4 Speed Shift Boot Help Needed
 

Hi All,

I am in the process of installing my new carpet and have a question about the installation of the shift boot. I am not reinstalling the console as I prefer the clean look with just the boot and trim ring.

My question is what is the correct installation of the boot and how do you trim the carpet to make this look nice.

Pics would be very helpful...

Thanks Guys!

Sorry, not real close and a little blurry. Ring over rubber boot, be careful trimming the carpet.

Thanks for the reply/pic Boss.

Does anyone have a close up and know if part of the boot seals the floor? That's what I'm guessing but knowing I only have one shot at making the carpet cut correctly would like to see some pics.

Thanks

i have a close up of the hump with the carpet in and out of the car..its in my 70 GT37 thread

I would guess after you line up the boot, Just cut a X in the carpet under it. That is what i would do.

We recently added new carpet (to one) and new boots to both of our 4 speed cars. They both have consoles but we cut the carpet as if we had no console (why hack it up even if it's covered by console?). Here's what we did (sorry no pics).
After centering front carpet section (enough to go under both sill plates) and making sure there was enough to go under the toe kick we made a small X cut for the shifter (w/o knob obviously) to fit through. Then we finalized the fit of the front section (we used a heat gun and some contact cement) where we wanted it and placed the ring (w/o the rubber boot) on the carpet to find the original holes in the porch using the straight end of a point pick tool. We put in about 1/2 of the screws to sort of clamp down on the carpet with the ring and then cut out the carpet within the ring and then removed the ring.
We then slid the boot over the shifter. The bottom of the boot has a double flap/lip. One flap/lip goes below the sheetmetal of the porch and the other above. This would prevent splashed water from forcing itself up and under the carpet. Now we used the sharp pick tool to get through the rubber and install screws into ring.
Getting through the carpet was the hardest part as a drill tends to snag the carpet loops. We did a combination of using a drill in reverse and heating the tip of the pointer tool with a mini butane torch to poke and cauterize the holes for the screws to get through. Hope that helps some.
The seat's "feet" should go under the carpet too for the cleanest look. Check out this thread by Greg Reid http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ghlight=carpet
Good luck with your project.

Thanks for the great write up, much appreciated!

How about a black fire retardant cloth boot?
Snaps to a rectangular aluminum frame that screws through the carpet. Get the shifter through the carpet with the smallest hole possible and screw the frame down. Done.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1431641380

Pretty cool DJ for a race car but I'm doing the stock sleeper thing with this car.

Similar to '67 the carpet is trimmed to slip into the groove/slot of the boot.
This sandwiches the carpet and the boot does seal to the floor with the ring retaining it all to the hump.
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...shift-boot.jpg
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/p...on%20shift.jpg

Wow, that looks really clean!

I assume this is how all of them were finished, with or without the counsel? I still have an original 68 boot, but haven't looked at it close in years. Mine had the counsel too.

I just reinstalled the interior on my 69 GTO vert after painting her. Luckily the original carpet is in great shape, just one spot under the front of the passenger seat where a chemical spill attacked the fibers. The car is a factory 4speed and console car. You can see the factory cut pattern.

Original carpets make you realize how crappy repro carpets are. The originals just drop in like a glove with perfect shape. The original molded glue coating is much heavier so it positions the rug perfectly and the dyes in the original take so much longer to fade than the repops and they go towards a gray instead of that ugly purplish color black repops go with only a few hours of direct sunlight. Also the factory insulation is easy to cut as compared to the repro underpad that is too thin and almost impossible to cut neatly.

and the rear

That would be non-console.
Models with console required a different boot.

I don't have my MPC in front of me but I believe that the 68-72 boot was the same with or without console but the earlier cars (66-67) had a unique boot with console.

What is different is the retainer ring; black with console and chromed without.

That makes sense. I could only find one part number for the boot & it just so happens I need to order a new one (along with a pile of other things I forgot last time)

Was the last aftermarket carpet you had an ACC? I have mine in the box & haven't pulled it out yet. I have used ACC rugs on a few other projects & they take some tweaking, but ultimately seem to fit pretty good.

ACC makes a good replacement carpet and with a bit of tweaking and trimming they will fit and look nice. But it's hard to beat a factory carpet for fit.

So true, with so many parts.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I think I got it. Now all I have to do is save up for the Ames round repro handle that bolts to the super shifter....

I may have a good round handle out in the garage that I would be willing to sell cheap.. I'll look to make sure it's good & let you know. If it's in good shape I'd proberly want to get about $ 20.00 plus the shipping??? I'll look. Please don't think I'm trying to hyjack this post as I'm just trying to help out if your in need.

Let me know Rex via PM. Pics to [email protected] would be appreciated as well.

Thanks
Joe