes on the bottom of the shift place to attach the boot to the underside and then used a special leather/vinyl eboxy to bond the edges to the underside. Came out really nice. I put this off for way too long because I kept thinking it was going to be a more involved experiment than it actually was.

I debated between the SLP/Hurst leather shift knob (4thgen Fbody) and the MR2 shift knob. The Hurst/SLP would have screwed right onto the Grand Am threaded shifter arm that I have but I actually opted for the MR2 shift knob. It's a bit shorter than the SLP setup and I really liked the way it felt in my '93 Turbo. It should be here in a couple days and I'll have to cut/weld an M12x1.25 piece on the shift rod but it should look good.

Here's the MR2 shifter knob. It's all leather, weighted, available in multiple stitching colors and with or without the shift pattern. Good price, too, when compared to the SLP/Hurst:

https://super-klasse.com/products/runabout-shift-knob
mr2.jpg
In the mean time, I'm still running the OEM plastic Grand Am shift knob:
20180614_121005.jpg


1993 Quasar Quad4 GTZ - Project WTF

Previous Berettas: 90 GT, 93 Quasar GTZ, 93 Garnet GTZ, 93 Aqua GT
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DanteGTZ
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Re: Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by DanteGTZ »

I received the new leather shift knob from http://www.super-klasse.com today. Although it is made for an MR2, it will work nicely in the Beretta once I weld an M12x1.25 bolt onto the shift arm. Quality seems very good with this shift knob. It's weighted - definitely a lot heavier than I was expected. Should help make nice, sold shifts. The pictures are bit misleading - the knob is not oversized as it looks in the photos.
mr2knob1.jpg
mr2knob2.jpg


1993 Quasar Quad4 GTZ - Project WTF

Previous Berettas: 90 GT, 93 Quasar GTZ, 93 Garnet GTZ, 93 Aqua GT
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GT_Indy
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Re: Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by GT_Indy »

That looks good.

Reminds me of the 2002 Trans Am Shift Boot:
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8EsAAOSw8 ... s-l300.jpg


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DanteGTZ
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Re: Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by DanteGTZ »

It is a 4thgen Fbody boot.


1993 Quasar Quad4 GTZ - Project WTF

Previous Berettas: 90 GT, 93 Quasar GTZ, 93 Garnet GTZ, 93 Aqua GT
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DanteGTZ
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Re: Options for Leather shift knob and shift boot??

Post by DanteGTZ »

I got the shifter arm modified. I was originally going to modify the Grand Am shifter arm that I've been using for a while (since it was already threaded) but I decided to modify the stock Beretta arm instead. The MR2 shift knob is a M12x1.25 thread unlike the Grand Am, which is M16x1.50. I went down the local Rural King and grabbed a 70mm long bolt and then cut the head off and welded it to the shortened Beretta shift arm. I added a washer to support the shift boot and keep it from sliding down. Looks awesome and feels great in the hand. I'm happy with the final result!

I decided NOT to cut the combined/overall length of the shifter arm down because the stock[ish] height works pretty well because of the armrest height.
shifter1.jpg
shifter2.jpg
shifter3.jpg
shifter4.jpg


1993 Quasar Quad4 GTZ - Project WTF

Previous Berettas: 90 GT, 93 Quasar GTZ, 93 Garnet GTZ, 93 Aqua GT
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