Replace that nasty mushroom shifter!
 

If you have a 5 speed and want a newer style shifter, here's one on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-986-Boxster-99-05-Shifter_W0QQitemZ8039786244QQcategoryZ33703QQssPag eNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I got one and love it. Much better than that ugly round one that came on older boxsters.

That would be nice but I think alot of people forget about the aluminuim knob route. I have it and other Boxster owners asked if it was aftermarket because they havent seen it before. It can be had for a low price from a junkyard,I bought my matching aluminuim knob and hand brake for $75 including shipping. Just a thought. Sorry about the low quality pic but you get a idea.

purty nice Blinkwatt!

try some Klasse VLRP on your black plastic
http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=autogeek&.autodone=http%3A%2F%2Fww w.autogeek.net%2Fnsearch.html&query=klasse
just spent 5 hours :mad: detailing the car inside and out after a bad snow storm.


and keep an eye out for polished gauge rings on ebay, they'll go nicely with your ebrake and shift knob.

So let me get this straight Perfectlap...are you telling Blinkwatt that he needs to polish his knob?

Anyone know what the thread is on the shift knob?

denverpete, it might not be a threaded fitment, I think it is a compression/friction fitment.

Ahhh. I guess I assumed it was threaded - but a compression fit would make some sense. Provided it was somehow pinned.

I was just thinking about possibly designing and having a custom aluminum knob CNC'd. Guess I should take mine off before doing that.

There are some good postings here on how to remove the shift knob. The approach can be summed-up as the "John Daley" method...grip it and rip it"!

Hi,

Actually, that is not at all the Proper Method to remove the Shift Knob.

The Proper method to remove the Shift Knob is to pry the Shift Boot and Frame off of the Center Console. Then, you pull the Shift Boot over the Shift Knob. This reveals a 5mm Allen Set Screw which you loosen and the Shift Knob will slide right off. Installation is the reverse.

If you're doin' the John Daley, you're messin' it up! Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Jim's right. My attepmt at humor my have been misleading. Sorry.

Jim, my MY97 had no set screw. You really do just unclip the base and yank straight up! I imagine some model years have the set screw, but mine doesn't.

Hi,

Just quoting from the Dealer's Service Manual - no Model Year Specificity noted...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Here is a copy of the more serious posting I gave to Blinkwatt a few months ago:


"To remove the boot and knob you would first have to pry gentle up on the bottom edge of it. The bottom of the boot is snapped into the console. Next lift the boot over the knob to expose the back of the shift knob. Should there be a 5mm Allen loosen it and then just lift the knob off of the shaft. All other manual shift knobs without the 5mm Allen are simply pushed on and require more lifting force to be removed on the 986 and 996 models."

Good stuff! Thanks to all! If I ever get around to designing the thing I'll definately post some pictures.

Good stuff, I just got my shift knob in from the UK this morning, Ill install it when i get down stairs for lunch, Its the same one that OhioBoxster has... Black ball with steel top half.

______________________
have you got a picture of this? HOw much and where?

No picture yet, I havent installed it yet, It cost me about 60 bucks and 15 for shipping, I forgot what part of the UK but i called a used and new porsche parts place called Porsche Apart. When the cheap get searching, the Cheap get the deals.

mine just has one allen screw holding it

The mushroom non-optional shift knob that comes stock in my boxster just slides off and the new one i just installed slides on then i have a allen bolt to tighten... incase anyone is interested as to why theres an allen bolt, It is cause the shift knob is Height adjustible.

If you slide it all the way down you and tighten the allen bolt, you will notice your shifter leather boot is pretty baggy, its cause you are at the lowest setting for height.

I just installed it an hr ago, heres a picture VVV.

o tahts the one ure talking about...

ive got the same one, i swear its the most comfortable knob ever.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...995_9_full.jpg

Yeah i really like it, Im just starting to get use to the lower height, I might raise it abit higher so that the leather boot doesnt look so baggy and jumbled.

Right now from that picture you showed me, i can tell your knob is at the lowest setting.

yup, lowest one. i wish it can go lower too :(

i just raised it about half an inch, boot looks slightly better... if i dont like the way the distance i have to reach to put it in 5th gear, then ill lower it back down.

There are 2 styles of OEM shift knobs-
 

The ones that just pull off with force are the standard knobs. These included the older/early model mushroom like knobs, and the newer ergonomic knobs that look like they have aluminum on it, but they're actually painted sections. The upgraded knobs are made of real aluminum and leather, and they look like the ones posted here with a ball shaped knob with half of the ball in aluminum. That's the one I have too. These are much more solid/heavy and substantial in feel, and also have the advantage of never scratching off as the painted parts on the standard knob does.

Finally, there is a third knob style that is made for the S models that is also ergonomic, and has a real aluminum slab on the knob. All the upgraded knobs have a set screw to allow for height adjustment.

interesting that you say they cant be scratched, cause my hieght adjustible half aluminum knob has got lost of scratches on it. Bought it used. The scratches are in the form of black lines as if the knob is made of steel and then painted silver.

I think they are infact made from steel or another heavier metal... The knob is way too heavy to be aluminum.

I may paint it later to touch it up a bit and make it look new again.

yea mine is ful of scratches too....what would be a best way to get those off?

I have yet to get the shift knob off....tried pulling it pretty hard and searched for the 5mm allen bolt but couldn't find it -- I lifted the boot up as far as I could--- can someone plz take a pic to indicate where the bolt is located?????

thanks!!!!!!!

Do you have the standard type shift knob... all black, numbers not painted in... toad stool shape? If so, you need to pull upwards really really hard. No 5mm allen on those.

and if you have one like we pictured, the allen screw is facing the radio/front of the car

i have the exact same one as randall....I believe its the knob off an 02~up.....
plastic painted silver.

how far up is the screw on the front of the shifter?

http://i2.ebayimg.com/02/i/08/5f/9d/1a_1.JPG

thanks again for the help!

On that shift knob, there is no set screw. You just pull it off. Put it in 2nd gear, and yank hard towards you. It will just pop off.

From what I know, the knob is made of solid aluminum, and then wrapped in leather. It can scratch as any metal will if you wear a wedding band on your right hand I guess. I have had mine for several years without a scratch at all.

http://i15.tinypic.com/2dvo9a9.jpg

After market knobs look cooler, lol. Besides, I can lower mine a whole lot

gracias!!!

I'll try to warm it up a bit too and see if it comes free.

i sold a really nice ichibahn shift knob, did not fit on the box. was so pissed.

but i like this one sooo much that its all good

Ya, I had to grind away at the stick, but its all good because I can set it as low as I want since I cut the stick lower too.

so can u still put the original knob on there?

btw, this is what i have done with mine, just a little more action than stock and dirt inside the numbers :)
http://i15.tinypic.com/30arfxc.jpg

[QUOTE=djomlas]so can u still put the original knob on there?

btw, this is what i have done with mine, just a little more action than stock and dirt inside the numbers :)

That's neat! If you don't mind me asking, how did you get the color in so precisely?

hehe, its actually pretty simple.

i had some paint left over from when my GF was painting my centercaps, and i used the smallest brush that i had, but of course even with that it still went all over the numbers and outside of them. but since the numbers are inside, when u use your finger to whipe off the excess paint it just removs that, not the paint inside, so u can go at it all u want, and anything that u dont like thats on the top of the knob, use ur finger and whipe away and the numbers become very crisp, just make sure that u whipe it off RIGHT away

once u do it u will see what im talking about, the whole painting of the knob(excluding getting dirt out of there) took about 5 minutes tops

good luck

No I cant put the stock knob on, but then again I never had one. From the looks of it though, all of your knobs look super high to me, so Im fine with mine, and if I ever want to change it, I can swap it with all other aftermarket knobs without having to change anything.