mate thats exactly why im asking
im gonna get one to put in my AU
pulled my AU one apart today to see what any difficulties could be...
the shaft the knob slides onto is only plastic so if it didnt fit you could modify it a bit.
main problem i see is the push button mechanism (the AU is on the side, BA is on the front/back whatever you wanna call it - facing the dash)...im concidering working it so the sprung load shaft thing (inside) is always in the pushed in position, hence button is not neccessary - the actual knob still seems to lock into each gear quite nicely even when the button is completely compressed.
p.s. if anyone can think of another reason why it wouldnt work please raise your hand...
Yeah well i was thinking of actually getting a new Momo steering wheel off an AU1(red one) and getting a Red BA momo gear lever. But i reckon it would be too much work personally and that an AU fairmont ghia one would be a better option (leather and chrome button)
Thats my 5 cents.
Also Falkeen,
have you though about Chrome door handles like the T series and Fairmont Ghia?
i dont see what the problem could be with changing the gear knobs around. I was thinking about aquiring one for my XF auto. I have already replaced my XF tacky-plastic-with-orange-button gear knob with a nicer EB grey-rubber-with-black-button gear knob. As far as i know most auto gear knobs use a universal thread so you could probably put whatever you wanted on it. I was thinking about putting a VT/VX Commodore or current model Magna gear knob on my XF (you know, the ones with the button on top, not on the side) but then when i saw the BA gear knob, i decided to wait til i could get one of them.
mate i was a little worried about the thread myself but today when i pulled my AU one apart i was surprised to see no thread at all!! it just slides onto a shaft then has a screw that screws into the side of it to stop it from sliding around
The price of the chrome door handles has been posted here somewhere before - from memory they are about $40 to $50 each! I ended up painting mine platinum (same colour as the auto shifter insert in the series 2/3's). Don't like chrome anyway, so this was a good cheap option.
Falkeen, I would not recommend keeping the button in the pushed in position, as one small slip and you may find reverse, or park.
As for gear knobs, I just installed a top button auto shifter knob thingy in my series 2 AU (aftermarket, cheaper than BA one - I paid $40, then saw it 2 days later at summernats for $25, but by then I had it on the car, so 2 days use has to be worth $15???!).
Anyway, It was not an easy job! I had to chop the white part of the gear shifter by about 1.5 inches, and had to do the same to the black plastic actuator rod. I also had to make the white lever thingy that the knob goes on round (it's original shape is ovalish). I then reattached the top part of the actuator to the rod by using an allen key (1mm size) that I cut the end off. Drilled holes in the rod and the top part and re-joined the lot. I had to use the bottom 1" of the old gear shifter to cover the white part, as the new knob didn't go all the way down. This part is screwed to the white bit using a countersunk self tapper. The new knob is held in place using 3 allen key screws.
The new knob is metal, with a carbon fibre look insert - I covered this insert with blue vinyl to match the other bits in the door trims etc - I reckon the whole thing looks good. I'll post some pics when I get my current film developed (tomorrow?).
As I said, bloody difficult job - I nearly gave up before I started when the new knob wouldn't even slide over the existing lever, but i won't let something like that put me off. I figured that if I stuffed anything, I could always buy new parts from Ford to fix it again - thankfully it never got to that!
If you do the BA one, let us know what is involved, as I would consider putting a BA one on the wifes XR!
Jamie - if they're the right ones, do you mind posting the part numbers here? And perhaps which dealer you went through? Thanks in advance - at $100 for 4, I might do the XR6 with chrome ones.
BTW, how did this thread go from auto knobs to door handles anyway? I know! You have to open the door to change the gear knob! LOL
Definitly get the chrome door handles, changes the look of the interior and really blends in nicely. Abit of mucking around with door trims but worth the effort.
I've already changed the door handles to chrome on my AU II 'S', got the complete set of 4 from Ford at Campbelltown for $80. Took less than an hour to do the complete job, and looks awesome against the black/blue interior.
Well, I still might be keeping it yet. My wife and I are talking about trading the Laser in on the BA and keeping the AU as the second car.
It's funny, but now the decision has been made to sell, every time I drive the AU I keep thinking how much I love this car!
The BA gear knob looks great, I have one very similar on the Laser and it feels better in the hand than the Momo leather one in the AU.
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