E36 Shift & Hand Brake Boots

These are one of those things that you tend to forget about, but changing the old and worn out ones for new ones can do wonders to uplift the interior. Its cheap and easy.

Since getting my M3 there were a couple of small things that had bothered me. The 20 year old leather shift and hand brake boots were old and worn, really letting the interior down.

Buying new ones was easy, just jump on Ebay and search for E36 boots. Only thing to keep in mind is the shift boot MUST be for the car its going in, IE: RHD or LHD. If its not it wont fit. Mine was RHD.

Not much to show really, its fairly simple to change them. The hand brake boot unclips at the base, and there is a ziptie at the top by the handle, on the inside of the boot. Turn it inside out and you will see. Once you clip that itll come off easy.

The shift boot is held on with clips around the base, just pull it up. The knob will need to come off, on the E36 its just a firm upwards pull. Do not twist.

You will be left with these.

On my ones you need to reuse the frames, so GENTLY cut the leather off them. I didnt glue mine in as both boots had elastic around the bottom, just put the frame in and reinstall them. The frame clamps the leather between the console and frame so it wont come out. Remember to fit the ziptie in the handbrake boot.

Then its all flashy.