GT-R shift knob on 7AT +pics

Jordo!

I just did this -- looks just like the pic above with the boot.

A few thoughts:

1. Cosmetically speaking it looks vastly better than OEM.

2. As the other poster above noted, you do NOT need the little metal clip to hold the shift knob in place (for the really brave, you could probably cut the white inner piece with a bolt cutter and have the GT-R knob sit fairly flush without a boot -- good luck...). Seems to sit snugly without it. I think the clip is just there to prevent it from being pulled straight up off the shift arm.

3. If you just slap down the GT-R knob, as is, there is a clip inside! It will clamp on to the shifter arm and not lift up.

You have to use a small flat head screwdriver to gently pry the lower silver bezel away from the knob and then remove a metal clip as you did on the OEM knob (I figured this out the hard way -- after a few seconds of frantically pulling, realizing the knob was fixed in place AND would not sit low enough to engage the shift release! D'OH!)

4. The silver bezel around the whole shifter assembly takes a little prying to come up, but then doesn't seem to want to go back perfectly and sit snugly... after gently tamping it down, and making sure all the spring clips were in place, I think I got it, but I'm not convinced my knee won't dislodge it later... it simply may not sit snugly without some double sided tape or something after cramming the edges of a shift boot under there.

I can take pics if anyone wants, but it looks IDENTICAL to the set up posted above -- OEM MT 370Z boot, GT-R shift knob.

I'll let everyone know if I find it to be annoying when driving later, but so far so good.

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XwChriswX

The knob itself looks great. 2 points:

1. Do you just push down on it to shift out of park? Since there's no depress button?

2. Is it possible to get a knob with the lettering matching our transmission shift pattern? That one being in reverse would be an annoyance (to me).

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Bonnie - Stage 2, Audio build coming this fall!
R.I.P. Abby 3/29/10 - 3/30/14

Jordo!

1. The button engages as normal, so long as you push the knob down as far as it will go without using the OEM clip. Meaning, you just stick it on and push it down until it sits pretty snugly.

That seems to be fine, but either a custom clip or some double sided tape (or maybe a washer on the shifter arm???) would be needed to keep its positioning dead-nuts where you put it.

All in all, it works well enough just sticking it on there without any clip, and using it for manually shifting seems to work fine with the boot on -- but again, things can move around if you yank on it enough, so it's a good but not perfect solution.

2. I see a couple of options which I may attempt.

(a) Take it to a jeweler and ask them to polish it down so it's smooth. You can probably do this yourself with a dremel, but I think I'll try a pro first.

(b) fill in lettering with epoxy or bondo or something like that. Sand down. Tape off rest of knob, and carefully paint black or silver. Add a bit of clear coat to protect it. That might also work.

I suppose the whole knob could be dismantled and the button replaced -- but at that point I'd cut my losses and put the factory Z knob back on

I will say this -- whatever knob goes there, the shifter looks MUCH nicer with the OEM boot.

I hope for the next gen Z they do what Toyota did for the FR-S and add a nice sporty looking boot to the shifter for the autos. No good reason not to.

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Jordo!

I love the look of the OEM Z MT boot+GT-R knob -- I am hell bent to make this work.

I just need to make the bezel stay on better.

Also, I think I'm going to smooth out the button to get rid of the engraving, and paint the shift release button and the knob bezel factory MB.

Pics once I get around to this...

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shaun66

How much does the conversion cost?? This is so tempting it just looks sooo much nicer.Good Job!

Jordo!

I picked up an OEM MT boot for around $30 bucks shipped.

I bought a gently used GT-R knob off of someone from the GT-R forum for $175 shipped -- not exactly cheap, but much less than a new one from Nissan, and the best deal I could find.

So... unless you find an amazingly good deal on a GT-R knob (or can find a decent knock off -- I searched online for a week to no avail), at least $200+ in parts.

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shaun66

Hmm okay might pick up a MT boot and go from there lol

Jordo!

Think i may have found a viable alternative to the GT-R shift knob

Infiniti M45 G37 G35 FX Automatic Sport Shift Knob Black Perforated Leather | eBay

Has a very similar style, but much less expensive, and no need to worry about improper shift labeling.

They come in perforated and solid leather with gray stitching. Might pick up one of these.

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Jordo!

Look what I discovered today:

The whole shift knob can be dismantled into several parts.





That stupid silver "button" is really a cover that lifts off of the hinged button assembly -- held in place by two small plastic push clips on either side and a thin piece of double sided tape.

It's plastic. I'm going to sand it down smooth and repaint either silver or black and reassemble.

Problem of incorrect lettering soon to be solved

I suppose if I was really ambitious I could carve in fresh lettering, but I probably won't. Too hard to make it not look like crap.

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XwChriswX

This looks like a winner, I wouldn't mind having it restitched with red thread as a nice accent too... Might have to look into one, wonder if it's a Direct swap for ours?

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Bonnie - Stage 2, Audio build coming this fall!
R.I.P. Abby 3/29/10 - 3/30/14

Jordo!

Although I think my rebuilt custom GT-R handle will look really good, I was curious to see how that G35 knob would work... so I went ahead and ordered one

There's a couple other versions available too -- check out ebay and you'll see them. I just liked the perforated leather one best.

I'll post pics of both versions mounted with OEM 370Z boot eventually. Will be working on "de-lettering" the GT-R button this weekend.

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gurneyeagle

Chris - I bet you could just dye the threads with a dye pen. I dyed all my stitching red and it was easy.

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Waiting on the Z35! SOLD - 2011 Gun Metallic Touring 7AT w Sports Pkg & Nav, Nismo Bumper and Rims, RC Grille, RC Brake Ducts, H&R Spacers, Painted Door Hdls, GTR Start Button, Nav By-Pass, EVO R Fog Light, CF Ducktail, CF Interior Trim

gurneyeagle

Looks great Jordo.

Suggestion for the shift pattern issue - simply sand it off and then cover the button in some 3M CF-look DiNoc. If you need a piece, PM with your contact info and I'll put some in the mail to you. You won't need more than a 6" x 6" piece to play with.

Please keep us posted on your progress with this mod. Being a mechanically-challenged person, I'm not 100% following everything on this thread. Can you simply replace the stock shift knob with the GTR version without any shaft modifications? I've got a MT boot installed already, so there's no need to adjust the height.

Thanks in advance!

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Waiting on the Z35! SOLD - 2011 Gun Metallic Touring 7AT w Sports Pkg & Nav, Nismo Bumper and Rims, RC Grille, RC Brake Ducts, H&R Spacers, Painted Door Hdls, GTR Start Button, Nav By-Pass, EVO R Fog Light, CF Ducktail, CF Interior Trim

Jordo!

Thanks!

I very much appreciate the offer, but I think I'm going to try and paint it satin silver first and see how it comes out. If not so great, I am going to try some brushed aluminum vinyl like this 3M 1080 Vinyl Wrap - Brushed Aluminum

As to the shaft, it will fit as is and work fine without the clip (see details a few posts up), but I may try and figure out a way to clamp it down without having to dremel into the shaft -- a modified pin/clip used with a tiny hose clamp, for example.

I'll take pics and make a little write up as it comes together

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Jordo!

Okay, good news and bad news.

Good: got the m45 knob. Fits perfectly, works, and with the boot, looks great! Not sure if I like it better than the GT-R knob, buit it's really nice.

Bad: I cannot get the mother ******* cocksucking shifter bezel to tamp down securely with the boot there!?!?!

There must be a trick or a workaround, but after messing with it for an hour I need a break and a re-think.

Anyone have any tips? Maybe just a thinner boot? Double sided tape? Double sided Velcro?

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