19
Sealer was applied to the boot’s
metal flange because it doesn’t
always conform perfectly to the fiber-
glass. Press the left side down while
sliding the boot to the left to make sure
the two retaining clips are properly
engaged. Tip: an ice pick helps align
the screw holes.22
Removal of the ashtray door
assembly was required to slide
the new boot fully onto the shifter
plate. Later, a little material needed
to be trimmed from the boot’s outer
surface to enable reinstallation of the
door assembly.25
Slip the new leather boot over the
shifter and insert the shifter plate
fully down into the console. Don’t use
the four screws to draw the plate down
because the console clip tabs are fragile.
Install the reverse lockout handle, spring
and shift knob and the job is sealed.20
When you install a rubber shift
boot, it is a convenient time to
install a new leather shift boot, too. Para-
gon’s leather shift boot kit includes new
attaching screws.23
Mark the screw hole locations
on the boot after testing-fitting.
Remove the boot and use a 1/8-inch drill
bit to drill the screw holes from outside
of the boot’s metal retaining ring. Tip: use
drill bits marked HSS (high speed steel)
for drilling into metal.26
Paragon’s Underbody Trans-
mission Tunnel Insulator Foam
Collar is another item to help keep the
cockpit cooler. This can be pushed
down over the bellhousing to reduce the
amount of hot air passing through the
transmission tunnel under the consoles.21
Tip: apply leather conditioner or
cream to the inner and outer sur-
faces of the leather boot to keep it supple
and make it last longer. Some of the best
conditioners contain lanolin (sheep skin
oil) to moisturize the leather.24
If you find an extra instrument
light, it clips onto the cigarette
lighter collar. It provides a little illumina-
tion to help get the lighter back in place
at night. The clip is flimsy and often falls
off when the shifter plate is reinstalled.27
We’ll finish with one of the easi-
est ways to insulate your Corvette
passenger compartment: simply install-
ing a carpet floor mat kit. Paragon offers
these in plush cut-pile and in a number
of styles and colors.