14 November 2006
Italian Leather Emergency Brake Handle Boot
from: Redline Accessories
After the OEM rubber "flapper" dust boot tore, and I installed another one, it tore again after about 11 months!
Seeing as how much work it was to melt the studs holding the flappers in, and then re-melting the studs over the new flapper, I had to come up with a new method of covering the slots in the console - a Boot ...
"Tabres," his "board name" in the SVT Performance Forums, gave me the idea when he installed the identical boot in his '96 Cobra.
Bryan, from Kewanee/Macomb, Illinois, has a great looking Cobra, and sent me the following photos of his boot installation ...
You can see that Bryan took a lot of care in getting the boot to look just like he wanted it to.
Here are some photos of my installation ...
The plastic studs have to be cut off, sanded, and then cleaned. Next, I cut pieces of sticky-back Velcro tape (24 ", minimum) and put them along the inside edge of the E-Brake handle "slots." In a couple of places, I had to trim the width of the Velcro, to avoid hitting plastic obstructions in the mold. The instructions with the tape say to wait 24 hours before you attach the hooks & loops of the Velcro (I actually waited about 2 hours), for the sticky-back to fully adhere.
Good time to clean the shift boot and bezel ...
I cleaned both boots with leather cleaner. The Velcro is attached to the lower outside edge of the boot (it's barely visible).
This is the part of the handle cover that is right below the "hand grip."
By pulling up on the back end, and then forcing the front end halves apart, this cover can be removed.
By leaving the lower cover off, the handle will be narrower, and I hope to eliminate the rubbing of the handle against the slots in the console, and wearing a hole in the boot.
I almost installed the boot facing the wrong direction ... the neck of the boot should point forward. After setting the console in place, without fastening it, the boot will slide right down the handle. Push the boot down, along the side of the handle (inside the console), trying to keep the hooks & loops from touching.
Prop up the back end of the console, and then you can slide your hand in, to the front of the brake handle. Using that hand, and your other hand on the outside, you can start pressing the hooks & loops of the Velcro together - slowly. Work your way from the front to the back, keeping the Velcro on the boot just past the edge of the slot, so it can't be seen.
In this same two-handed manner, you can push all the slack of the boot, down, alongside the handle, giving it a clean smooth look.
My handle has a little side play - don't know why, so when I move the handle, I use a little side pressure, forcing it towards the passenger seat. This, I hope, will prevent the boot from rubbing against the slot and tearing it.
The boot came from Poland.
All in all, I am really satisfied with the new boot - it has a nice clean look to it.
Cost: Boot was $40, and the Velcro was $2.50
This Page Created October 10, 2003
Last Updated: November 14, 2006
Dan Walters