Step by Step Shift Knob Install on a 2000 Corvette Coupe

Here
is a how-to primer for installing a shift knob on a C5
Corvette. The knob
used in this example is the Phantom Shift
Knob with the Kung-Fu… er…
Pistol Grip and C5 logo
available from Mid America Designs. The cost was
$49.95 less
15% since it was ordered at Chevy Vette Fest in Chicago last
Saturday (3-4-2000).

I replaced
the
stock knob because it seemed a bit large in my oh, so delicate hand.
I mean, it didn’t look macho enough, yeah that’s it. I picked the
replacement
for three reasons. One, I like the polished silver
and black leather styling,
not to mention the C5 logo. Two,
the price was lower that most other quality
knobs. And three,
I don’t enjoy saying Momo.

The shift
knob
kit comes with 7 bushings (adapters) with different interior diameters
for your particular auto. Why you would want to put a C5 logo
shift knob
on something other that a C5 is beyond me, but then
I don’t understand
the electorial college either. I do know
that I will be installing my
old C5 6-speed knob on my 5-speed
turbo Eclipse thus increasing the resale
value.

The entire
install lasted about 20
minutes. It would have been quicker, but I was
taking the
pictures you see here. I’ll let you be the judge whether or
not that was a waste of time.

Here
we go…

Step
1) Find your shift knob – It should
be about here… If it’s not, maybe
your purchased the A4
option.

Step
2) With a small flatblade
screw driver, gently pry the shift pattern cap
off of the
shift knob. Watch that leather!!

Step
3) Use a pair of Vise-Grips to lock on to the knob
retainer.

Step
4) Here’s
where it gets interesting. I used a flatblade screwdriver (a
beefy one!) as a lever and a 2″x2″ piece of scrap lumber in a old CLEAN
gym sock (henceforth to be known as ‘The Godfrey’) as a
fulcrum to gently
pry the offending retainer out of the shift
knob. The wood provides a
firm surface to pry upon and the
sock protects the original leather shift
knob. No muss, no
fuss. If you are having trouble with this step, set
your beer
down and use both hands. If you’d like to order ‘The Godfrey’
please email me directly. I have lots of old socks and scrap wood.

Step
5) Not really a step, but
a nice picture of the knob retainer.

Step
6) Unscrew
the old shift knob. Make sure you save it. In 30 years it might
be valuable! Here is what’s left.

Step
7) Slide the bottom cap from the new shift knob onto the shift
control
level. If you install the knob first it is much, much
more difficult.

Step
8) Pick the appropriate plastic bushing (2nd largest interior diameter
for this knob) and screw it onto the shift control level. To
ease the
installation of the bushing, turn it with the new
shift knob. You can
see some of the extra bushings behind the
stick in front of the ashtray.

Step
9) If you used the new shift knob in step 8, just screw the
bottom cap
on and you’re already done. It’s Miller Time.
Otherwise screw the shift
knob onto the bushing until it’s
tight and then screw the bottom cap on
to the new knob.

Finale!
Not bad for $42 and
change. Note the graceful, yet masculine hand as it
grips the
new C5 shift knob in a subtle, yet firm embrace.

NOTE:
Any blurred images were due to the
rough idle of the LS1 engine and NOT
the fault of the
photographer.