Gear Gaiter Replacement Before & After

[robwright]

Evening I promissed a few of you out there I would let you know how I got on with replacing my gear lever gaiter so here it is.

The before shoddy article.

And after a massive improvement I think you'll agree.

Quite pleased with the job and if you take your time I'll think you'll agree the results can be quite good. The one thing I would do differently is in removing the cap on the top. They are pretty well wedged in and mine got quite chipped whilst removing it. I did think of a way to avoid this but the idea was a bit wasted after the fact. I recolored the numbers with some metal marking paint at work and it's OK for now but I am not totally happy with it. I will probably replace the cap at some point. If anyone else is thinking of doing it but have been aprehensive as to the quality of the finish then let me know and if you want I will post a guide in the technical articles section complete with piccies of the whole job.

 

[zcacogp]

Rob,

Chipping the lip at the edge of the cap is a problem, but if you have chipped it you can remove all of the rest of the lip, such that the chips are gone, with some sandpaper. While this sounds odd, such a sanded-off cap looks fine once refitted. If you finish off the edge with some fine wet-and-dry, done wet, the finish is as good as from the factory.

I learned this the embarassing way, when I changed a gaiter for a friend and chipped the cap in the process.

(But then, it looks like you have probably solved the problem already by fitting the world's ugliest car radio, thus ensuring that you are always distracted by the ugliness of the radio and never look at the gearknob ... [] )


Oli.

 

[robwright]

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

Rob,

Chipping the lip at the edge of the cap is a problem, but if you have chipped it you can remove all of the rest of the lip, such that the chips are gone, with some sandpaper. While this sounds odd, such a sanded-off cap looks fine once refitted. If you finish off the edge with some fine wet-and-dry, done wet, the finish is as good as from the factory.

I learned this the embarassing way, when I changed a gaiter for a friend and chipped the cap in the process.

(But then, it looks like you have probably solved the problem already by fitting the world's ugliest car radio, thus ensuring that you are always distracted by the ugliness of the radio and never look at the gearknob ... [] )


Oli.

Oli in my defence (god I love that phrase) the stereo came with the car and yes it will be changed some day but who listens to the radio in there 944 anyway? What with the gearbox and the exhaust hum and the noise of the turbo coming on song. Sorry for all you S2 owners you will never experience that one []

 

[DavidL]

Who listens to the radio in a 944, me!
Becker lovelyness. []

 

[robwright]

David that's a nice head unit. Do the speakers match up to it though?

 

[DavidL]

I haven't changed them but it was set up when the HU was fitted and it is certainly a lot better than the previous set up.
I'm no audiophile mind, I got and ebay bargain (£77!) with the HU and really bought for its looks but it does sound good.

 

[DavidL]

err to make sure the nicely modified engine doesn't destroy itself?
Easy to be clever after the fact.

 

[robwright]

Thanks for your input as usual mate and if you knew anything about tuning then you would know why the gauges are there. They are there for a reason not for show!! Perhaps you would prefer if I mounted them on the A pillar and maybe get a big exhaust tail pipe and perhaps a massive sub woofer while I am at it.

 

[smiffyraf1]

i did mine not long ago and did exactly the same with the cap. its a pain it the bum. ordered a new one from the us somewhere as suggested by a member of here ill dig the site out if you want it. i was a div when fitting my gaiter, trying to fit the whole thing from underneath ant through rather than the lever and ball through the top and wrap over! oh well every day is a school day!

 

[robwright]

Thanks mate would appreciate that if you can find it. Failing that Elliot are you out there mate? Do you have a decent one I could pop over and exchange for some sheckles? Oh and smiffyraf1 with a name like that and coming from Lincoln am I to presume you are something to do with Waddington then?

 

[Diver944]

ORIGINAL: sc0tty


That car looks like some damn time machine from back to the future with those dumb gauges. Why do people do it ! Grrrr!! And yes that head unit is truly chavtastically naff !

Scotty, if you can't say anything nice then please do not say anything at all.

We don't want to see another perfectly amiable thread degenerate into a slanging match, followed by us Moderators having to get all heavy handed.

 

[zcacogp]

Sc0tty,

They are a little ugly (and us superior S2 owners don't need to suffer such things), but there's ways and ways of saying so and your wording wasn't the most soothing way of putting it. Having said that, our opinions don't count for much; the gauges are put in Rob's car, by Rob, for Rob's reasons. And if they stop his engine from going supernova (and thus keep another 944 on the road) then they are a good thing.

Anyway, ugly radios are a bit topical at the moment as I have just fitted a Blaupunkt DAB unit to my car. Another eBay bargain (although not as good as DavidL's lovely Becker unit - that really was a steal if it was only £77!) and I am very happy with it indeed. Chosen as it sounds very good, has DAB, will play MP3's from a CD or a memory card, and also is very discreetly styled.

Oli.

 

[zcacogp]

Sc0tty,

They do do good stuff, I think. I had one in a Golf I once owned, but it was nicked, and I have hankered after another one ever since.

All-black front panels are indeed rare, but seem more common on base-range models. Snag is that I do like both good sound and decent functionality, but don't like bling, so finding something that hit the spot was difficult. (The unit I just fitted came with the original invoice; suffice it to say that a sum like that would equate to a LARGE proportion of the value of a good S2 now ... depreciation is a good thing!)


Oli.

ETA: Hang about Sc0tty; your S2 has an aftermarket head unit? Isn't that a modification? And who is to draw the line as to what is a good modification and what is an ugly one ... ? Not needling, just asking ... []

 

[robwright]

Oli that is a nifty clock you have there. Where did you come across that? Does it read tempeature and tell the time also? Where did you mount the sensor?

 

[zcacogp]

Rob,

Yes, inside temp, outside temp and time. Outside sensor is in the near-side front wing (and hence isn't that accurate; I'll move it to the front of the car in the summer), inside temp is in the dashboard.

I made it from a unit I bought on eBay. I did a thread about it, and will post a link to it as and when I find it (currently doing battle with the search doohickie ... grrr!)


Oli.

ETA: Whoah! Note the date! I did battle with the PCGB search facility and WON! I'll celebrate the anniversary for decades to come!

Original thread here:

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=451442&mpage=1&key=clock%2CeBay񮍲

 

[smiffyraf1]

here ya go buddy!
944 shift pattern cap

i have a similar all black sony head unit which was a steal from halford a year ago sounds good and has an aux in and will read usb sticks etc. but it used to bug me having the stick poking out just waiting to get knocked or damaged till i found this one at argos a couple of months back, its brilliant and can leave it in the facia without worry
micro usb stcik

it is a bit dearer than normal but havent found one as small anywhere even on ebay

oh yeah apologies for geeky username but am at scampton not waddington

 

[robwright]

Ahh know it well my boy plays footie there sometimes. Thanks for the info mate.

 

[Hilux]

Perhaps you would prefer if I mounted them on the A pillar

I dont mean to start (or continue) anything.............................but.............

........................if you`ve a lot invested in a modified engine then why ever not? I certainly would.

You need to see them, thats what they are for I assume? Its like hiding the oil warning light! By the time you have decided to take a gander it`ll be too late.

A few times when I had my 944 I was oblivious to symptoms and it was only the main dash warning lamp that alerted me as its (almost) in your sight line



PS: Talking dashes - I`ve got a 968 cubby hole filler with clock/gauge cut out BNIB in the grage if anyone is interested?

 

[robwright]

I would be interested in a piccie of that mate. Earlier on in the thread you will see I was interested in Oli's temperature clock. As my clock is till working though I don't think I want to butcher it just yet. I would however like to fit an outside/inside temperature gauge. Not sure where to put it though as the blanking plate I got for the present cubby is full either side and needs to attach in the centre so no room there.

 

[Hilux]

Taken from a web site (but without clock)