Shifter Boot by LP81

[LP81]

Pattern Pieces:
I can send you the pattern Pieces via email -- they are no longer hosted on my site, which is now devoted to my personal portfolio of Web Design/ Email marketing work.

Shift Boot by LP81

Time Needed – anywhere from ½ hour to a few hours depending on sewing skills and patience with the sewing machine

$ needed : anywhere from $10 to $60 depending on the material you use for the boot itself.

Materials Needed:

Sewing Machine
Leather Working or Heavy Duty Needle for Sewing Machine
Scissors
A piece of fabric with minimum dimensions of 12”x20” (leather, pleather, vinyl, etc)
Set of Printouts for each piece (Top, Bottom, Left and Right)
3/8 inch Inner Diameter (ID) Grommet (Nickel Plated preferred) – pack of 8 is $1.99 at Michaels or similar hobby shop
3/8 inch ID Metal Washer – uber cheap at any hardware store
Piece of 5/16 inch ID, 7/16 inch Outer Diameter (OD) tubing. Total length 1 inch or more. – I ended up having to buy a 10 ft prepackaged roll, but it was only 3-4 bucks so…
2 - spools of top stitching thread or heavy duty thread – 1 in black, 1 in preferred color (Red, Yellow, Grey etc.) – approx $2 each
A bobbin of the Black thread
Exacto Blade (optional)

Directions:

1) Print out patterns. Make sure they are printed at 100% size or else you will end up with a miss-sized shift boot and wasted fabric.
2) Cut out the patters along the outer most lines
3) Create a slit in the pattern where the red markings are (there is no slit on the piece marked bottom)
4) Lay fabric with the side you want showing when the boot is on, facing down
5) Trace the 4 pieces onto the fabric, including marking all the lines that the pattern shows. Including the ¼ inch seam allowances, slit marks you made thru the red areas, the side name (i.e. Top) and the arrow.
6) Cut each piece out along outer most edge.
7) Put a leather working or stronger needle into your machine
8) Put the black thread into your sewing machine.
9) If you can set the stitch length on your machine, I set the length to 3.0 for the inside stitches.
10) Sew the Right edge of the Piece Marked Right to the left edge of the one marked Bottom, matching up the line marked for the ¼ inch seam allowance Nice sides facing together (be sure the arrows are pointing the same way)
11) Stitch the Right edge of the Piece marked bottom to the left edge of Piece marked Left, matching up the line marked for the ¼ in seam allowance.
12) Stitch the Right edge of the Piece marked Left to the left edge of Piece marked Top, matching up the line marked for the ¼ in seam allowance.
13) You should end up with all 4 together in a ½ circle looking piece.
14) Take the black thread out and put in the “preferred top stitch” colored thread (red, gray, yellow, etc.)
15) If you can set your stitch length on your machine, I used 4.0 for the length on the top stitching.
16) Flip the piece over and proceed to sew along the new seams approx 1/8 inch away making sure to stitch the seam below it open.
17) Do this on both sides of each of the 3 seams you stitched up earlier.
18) Take the colored thread out and put the black thread back into the machine
19) Switch back to stitch length of 3.0
20) Flip the material back over so the nice side is facing down.
21) Line up the remaining 2 edges along the ¼ inch seam allowance line and stitch it up.
22) Take the black thread out and put the preferred color thread back into the machine.
23) Switch back to the stitch length of 4.0
24) Carefully stitch up the seams like you did for the other colors stitching getting as high up to the peak as you can. (usually about an inch or 2 away before it gets too hard to stitch higher up)
25) Flip the boot right side out.
26) Hand stitch the remaining inch or so to the top with the preferred color thread. Making sure the stitches are even and look the same as the other sides.
27) Cut a very small nib off the top of the boot where the 4 corners meet up.
28) Flip the boot back to inside out and trim up the small hole you made.
29) Place the 3/8 inch grommet in the hole and hammer it closed. Make sure it is very secure.
30) Using an exacto blade or scissors, cut open the slits you marked at the bottoms of each piece (except the bottom piece as it has no slit needed) making sure not to cut all the way to the edge.
31) Take the piece of tubing and cut a piece approx ¾ inches and another one to an 1/8 inch (or as close as you can get it)

Instruction for installing it into your car:

1) Set Parking Brake
2) Remove shift knob by twisting it counter clockwise (Lefty Loosey)
3) Remove the “chrome” trim from around shifter
4) Place key in the ignition and set car to ”ACC” or “ON” (don’t start the car)
5) Put the car into reverse or neutral
6) Place longer piece of clear tube onto shifter stick (might need some coaxing by the washer since it will be a tight fit)
7) Place washer on the shifter stick
8) Place the small piece of clear tube on the shifter stick
9) Attach the Shift Boot to the chrome trim piece, it is marked inside appropriately as T(op), B(ottom), L(eft) and R(ight). Slits should match up to the tabs on the bottom of the chrome piece.
10) Fit Shift Boot & trim piece back into place keeping the extra material tucked under.
11) Slide shifter stick thru grommet in top of Shift Boot
12) Screw the Shift Knob back onto the shifter stick. (Righty Tighty)
13) Put the car back into park and enjoy.

[Lost815]

Great write-up but for those that don't have access to a sewing machine. Would you be up to mnaking some of these for other members? Of course we would pay for your time

[LP81]

Well, I am not able to advertise that I do, as then I would have to become a Vendor, BUT I am able to talk to you about it in PM and let you know what it would run someone being done "At cost"

[Charger SXT]

I LOVE MY NEW SHIFT BOOT!!! It looks GREAT!!!!

[TWIST3D BLACK MAG]

One Word...........QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY

He does what he Says
and
Says what he Does !!!!

[GasGunR]

I'm gonna love mine too

[TWIST3D BLACK MAG]

Mine is Da Bomb !!!!

[Charger SXT]

One Word...........QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY

He does what he Says
and
Says what he Does !!!!

True 'dat!

[Charger SXT]

I'm gonna love mine too

That you will!

[Bubba's Dragon]

So is your shifter! Now give it to me!

[soccerbachelor]

I got to have it!!! Let me know what you need from me, CHARGERSXT's looks great!

[Neo1130]

Looks great but I personally think they would look better with longer stiching... I make these for Audi's and VW's... Never really though of putting a boot on an auto... Know where I can get a knob with red stiching??? I will probably make my own knob and boot since I have a thing for Alcantara... The fabric I used on the boots below...

[GasGunR]

Glad this post came up... I never followed through on this... HELLO?

I really need one

Don

I'm gonna love mine too

[LUVMYRT]

Would love to see a finished boot installed on a LX

[FlyByU]

Would love to see a finished boot installed on a LX

Here you go