Re: Spider Shifter Boot

["Dean W. Cains" <dwc@xxxxxx>]

Hi Brad:

Your timing couldn't be better, as I replaced the shift boot in my '87 
Spider just two days ago.  The leather of the new shift boot is quite a bit 
thicker than the vinyl of the OEM part.  I'm guessing that the problem 
you're having involves getting the shift boot into the console opening, and 
you're not talking about getting the front console section back into the 
car.  If you don't have the console out of the car, start working on that, 
as it's required to install the boot correctly.

The leather boot gets sandwiched between the inside lip of the console 
opening and an inner frame that holds the boot in shape and tight against 
that console opening.  Since the leather is thicker, the size of the inner 
frame needs to be just slightly smaller.  The solution I came up with was 
to trim maybe 1/4" off one edge of the inner frame, where it is split at 
the top.  Your measurement doesn't require any precision, and it's OK to 
take off a bit too much metal here.  This allows the frame to be slightly 
smaller, just as taking a small arc out of the circumference of a circle 
makes the circle a little smaller.  Try to get the boot and the inner frame 
into place, so the leather edge is even all around the inside of the 
console opening.  I used several hemostats to hold everything 
together.  Then begin installing those clips that hold the frame and boot 
in place, starting from the two bottom corners.  By using a set of 
vise-grips, you can squeeze one side of the frame against the console to 
install the side clips, and then repeat on the opposite side.  The two top 
corners might be difficult to squeeze into the console opening, so again 
use the vise grips to work first one corner in place, then the clip, and 
repeat on the final corner.  As you squeeze the frame against the console 
opening, the corners will recurve slightly, so make sure they're tight 
against the console opening.  Otherwise, the boot will have gaps between 
itself and the console, that you'll see once it's all back together.

It sounds like what you're trying to do is clip the boot just to the frame, 
and then squeeze the frame and boot together into the console.  The clips 
go on last, and hold both the boot and frame into the console, so all three 
pieces (and the clips) become one assembly.  If you try to do it otherwise, 
as I said, the outside of the new boot and frame will be too large, and the 
clips will also be in your way.

If that isn't clearer than mud, shoot me an email off-Digest, and I'll try 
again.  Too bad I didn't take any pics while I was working on the installation.

One more thing I did, that made a better result was to soak the new shift 
boot in Leatherique conditioner for a few days, inside a ziplock bag.  This 
made the leather become very soft and pliable, so the boot could be formed 
into a "workable" shape after it was installed.  The leather on my new boot 
was pretty stiff initially, and it would have been tough to get a nice 
appearance and shape because of that stiffness.  Now it has nice, gentle 
curves, rather than sharp folds, and hopefully that will cause it to last 
longer.

Regards,

Dean W. Cains
Lutz, FL
'74 & '87 Spider Veloce's


At 09:17 PM 4/15/2003, you wrote:


> Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 20:18:03 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Brad Howard <alfaspiderguy@domain.elided>
> Subject: Spider Shifter Boot
>
> Hello All,
>
> I'm in the process of installing a new leather shifter
> boot that I got from IAP in my '88 Spider Graduate. I
> got the old one off and I think I mounted the new one
> to the little frame o.k....now I cannot seem to get it
> back in the car properly...I've been pushing and
> prying on the thing but it will not seat
> properly...I'm not really sure how it is supposed to
> stay in place (friction???? The bottom goes in o.k.
> it's just the top of it that is the problem). Anyone
> have any advise on the subject before I ruin the new
> boot.
>
> Thanks,
> Brad Howard
> '88 Spider Graduate
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