[Spridgets] Rivergate thoughts...

[rrengineer @dslextreme.com]

Dean,
     Maybe you would consider making a boot for some of us with the Datsun
trans in our Bugeyes?
Mike MacLean
60 Sprite
56 BN2

On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 9:46 PM, Dean Hedin <dlh2001 at comcast.net> wrote:

> I thought I would revive this topic, as I have made some progress with it
> today.
>
> I came up with a solution  for my desire to keep the original look for the
> shifter boot on my
> Bugeye/Datsun trans swap.
>  First,  I re-welded the stick so that the pattern would fit inside the
> stock sheet metal cover hole.
> As it came from Rivergate, the top part of the stick was welded offset to
> the right of it's base.
> My change was to rotate the offset to the right rear at 45 degrees.
>
> Next, I made a plaster mold of a stock shifter boot.  This consisted of two
> halfs that were plaster poured into small sections of 6"dia pvc pipe for the
> top and bottom.
> I cut a formica ring that mimics the sheets metal hole and this sanwiches
> between
> the top and bottom molds.
> I then molded a new shifter boot out of Dow Corning Sylgard 186 silicone
> rubber.
> This is exspensive two part, heat cure stuff.   From time to time they
> throw it out where my brother works because it's shelf life expires.   I
> used bolwing alley wax for the mold release.
>
> The end result is a now very plyable shifter boot (24 durometer) that can
> accomodate the large
> throw of the datsun shifter.   It's consitency is sort of like the rubber
> they make fishing lures out of.    The only downside is that it has that
> silicone sticky feel to it.  Other than that it looks
> just fine.
> This might sound a little complicated but it's one of those things that
> turned much easier than
> originally anticipated.   In fact it was so easy that I am thinking about
> molding some other
> rubber bits for the car in similiar fashion.  Things like the rubber access
> covers that are inside the cockpit, or even that hard to get seal that goes
> between the cowling and the bonnet.
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