[ncdave]

After being advised by MINIUSA that a leather gearshift boot is not available in Panther Black even though the handbrake cover is, I have been looking for a source. Curiously, you can get the shift lever boot in every colour except Panther Black.

Thanks to a referral from SpoMini in Washington State (Many, many thanks), I found out that RedlineGoods carries these very items in lots of colours, but most importantly, their "charcoal" leather is a PERFECT match for the stock Panther Black. Just installed it and it looks great. It's apparently Italian Leather (and certainly smells like it) but the company is based in Poland. Their web address is redlinegoods.com.

Prices were very fair and the shipment arrived in less than a week. Sorry if this ran long, but there are probably others out there who have faced the same frustration I have in not being able to get certain leather accessories and I thought it would be a switch to rant, if even a little, about a good experience.

From my admittedly limited contact, these guys are highly recommended.

[Beastmaster]

I bought a pair of leather trousers from a charity shop for £2 and made my own leather gear and handbrake gaiters by cutting them up. I am really pleased with the results.

[JeffM]

I put the charcoal leather in myself about a week ago, and am perfectly happy with the results. The Redline boots are excellent quality, their on-line install instructions were accurate and easy to follow, and the fit of the parts was perfect. Much better than the OEM vinyl that Mini stuck me with!

[ncdave]

Beastmaster - Very Impressive! I'll strip down a gearbox, but know my limitations. If it isn't leaking something, I'm just not comfortable tackling it. Any pix?

[SteveM3]

Quote: Originally Posted by Beastmaster

I bought a pair of leather trousers from a charity shop for £2 and made my own leather gear and handbrake gaiters by cutting them up. I am really pleased with the results.

Hey I went one better and made my own handbrake grip to go with the Redline
charcoal handbrake and gearstick boots. Errr well o.k. so it was just a square

[ncdave]

You Brits are putting us to shame over here!

[camminich]

ncdave, did you do just the shifter boot, or did you also get the brake boot. How hard was it to put on?

PS Thanx for the post and info, I too have the panther black and wish the BMW did something a little better for the shifter.

[ncdave]

I actually went to a dealer while on holiday with the intention of purchasing both the shifter and handbrake boots but found out that BMW only makes the handbrake one. So the handbrake boot is from the dealer and the shifter boot is from redline.

The dealer-supplied handbrake leather kit (around $88.00) came pre-mounted on a new retaining ring and also had the actual handbrake grip done in leather and new finishing trim rings (one in silver and one in black for choice). Installation was a breeze (I followed the installation instructions from the MOSS website) and literally took 5 minutes.

Truth is, the colour match of the redline product is spot-on and the quality of the leather is so much better than the factory supplied item (which is slightly stiffer), I actually regret not finding out about them until later after I was frustrated that I couldn't get the shift boot from the dealer. The installation of the shift boot is just slightly more involved as you have to reuse the existing mounting rings and such but still took me under 20 minutes all told.

The only thing you will need which is not supplied are those self-locking plastic ties (for bundling electrical wire) as that is how both boots are secured to their respective flanges. Some installation instructions, especially for the shift boot, tell you to simply roll it down at the top but the ties are used from the factory for a reason and it is a simple matter to do it right. You'll see what I mean when you get it all apart.

P.S. - Although I originally scoffed at the suggestion that you should open your sunroof when you pull off your gearshift knob because of the force necessary to do so, it's a good idea! That sucker is really on there.

It looks so good you truly have to wonder why it was not an automatic upgrade for folks (like myself) who upgraded to a leather interior. After all, a couple of extra leather bits wouldn't have broken the bank when you're alreday spending $1,250.00.

[ScottyB]

Any photos ncdave?

[ncdave]

I'll shoot some this morning and post them.

[camminich]

Good deal, thanx for all of the info. I think I am going drop the $60 and get both. Did you get matching threads for the boots, or did you do a contrasting color? I really like the look of the red threads with the charcoal boots, but that might be a bit much.

[ncdave]

Here's the pix. The handbrake boot is from the dealer and the gearshift is from redline. You can even see the difference in the photos.

[camminich]

Thanx for all of the great info, and the link! I have placed my order today for the shifter and brake boot also in charcoal. I too will post some pics when I get it!

Thanx
Cameron

[ncdave]

You're Welcome!

[SteveM3]

I took this picture to show how my leather offcut used for the handbrake
grip was such a close match in colour and my camera
makes it look completely different. Can I sue mister Fuji over this? Still
at least it shows what a perfect match the Redline leather is even though
they do not make any such claims.

[ncdave]

What do you call your seat covering? It looks very different from the non-patterned Lapis Blue we get over here. That's great looking stuff.

[SteveM3]

Quote: Originally Posted by ncdave

What do you call your seat covering? It looks very different from the non-patterned Lapis Blue we get over here. That's great looking stuff.

MINI use the word "satellite" when mentioning this combination and I think this
applies to the cloth only. So it would be lapis blue satellite cloth and charcoal
leather but I am not 100% certain on this Whatever it is I like it

[Beastmaster]

Quote: Originally Posted by ncdave

Beastmaster - Very Impressive! I'll strip down a gearbox, but know my limitations. If it isn't leaking something, I'm just not comfortable tackling it. Any pix?

Here are some pictures. Doesn't look a lot different from the standard vinyl gaiters. However, Now they are leather, softer and I think a tad classier. for 32.00 I'm pleased and I also did the gaiter on a clio with the other leg!

[ncdave]

Pretty good Beastmaster!

Also, thanks for the info on "Satelitte" - I really like the look of it - maybe for my next MINI.