Gearshift Knob

A custom gearshift you can make for your vehicle. I make these for custom cars since I am a gearhead that loves building cars. I even threw one on my little truck just for grins. They are roughly 4" high by 3" wide. I am sure you can use your imagination and use whatever for the shift knob if you want to. Hmmmm, the possibilities.

Step 1: Get Mounting Hardware

Purchase cheesey plastic 8 ball gearshift to use for parts. Approximately $9.99 at your local auto parts store. I am sure if you look at the base of others you may be able to use them-just look carefully before buying.

Step 2: Get Parts

Take shifter out of package and smack both sides of it just enough to crack the plastic, this will release tension on the mount that is encased in the plastic and you can pull it out to use it later. Anybody here knows where I can buy these mounts themselves cheaper please let me know, thanks.

Step 3: Mounting Hardware Pieces

Pieces removed for later use.

Step 4: Drill Bits

Purchase el cheapo diamond covered drill bits-3/4" & 3/8" from local budget tool store. In this case it was Harbor Freight, and the cost was $5.00, for both. They cut into resin like a hot butter knife goes into butter.

Step 5: Drill Out the Resin Figures Base

Purchase a resin figurine to use as a gearshift knob on the internet-approximately $15.00. 1. Drill the 3/4" hole in the center of its base, and as far down as the drill bit will go. 2. Drill out the center of the first hole (3/4") with the 3/8" drill bit, and then using a small flat blade screwdriver gently "pop" the larger holes inner casing loose from the resin. It usually pops right out with a little bit of gentle pressure. 3. Ignore the fact that this knob is already painted, drill them out before painting them.

Step 6: Clean and Primer Figurine

Use Westley's Bleach white tire cleaner to clean off raw figurine from it's molds' release agent and let dry. Spray paint light layer of primer onto knob/figurine and let dry. P.S.-Using Wesley's Bleach gives off some very strong fumes, so do it outside, and if you ever needed a good strong plastic cleaner this is it. Makes automobile plastic door panels look like new, no matter how dirty they are.

Step 7: Paint

Paint whatever figure you have using enamel model paints and hand brush for fine detail. Spray with clear lacquer when all is done and allow time to dry thoroughly.

Step 8: Clear Sprayed

Moving on......

Step 9: The Rat Fink

Another finished gearshift.

Step 10: Epoxy Time

Have the completely painted and dry figurine sitting next to 5 minute epoxy. Mix up epoxy as directed on its containers instructions. DO NOT wait six minutes to use it! Pour epoxy into hole and fill half full. Using a toothpick, coat the sides all the way up, and about 1/8" around the top outside for the silver mountings' lip. Insert the mounting insert and pour just enough epoxy into the mount until you see it cover the very bottom of the mount deep inside of the figurine....this is the "inner" bottom, or center of the figurine that you want the eposy to cover, NOT all the way up to the top of the outside lip where your gearshift needs to mount into and attach for the gearshifts use. You simply want to look down into the shiftknob while you have it turned upside down, and are pouring in the epoxy, to see it cover the inside top of the mount for a solid securing into the knob itself. **Do Not pick up the container with epoxy in it that uses pink straw thinking it is the soda can with the pink straw in it , or your tongue wehl shthik to theh rooth of yewr mouwsth forefer**

Step 11: The Base Mount

Figurine with insert dropped down into the epoxy.

Step 12: Installation Parts

These came with the original, and you saved them right? You didn't throw them away did you? Good, now lets mount that gearshift.

Step 13: Install Shifter Knob

Allow epoxy to dry thoroughly overnight. Take shift knob out to your vehicle and using the enclosed adaptor(s) from the cheesey eight ball gearshift find one that fits over your transmissions shifter stick, and place it onto it. Gently set your new knob down onto the plastic mount and evenly screw in the set screws that came with the packaging. Enjoy.