Auto Shift Knob.

[NVRDONE]

Are there any places (OEM or Aftermarket) that I can get one in a different color?

For color scheme I have planned for this car, a creme colored shift knob will not do at all. If worse comes to worse, can I paint the stocker?

Thanks.

[Candyman]

Hey their NVRDONE,

Welcome to the Forum, and cool screen name! Their are a couple different knobs available for the Auto but they are pretty limited, and pretty expensive running upwards of $100.00 or better. For what its worth honestly, my best advice if your looking to change the color of the knob would probably be to try painting it first. You can always look at an aftermarket if things don't work out, but by painting it yourself you are only going to spend a good considerably less in materials, might have the only one like it, and have the satisfaction knowing you did it yourself.

All you do is this. Their is one set screw in front of the knob. Unscrew that, and pull up to get it off. You will have to tape off the button as its all one piece. Next scuff the surface of the knob with 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper, followed by 1000 grit. The idea is to sand the surface till their is absolutely no gloss so the paint has something to bite to and you don't wind up with paint chipping eventually. Once your knob is all sanded, its a good idea to wipe it down with a silicon and wax remover to make sure you remove any and all fingerprints, or other contaminants from the surface which may show through the paint. I would also recommend maybe using a cheap pair of rubber gloves to handle the ball to keep the surface clean.

Once the surface is prepped, if you by any chance have a long bolt, or stick, or something to set the knob on top of it will be way easier to work with since your dealing with a round object. Its optional if you want to lay down a couple of coats of primer surfacer. Its not reallty necessary, but can provide for a little nicer finish. If you do use a primer from a spray can, its a good idea to warm up the can before you shake it up and spray. Please note to just warm it up to lukewarm temperature keeping in mind not to biol the can as the contents are under pressure and can blow up if you get the can really hot. Once the can is warmed up, shook up, and ready to shoot, start with a paper thin tack coat. Then let it set up for 15 minutes, and spray two to three more thin coats again allowing 15 minutes to set up before moving on to the next coat. Once the primer is done, let the primer cure for at least an hour or two before moving on to paint.

As for paint, If you have an Automotive Paint Store around your area that supplies Paint to Body Shops, I really recommend buying your paint from them as it is better quality Acrylic Enamel paint, and they can literally mix up any color you could ever want, and even add metallic, or pearl in it to add a cool effect. and put it into a spray can for you. Now just follow the same thing as the primer by warming up the can to better mix the solvents in the paint, shake it up good, and then start by shooting a thin tack coat to start. Then shoot three or four more thin coats till you get the color coverage you want. Again let 15 minutes between coats to allow the paint to set up, and when you are done, let it dry for 24 hours before handling it. Always remember, several thin coats are better than a thick coat. You will get a more even coverage, and run much less risk of runs in the paint.

Once the paint has dried for 24 hours, your ready to color sand, and buff it all out. What you want to do is take 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, dunk it in a bowl of water and lightly sand the surface until it is completely dull once again. Then grab a little fine cut compound with a clean microfiber towel and lightly rub in circles till the shine starts to come back up and lightly buff off. Then follow with a coat of Glaze which is applied the same way, and follow up with a good coat of your favorite wax, and you should have a very nice looking professional quality painted knob.

I know this is kin of a long answer, I wanted to be thorough on how to get the best job for you. Once you finish your knob, you will still have a whole bunch of paint left over to paint other small parts if you want to, and if you choose to color sand and buff the knob out, its always handy to have compound, glaze, and wax for detailing anyways. For more information on what to use, and a better explanation on each process for each process please check out my Detailing Guide in the Detail Section on this Forum for a complete breakdown, and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask away anytime.

Go easy, I wish you the very best of luck, and please let me know how it turns out.

Candyman

[NVRDONE]

Very sweet write up. And Thanks for the info. I didnt know they can put stuff like that into a spray can, thats awesome. And I got a pretty cool idea of what Im going to try and get.

My screen name is what everone was saying as a started to mod my truck, "You know, Dans never going to be done messing with that thing." So I was playing with was to spell it and I came up with NVRDONE and it stuck. When the registration is up on my truck in November Im getting personalized plates that say it.