Shifter boot, seal and installation

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
scampbel98
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Your car is a: 1980 Fiat 124 carb
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Shifter boot, seal and installation

Postby scampbel98 » Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:03 am

I'm replacing my consoles, redoing the carpet and fixing the power window circuits....
What is the proper and appropriate setup around the transmission tunnel. I currently only have some thin foil backed sound deadener, factor carpet with some very thin jute padding the inner shifter seal which is floppy, and then the outer leather boot.
I think at one time I had some very thick jute padding over the tunnel?

Does any have a good picture of a proper install with all the padding recommended etc? looking to cut down on heat.
One of the shifter seals I saw had some poly foam also under the leather boot...

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RRoller123
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Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: Shifter boot, seal and installation

Postby RRoller123 » Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:57 pm

There is an oblong shaped thick foam piece under the boot that keeps the smell, heat and noise out. I think AR has it, or you can make one.

I used spray-on truck bed liner, then EZ Cool, and then the finish carpet and the heat/noise level is fine. The jute holds water, so I personally would (and did) get rid of all that stuff.
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle

baltobernie
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Your car is a: 1973 Spider [sold]
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Shifter boot, seal and installation

Postby baltobernie » Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:45 pm

Use care in selecting padding for the tunnel. You'll have fitment issues here (and at the sill plates) if you go too thick. Re-fitting the lower console is a PITA under the best of circumstances. A good amount of heat radiates from the shift lever alone.

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RRoller123
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Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: Shifter boot, seal and installation

Postby RRoller123 » Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:26 pm

That's a good point. Flexible and maybe an inch but no more thick seems to work. Here are some pics from when I did mine a few years back.

Crappy old rotted foam and cracked boot. The stink used to come up into the passenger compartment quite easily:

Image

New INNER foam and boot:

Image

Got a piece of foam from my auto upholsterer and made a new outer foam piece, looks to be about 3/4 of an inch thick if I remember correctly:

Image
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle

scampbel98
Posts: 304
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:45 pm
Your car is a: 1980 Fiat 124 carb
Contact:

Re: Shifter boot, seal and installation

Postby scampbel98 » Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:58 am

thanks guys.. that helps a lot...

PhillySpider
Posts: 325
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:51 pm
Your car is a: 1980 Spider 2000
Location: New Hope, PA

Re: Shifter boot, seal and installation

Postby PhillySpider » Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:03 pm

I've got pics of mine (stock) from this past weekend installing a new heater core, valve and short pipe. PM me an email or better yet phone and I'll text them to you.


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