Update by Tim Suddard to the
Chevrolet Corvette Coupe project car
Apr 30, 2024
|
Corvette,
Restoration
One complaint we had with our 1965 Corvette: The shifter often rattled.
A quick peek revealed why: The rubber shift boot had disintegrated. In fact, we could see the road!
We ordered a new shift boot and shifter repair kit from Top Flight Automotive. The total for both items was less than a hundred dollars.
After less-than-stellar experience with a couple of other Corvette parts purveyors, we have had good luck with Top Flight Automotive. Their prices are among the best we have found, and their service has been top-notch with quick delivery.
To do this job, you’ll first need to remove the center console. A few screws on each side hold the console to the tunnel. Move the side panels out of the way and then slide out the console. (While we have things apart, we will clean and paint the console–more on that later. We will also tackle the armrest that needed some restoration as well.)
To remove the shift lever–necessary to replace the worn hardware–you need to unbolt the transmission mount to remove the shift linkage. This, obviously, is done from beneath the car.
Once we had the linkage on the bench, we first took detailed pictures so we could properly reassemble it. This project should be within the grasp of any home restorer, but good photos always help.
The shifter rebuild kit includes a new pivot, shims and, interestingly, a much heavier shift knob.
While we were going to keep our stock shift knob and reverse lockout lever, the parts in the kit looked identical and we assumed the new knob was much heavier for a reason.
Heavier shift knobs tend to rattle less and shift better. They are a common modification in the performance world, so we went with the knob that came in the kit.
The kit includes two shims–a thick one and a thin one. We initially installed the thicker shim in an effort to tighten up the action, but it was too tight. We then installed the thinner shim. It was still thicker than our worn-out shim.
With the shifter rebuilt and liberally greased with white grease, we reinstalled it and, low and behold, our Corvette shifts perfectly with no more rattle. Mission accomplished: one hour and less than a hundred bucks.
Then we could fit the new rubber boot while also cleaning and painting its bezel. We also cleaned the ashtray (it was gross) and dipped a bit of cad finish paint into the bottom of the ashtray to make it look new again.
We then reassembled everything using the dozen or so original screws.
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