DIY: Manual leather boot install on auto shifter

[RJT-SS]

This is my first DIY so, I hope this makes sense and is useful to anyone considering this (Skipinminn, tell me what cha think).

I purchased the GM leather boot from GM Parts House (p/n: 92247493). I bought the stone colored stitching but I think it comes in a couple other colors.

Here are the tools I used:
Interior trim tool kit (I got mine from Harbor Freight - $8 well spent).
T20 Torx driver
7MM socket or nut driver
A LONG skinny flat blade screwdriver
Needle-nose pliers
Wire cutters or scissors (no, you will not be cutting wires)
Assorted tie-wraps / zip-ties
Sponge foam weather-stripping (black)

Here are pics of the tools and the boot with the manual shift knob:



Next is the auto shifter factory set-up just as a reference:


To remove the bezel with the gauges, start by lifting up on the back edge of the bezel with your thumb then use one of your trim tools to gently pry up along the edge of the bezel. The clips will pop up:



At this point you have to put the shift lever into drive in order to remove the bezel (I just pulled it all the way back to make it easy). Once you have released all of the clips, lift the assembly from the rear and pull it straight back. There are two alignment tabs in the front of the gauge cluster that just slide right out:



Once you have the entire assembly freed, rotate the gauges towards the passenger side of the car and then turn it upside down to expose the electrical connector. Be careful as the wire is not that long:


Press down on the locking tab (highlighted) and slide the connector out. It takes a little wiggling but it comes out. The gauge cluster bezel is now free. The second pic is of the released connector just to show you what part disconnects:



Using a small flat trim removal tool, gently pry out the small plastic cover (highlighted) from the lower front of the shift handle. That will expose the torx screw. Using your T20 torx driver, loosen the screw. NOTE: The screw will come all the way out but it may just stay held in place until you remove the handle. The handle slides straight up after you loosen/remove the screw:



Using your 7MM socket or nut-driver, remove the 4 screws in each corner of the bezel:



Next is the most difficult, or patience-testing, step of this whole project...removing the shift bezel. There is a white tab on each side of the bezel that is very hard to see. This is where the LONG skinny screwdriver is used. While lifting up the back of the bezel, insert the screwdriver from the back of the bezel forward to behind the tab and apply a little pressure while lifting until it releases (it may take a couple of attempts). Repeat on the other side:


After the tabs release, lift the shift bezel up from the front, tilting it back off the shift lever.


Once it is clear of the lever, turn it upside down towards the left (driver's side). This will expose the wire with the bulb that lights dots by the "PRNDM" on the shift bezel. To remove the light, gently but firmly twist the plug to the left to "unlock" it from the socket. NOTE: As you are twisting the plug, it will come to a "stop". It will release on the second "stop". The next three pics show the light installed, the socket after it is removed, and the light assembly:




The next pic is just showing that I tie-wrapped the light down at the bottom of the shift mechanism. I did not try to remove the bulb.


Now we can move on to installing the auto shift handle to the boot. The first step is to remove the tie-wrap that connects the manual shift knob from the boot. It is fastened very tight and I could not get a pair of cutters on the tie-wrap so I just used a pair of needle-nose pliers to pull off the head of the wrap. It broke easily and the handle comes right off.



Fitting the auto handle to the boot is just a little trial-and-error to position it to your liking. However you position it, the top of the boot should be below the screw on the front of the handle. What I found helpful was to snug a tie-wrap on the boot and handle but not tighten all the way down. You will have to trim some of the excess end of the tie-wrap in order for you to adjust the handle and the boot. Just leave enough material so you can grab it with the pliers for final tightening. I threw in better pic of the front of the handle cause the one from earlier wasn't too clear. I also used a thicker tie-wrap on the auto handle because it does not have a groove in it to seat the wrap like the manual handle (just wanted a little more strength to hold the boot in place...I hate re-work):





From reading another post I knew that there would be a visible gap after the boot was installed but I wanted to see what it looked like and thought it would be good to have that pic in here for reference. The other post mentioned that the screw holes of the boot base had to be modified so the whole boot assembly could be moved forward to fill the gap. If I would have done this, I would have had to not only modify the screw holes but also where the assembly sits in the car. The front two tabs of the boot assembly sit in alignment pins plus there is a plastic lip in front of that which also hold the tab in place. The thought of cutting and filing all that plastic was not appealing to me so I took another approach. I am not sure if this is the configuration on all Camaros but it's what I have ('11).



I used black sponge weather strip from the hardware store and cut a piece to fit around the front edge of the boot base. The weather strip just acts as a black filler to hide the gap. I used 3/8" thick material because it was the thickest I could find. I would have used 1/2" if I could find it just to be sure the gap was filled but the 3/8" worked.



I re-installed everything and the final results look pretty clean.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

[gml1998]

Looks nice

[WCoolBreeze]

Great Job.

Walt B.

[RJT-SS]

Lots of fun doing mods and figuring out things along the way.

[nele22]

I really like that!

[AmericanMuscleCars]

Now where do i get the trim piece that goes on the outside of the boot, because I know I will end up forgetting where park is, lol jk I just want the bezel piece that wraps around the shifter, if you know which piece I am talking about, not the boot, but the plastic around the boot. Know any place that sells them with the P, R, N, D, and M? Thanks in advance, and great DIY!

[bigwayne3000]

I don't think the manual Camaros even have the indicators on the boots. Why would you need it when it shows up on the display?

[Steven13]

sweet write up, awesome look too

[AmericanMuscleCars]

Originally Posted by bigwayne3000

I don't think the manual Camaros even have the indicators on the boots. Why would you need it when it shows up on the display?

Just for the extra coolness, on the side.

[RJT-SS]

Originally Posted by AmericanMuscleCars

Now where do i get the trim piece that goes on the outside of the boot, because I know I will end up forgetting where park is, lol jk I just want the bezel piece that wraps around the shifter, if you know which piece I am talking about, not the boot, but the plastic around the boot. Know any place that sells them with the P, R, N, D, and M? Thanks in advance, and great DIY!

Check gmpartshouse.com. That's where I got the boot. They might have what you are looking for.

Originally Posted by bigwayne3000

I don't think the manual Camaros even have the indicators on the boots. Why would you need it when it shows up on the display?

The manual trannys have the shift pattern printed in the shift bezel.

Thanks for the props guys.

[WCoolBreeze]

On the Automatic shifter, you do not need the indicators that show what gear you are in. That information is also shown in the DIC and if you have HUD.

Walt B.

[Angrybird 12]

I have been thinking a lot about doing this to mine but with a drake shifter like this one. Thanks for the DIY!

[skipinminn]

For the Can't do it your selfer's like me I had my local dealer do mine and at the same time they put on the Emergency brake leather boot they charged me $60.00 Not a bad Price I'd say <<

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by skipinminn

For the Can't do it your selfer's like me I had my local dealer do mine and at the same time they put on the Emergency brake leather boot they charged me $60.00 Not a bad Price I'd say <<

Did they provide the boot and install it for that price or did you buy it somewhere else?