[John V.]

As discussed in the recent thread on this subject, the early '64 Manual Trans Tempest used a 3 rib style Clutch Rod boot.

It appears that around April or May '64, the Boot was revised to a 2 rib style and the opening in the steel retainer enlarged.

There is a currently available repro from Metro that is not even close to matching the original 3 rib boot and worse, does not fit in the original early retainer. I don't know the price.

I have contacted a vendor who is able to reproduce rubber parts, by his own claim, fairly inexpensively.

I sent him pix that Tony & Don posted in the earlier thread and reposted here. My own '64 has a beat up 3 rib boot, so I am interested in pursuing this, unfortunately my boot is too rough to use for the mold.

He has replied by saying that accordion bellows type parts tend to be more difficult to copy. He would have to see our "best example" in person to determine if he could copy it well.

If he can do it, the price is $160 for the mold and $18 each for the part.

He is in Hesperia, Cal. (about 60 miles east of LA?). Anybody close by with a good 3 rib boot?

Looking for input here. I think the price is fine. But I don't know how to pursue it. If I had a very good one, I'd tackle it myself. I don't know what the demand would be. But I gotta believe 10 of 'em could be sold in a heartbeat for $30-$35.

Anybody with a reasonably complete one wanting to volunteer the sample?