[MZRracer17]

I got this idea from another member on the forum (3.5 Killer I think)...he did some interior work including this on his ATX shifter and console...

..he used a "momo suede shift boot" becuase it would be easier to close the shift gate over suede (using the gate to hold it in place) than with leather (which is thicker)...I went to the momo usa website, but found only leather shift boots, would this be able to be done with a leather shift boot, if not, where can I find the suede, or any suede shift boot. thanks. (plus will any new shift knob work with the ATX shifter or only specific ones)...

 

[MrTea]

i usually don't venture in to things that aren't engine or suspension unless the topic catches my eye, sorry.

anyhow, the boots you are looking for are the MOMO Alcantara series. a few people have put the leather boots over the atx gate to help the looks out there. so i'd assume this would be just as easy to do. hope that helps out a bit

 

[silver six]

Me likey!!

 

[kpjimmy]

You mean like this?

 

[silver six]

You mean like this?

[/b]

YEAH

 

[kpjimmy]

For shift boots you can look at cardomain for some ideas, then go to ebay and buy them. OR if you want to just cut to the chase, go to www.redlinegoods.com and if something tickles your fancy you can get one there for a pretty decent price for the quality. The shift knob, well that is a different story, well for me anyways. I have the momo shift boot and shift knob combo and works great but I had to modify the shifter to the metal rod. I used two of momo's rubber washers and used did an initial fitting and put the knob onto the metal shift rod until it doesnt go any more. Then take the shift knob off, at this point one of the rubber washers are pretty much jammed up in the knob, which is what we want. Take a small drill bit and drill holes where the hex screws are going to go. This will give the hex screws something to grip onto the metal rod to keep it steady.

Well that is a jist of it. Good luck!

 

[MZRracer17]

i usually don't venture in to things that aren't engine or suspension unless the topic catches my eye, sorry.

anyhow, the boots you are looking for are the MOMO Alcantara series. a few people have put the leather boots over the atx gate to help the looks out there. so i'd assume this would be just as easy to do. hope that helps out a bit[/b]

...the good samaratin of the forum, thanks for sparking interest!

For shift boots you can look at cardomain for some ideas, then go to ebay and buy them. OR if you want to just cut to the chase, go to www.redlinegoods.com and if something tickles your fancy you can get one there for a pretty decent price for the quality. The shift knob, well that is a different story, well for me anyways. I have the momo shift boot and shift knob combo and works great but I had to modify the shifter to the metal rod. I used two of momo's rubber washers and used did an initial fitting and put the knob onto the metal shift rod until it doesnt go any more. Then take the shift knob off, at this point one of the rubber washers are pretty much jammed up in the knob, which is what we want. Take a small drill bit and drill holes where the hex screws are going to go. This will give the hex screws something to grip onto the metal rod to keep it steady.

Well that is a jist of it. Good luck![/b]

WOW!!! yours came out GREAT!...rubber washers, eh?, did those come with the knob?...the guy who used the suede shift boot said leather was too tough, so how'd you get leather to work?...and further more...HOW DO YOU OPEN UP THE CONSOL!?...are you taking off the Shift Gate (with the letters and the etc. etc.) or the entire area around it?...did you cut slits in the boot and then close the gate over it (thats what 3.5 killer did I think)...will any momo, or other manufacturer knob work, or do you recomend to stick with momo knobs for momo boots...It goes in with set screws right?, wrather then drilling into my shifter rod, could I place something else over it for the screws to dig into?...did you need to place anything between the boot and knob for a clean finish (no gap) or does the boot grab the knob base pretty well?...sorry for all the questions, but I need as much of a complete walk through for it as possible, will be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[doublebass120]

To open up that part of the console is easyy.

Assuming you have an 03-05 Mz6, you'd have to open the cupholders, wedge your fingers between the lid and edge of said cup holders, wedge your fingers between the handbrake and the other edge of the cupholders, and pull up. The first time you do it, it'll be pretty tough to do, but you'll get used to it. Anyways, after you get the cupholders off, put the car in N or D, unscrew the shift knob, and pull up the shift gate. The 2 bulbs for PRND and +M- are also attached, simply twist and pull. Also, the cig lighter and ashtray bulb is attached as well. For the bulb, you can take it off in the similar twist and pull, however, I usually find this to be difficult. For the lighter, I forgot how to take off the blue lock, but I'm sure it's simple. Once you get the lock off, just hold down the nub on the plug for the lighter, and pull.
Obviously, reverse this when you're putting it back together.

Hope that helped.

 

[kpjimmy]

...the good samaratin of the forum, thanks for sparking interest!
WOW!!! yours came out GREAT!...rubber washers, eh?, did those come with the knob?...the guy who used the suede shift boot said leather was too tough, so how'd you get leather to work?...and further more...HOW DO YOU OPEN UP THE CONSOL!?...are you taking off the Shift Gate (with the letters and the etc. etc.) or the entire area around it?...did you cut slits in the boot and then close the gate over it (thats what 3.5 killer did I think)...will any momo, or other manufacturer knob work, or do you recomend to stick with momo knobs for momo boots...It goes in with set screws right?, wrather then drilling into my shifter rod, could I place something else over it for the screws to dig into?...did you need to place anything between the boot and knob for a clean finish (no gap) or does the boot grab the knob base pretty well?...sorry for all the questions, but I need as much of a complete walk through for it as possible, will be greatly appreciated, thank you![/b]

Yes the rubber washers came with the shift knob. The great thing about Momo was that the boot screws/connects to the knob. I modified the boot by buying the extra long boot and cut the elastic off and cut a corner just enough to give the boot some slack. I did this because I didn't want the leather to stretch at the seams. And because I had piping on the boot, that is another reason why I cut into the leather to fit. As Angel said and explained, that is the way to do it. Check out mazda6tech has a great write up on removing the center console for taking out the radio but works in this instance. Oh and also blackmagic has a great video also. The shift gate remains under the boot. Oh before I forget, I strongly recommend buying the mtx shift plate from a dealer (I bought mine from rosenthal mazda for 7.50) . Yes I cut to modify the boot to fit on the shift plate. That's because I had piping on my shift boot that made the boot fit really really snug. Will any momo do? I don't know, because I havent used every momo knob LOL. But MOMO, from my experience has best looking shift knobs for the $$ without being custom. And because the knob I used has some leather on it because I did not want to burn my hand in the summer and freeze it in the winter! Yeah Im a wuss . Oh and yes the knob and shift boots do screw in like it was meant to be together. But thats just my opinion. No no drilling into the shifter rod, you just take a small drill bit and drill through the holes of where the hex screws go into the washer that is shoved into it. It sounds weird, but I have had my shift knob in since Feb 05 and still snug as the day I put it together.

I hope I answered most of your questions! Good luck!

 

[MZRracer17]

Yes the rubber washers came with the shift knob. The great thing about Momo was that the boot screws/connects to the knob. I modified the boot by buying the extra long boot and cut the elastic off and cut a corner just enough to give the boot some slack. I did this because I didn't want the leather to stretch at the seams. And because I had piping on the boot, that is another reason why I cut into the leather to fit. As Angel said and explained, that is the way to do it. Check out mazda6tech has a great write up on removing the center console for taking out the radio but works in this instance. Oh and also blackmagic has a great video also. The shift gate remains under the boot. Oh before I forget, I strongly recommend buying the mtx shift plate from a dealer (I bought mine from rosenthal mazda for 7.50) . Yes I cut to modify the boot to fit on the shift plate. That's because I had piping on my shift boot that made the boot fit really really snug. Will any momo do? I don't know, because I havent used every momo knob LOL. But MOMO, from my experience has best looking shift knobs for the $$ without being custom. And because the knob I used has some leather on it because I did not want to burn my hand in the summer and freeze it in the winter! Yeah Im a wuss . Oh and yes the knob and shift boots do screw in like it was meant to be together. But thats just my opinion. No no drilling into the shifter rod, you just take a small drill bit and drill through the holes of where the hex screws go into the washer that is shoved into it. It sounds weird, but I have had my shift knob in since Feb 05 and still snug as the day I put it together.

I hope I answered most of your questions! Good luck![/b]

where and how much did you cut off the boot?

 

[kpjimmy]

Where and how much really depends on which shift boot you buy. Sorry! But for me I cut off the elastic and cut one of the corners ever-so-slightly to make the boot fit nicely onto the mtx shift plate.

 

[MZRracer17]

Where and how much really depends on which shift boot you buy. Sorry! But for me I cut off the elastic and cut one of the corners ever-so-slightly to make the boot fit nicely onto the mtx shift plate.[/b]

thanks...by the way, does anybody know what to do with the lights after you get rid of the stock ATX shift gate (after replacing it with the MTX plate to hold the boot) they're pretty hot bulbs so you want to make sure you don't want them to burn something....so blowing up by touching, or what ever could happen...plus, aren't other wires for lights connected to the ATX shifter plate, like for the cig lighter?...long story short, what do you do with all the wires?...

 

[doublebass120]

thanks...by the way, does anybody know what to do with the lights after you get rid of the stock ATX shift gate (after replacing it with the MTX plate to hold the boot) they're pretty hot bulbs so you want to make sure you don't want them to burn something....so blowing up by touching, or what ever could happen...plus, aren't other wires for lights connected to the ATX shifter plate, like for the cig lighter?...long story short, what do you do with all the wires?...[/b]

You can take out the bulbs from the sockets and tape the open ends as a precaution. All of the wires run independently into the battery, they don't branch off into other things.

 

[kpjimmy]

Yep just take the bulbs out and tuck them away or if you feel daring use a drill and put some lights in your cupholder!

 

[3.5_Eater]

I just noticed this tread when someone just PMed me about how to do it. I guess its true imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Thanks for the compliment guys!

Of note I removed both the white and black pieces that hides the shifter internals when it moves through its gates, as they binded up the Manual mode with the boot on. Also, you might need to add some rubber washers, rubber bands or a hose clamp underneath the skirt of the boot to keep the boot snug up against the knob, if it doesn't screw into the knob.

if anyone has any other questions about any other mods (like the TL Type-S headrests :yesnod: ), feel free to ask. The headers (and their coating) are a 1 up though. :drive:

 

[kpjimmy]

Hey 3.5 Eater, off topic ....

I just viewed your cardomain page and I was thinking of doing something different to the hood....not CF, but was unsure. But I did notice that you do have a modified functional evo hood on your, stock hood? If you do have it modded that way, how much was the modification and do you know what was involved in the fabrication? Cost, materials, labor, etc...

Does look nice and unique! Mod on!

Ok back to topic...
How long have you had your ATX shifter on for? I had mine on since Feb of last year and the shift knob for me if still fine! How about you?

 

[3.5_Eater]

Hey 3.5 Eater, off topic ....

I just viewed your cardomain page and I was thinking of doing something different to the hood....not CF, but was unsure. But I did notice that you do have a modified functional evo hood on your, stock hood? If you do have it modded that way, how much was the modification and do you know what was involved in the fabrication? Cost, materials, labor, etc...

Does look nice and unique! Mod on!

Ok back to topic...
How long have you had your ATX shifter on for? I had mine on since Feb of last year and the shift knob for me if still fine! How about you?[/b]

I like the CF Evo style hood, but not the CF look, and I didn't know if it could be painted. I also didn't want it to fade, crack, or blow up and hit my windshield like it did to a friend of mine. So I kept the integrity of the stock hood and added the scoop
(Summit Racing $70, http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.as...0&D=308350).
I drilled holes in the hood at locations that didn't go through the structural ribbing, so that heat could vent through our cramped engine bay, hence why I say its functional. It adheres with 3M tape like most add ons, but I think I'll have a local paint shop blend it into the hood one of these days. They quoted $200.

No issues with the shift boot to date. I love it. All the look, none of the left foot hassle, and I was also a die-hard stick fan back in the day. Even Car and Driver is saying they are prefering the automanuals these days to true manuals (E63 vs M5 vs S6).

 

[MZRracer17]

I like the CF Evo style hood, but not the CF look, and I didn't know if it could be painted. I also didn't want it to fade, crack, or blow up and hit my windshield like it did to a friend of mine. So I kept the integrity of the stock hood and added the scoop
(Summit Racing $70, http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.as...0&D=308350).
I drilled holes in the hood at locations that didn't go through the structural ribbing, so that heat could vent through our cramped engine bay, hence why I say its functional. It adheres with 3M tape like most add ons, but I think I'll have a local paint shop blend it into the hood one of these days. They quoted $200.

No issues with the shift boot to date. I love it. All the look, none of the left foot hassle, and I was also a die-hard stick fan back in the day. Even Car and Driver is saying they are prefering the automanuals these days to true manuals (E63 vs M5 vs S6).[/b]

Yeah, I have that Car and Driver issue (not a fan of Euros, cause I think some people are too smug about them...but the Audi's new look isn't as pretentious as the other two. I'd take stick if I could...it isn't left foot hassel to me...just tapping back the shifter isn't as satisfying to me as rowing a short shifter through the H-pattern while dancing with the pedals...(though its only fun when the road is open...traffic= :cursing when gutting out the shift gate for the psuedo-stick mod, what do you mean taking out the black AND WHITE part?...the black part being those plastic grooved sheets under the gate that move with each shift you make and the white being?...and do those parts just come out, or are they screwed in, and if the internals are exposed....doesn't that present a risk?...also kpjimmy said that I should probably buy the MTX shift plate to screw the shiftboot into, is that what you did, or did you hold the boot in some other way? anything need to be plugged up after these things come out?...(shift boot and knob coming soon, I'll just tear it out and put em' in, this is just tying up lose ends and doubts)...

 

[3.5_Eater]

I didn't get a manual shift plate. I used the auto shift plate's snaps to hold the boot. Once you open it up, you'll see the white piece I'm talking about. The boot is covering up everything, so nothing is exposed, and those pieces seem to bind up the motion thorugh the gates with the boot on. No problems to date with those parts out, and its been a couple years.
I'm getting old (34), and had surgery on both feet, so dancing with those pedals isn't as fun as it used to be. Besides, with the CP-E shift kits, it shifts faster than most people fumbling with those pedals..... :laugh:

 

[MZRracer17]

I didn't get a manual shift plate. I used the auto shift plate's snaps to hold the boot. Once you open it up, you'll see the white piece I'm talking about. The boot is covering up everything, so nothing is exposed, and those pieces seem to bind up the motion thorugh the gates with the boot on. No problems to date with those parts out, and its been a couple years.
I'm getting old (34), and had surgery on both feet, so dancing with those pedals isn't as fun as it used to be. Besides, with the CP-E shift kits, it shifts faster than most people fumbling with those pedals..... :laugh:[/b]

well first of all, my friend is into his 40's and kicking well, and second of all: ouch...that can put a damper in that. If I use a leather boot in place of the suede, then I probably should do the shift plate then right, or will it still work using the ATX plate. thanks again.