Okayyyyy -- think I found a relatively easy workaround...

As noted in the original "boot" thread (see here http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...automatic.html ), there are these stupid little pieces of velvet that help the spring clips gain purchase on the shifter bezel, and keep it firmly in place.

Those velvet pieces pretty much fall out on their own after you remove the bezel and never quite go back in right again :icon14:

Without the velvet pieces, the boot will put just enough force on the bezel to pop the clips, loosening the bezel and preventing it from seating firmly in the rest of the shifter assembly -- no good!

So after thinking on this for a bit I did two things:

1. Trimmed the boot -- no need to have all that extra leather yanking on the bezel -- also interferes with using the shifter for M mode in lieu of paddles, or so I found...

Also, I don't really like "poofy" shifter boots.

2. Took some slivers of leather from the boot and used them in place of the crappy velvet.

Ta dahh! The leather strip puts enough force against the clip and the boot to lock it town. Some gentle tamping with my hand and it is so far so good.

If it comes loose while driving, I'll have to experiment further, but so far, moving the shifter does NOT disturb the bezel! :tup:

I'll have pics of my modified GT-R knob installed soon, but for now, here is the M45 Knob -- works perfectly, and IMO, looks awesome!

Sorry for crappy phone pics -- better ones of this and of the customized GT-R knob soon!

http://www.the370z.com/members/jordo...58011-m454.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/jordo...58012-m453.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/jordo...58013-m452.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/jordo...58014-m451.jpg

It does look good! Honestly just doing the boot with the AT trim didn't work for me so I just ordered the whole 6MT shifter console piece w. boot and after a few hours of dremmeling and sawing (it's not for the feint of heart, and I highly recommend having someone vacuuming at the same time you're doing it) and made the 6MT fit the 7AT mount. I don't see why they didn't design the stalk to mate with the 6MT surround, looks so much cleaner, and would save them from having to make 2... but I digress.

I like that M45 shifter, could you throw up the link again to it? I might get one for the time being until I get mine CF'd.

Sure -- there's 3 or 4 variations. They should all fit and work perfectly -- shift release button in front like OEM 370.

m45 shift knob infiniti automatic | eBay

That beige one could probably be dyed to match the persimmon interior for anyone interested in such a project.

How do we tell which is which? (Will they all fit our stalk?)

I'm guessing they don't come with, therefore we will need to retain and reuse our bottom clip? (the silver part)

I'm noticing in the in cab pictures, they show these with a silver trim ring and boot... Hmmm... :icon08:

It's a dealer selling them ( at least most of those listings), so you can email to confirm they fit (that's what I did for the one I ordered), but they all seem to have the same stalk assembly and are for same car model, so I should think they'd fit. If they all mount exactly the same (they probably do) you can even use the locking pin, although it works fine without it.

I think the ring bezel piece comes with the M45 boot, not with the knob.

Personally, I prefer to not have the bottom ring -- nothing else on the knob is silver/chrome, so to my eye, looks better all black.

When I get mine CF'd I was gonna get the bottom part painted matte black to make it disappear too. That was my solution to that, and I'd do the same thing to one of those.

That will look nice!

The part of the knob that mounts to the shifter stalk tucks inside the boot, so it doesn't look like something's missing from it, although a black ring would certainly make for a nice finisher.

I'll take better pics later in the week, as well as some with the shifter all the way over into the M section.

Bit of a slow down getting the GT-R button finished -- some further sanding to smooth it out is needed, and my first painting attempt didn't come out all that well.

I think once I get the little details sorted, it should look pretty good. Trying to paint it a nice satin slilver, but if it looks terrible, I'll just paint the button and lower knob bezel black (probably body matched MB).

That said -- the M45 knob is really growing on me, and may just be the winner. If so, I'll probably sell off the modified GT-R knob.

:icon17:

Quick comment -- using leather strips in place of the velvet ones on trim clips works very well, and all is still good!

Replace at least 3/4 with leather strips as I described above and the trim will stay tamped down firmly :tup:

Guys, anyone knows if the GT-R R35 Black Edition gear knob will work with the 370z 7AT?

http://seology.com/350z/2013-08-16_15-17-08-1.jpeg

Yes, but it will sit high -- and if you use the clip, it will not work.

There's details earlier in this thread on how to make it sit properly and accept a clip, but it will take grinding and drilling or some modification to the knob.

Thanks!

I ended up doing my own version of GT-R knob :driving:

http://seology.com/350z/2013-08-31_08-50-19.jpeg

http://seology.com/350z/2013-08-31_08-52-14.jpeg

http://seology.com/350z/2013-08-31_08-52-38.jpeg

http://seology.com/350z/2013-09-02_22-10-29.jpeg

http://seology.com/350z/2013-09-02_22-11-02.jpeg

http://seology.com/350z/2013-09-02_22-25-43.jpeg

http://seology.com/350z/2013-09-02_22-26-07.jpeg

http://seology.com/350z/2013-09-02_22-26-40.jpeg

I like it.

is there anyway we can keep push the safety button and disable that loud beep when you turn off your car while it is on P but your knob is being pushed down? Or is there anyway we can remove the metal shift stalk (that metal shaft where safety white plastic stick goes in)? If these two we can eliminate, it will be so much easier to change the stock knob to any aftermarket ones.

That looks great!

What did you do and what paint did you use? My attempt to smooth off the top was a success, but the paint came out like crap and I need to redo it and sell it off!

Advice on what you did, please!!!

Or, hell, I'll sell you mine for a good deal and you can clean up and resell (or keep as a spare) if you want -- PM me if that is of interest to you with offer for knob. :tiphat: