A lesson in DIY car modification: Part 2

"Corkscrew'd" (corkscrewd)
06/11/2019 at 12:54 • Filed to: Do It Yourself, DIY, car mods, Modification, modifications, lessons, ftw, I don't suck!

Reposted from Corkscrewd.blog

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AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED…

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I wrote about how sometimes buying a pre-made aftermarket part is a lot less of a pain than taking on a DIY car modification project. I had tried to take a surplus aluminum industrial knob and then adapt it to my car’s shifter for a fashionable, DIY shifter knob.

Unfortunately, I made some mistakes in the small project that basically ruined the knob, and I was forced to concede that it might have been easier to just buy aftermarket. Had I been a little more careful, I wouldn’t have ruined my project.

Well, after posting this story on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the community jumped onto the post and the comments started flying. Each commenter had an idea on how I could salvage the project and offered me encouragement to continue the project. One even suggested that I was lucky because it was “an inexpensive lesson.”

Thanks to that community and their ideas, I regained my confidence and decided to try again!

“…TRY AND TRY AGAIN.”

I had several options laid out to me. First, was the relatively simple method of filling the bore with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and letting it harden overnight. When it was hardened, I could take the correct-size drill bit and then drill another hole. Then, I would re-tap the hole with the thread tapping tool and voila; knob fixed! The only issue would have been making sure that the plug stayed in place during drilling, and making sure that the drill was perfectly center on the plug.

Second, I could buy some !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and re-thread the hole to the needed thread size and pitch. This would have been much simpler than the JB Weld method, but I would need to buy a specialized toolset in order to do it. Seeing as the needed coil was just part of a standard toolset, I wasn’t about to shell out more money for something I was going to use only once or twice.

The third option was the simplest option: just but another knob and try again. The knobs themselves weren’t that expensive. Plus, they were less expensive than the other two options. So, I ended up just buying another knob to try again.

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

When the new knob arrived, I was ready. I had already gone to my local hardware store to exchange the drill bit I was sold. Luckily for me, they were more than willing to take the old bit back and give me the correct size! I had set up the workspace and made sure there were no shavings from the last attempt to mar the finish on the new knob. Also, I had slipped on some covered for the vice I was using so that it wouldn’t damage the knob.

Then, I got to work. The used the new drill bit and bored out the old threading from the knob, backing out every now and again being careful not to let the drill catch. The drill only caught once or twice, but thanks to the covers over the vice, there was no damage done to the knob when it decided to “walk.” It was slow and painstaking, but I managed to pull off drilling everything out!

Lastly, I took the thread tapping tool and gently threaded the fresh bore inside the knob. This part took even longer because I didn’t want to accidentally cross-thread the bore. My patience paid off though: I successfully re-threaded the knob!

Now, was the moment of truth. I practically ran toward my car and threw the door open. I swiftly unscrewed the old shifter knob and threw it into my glove box. Then, I held my breath and gently screwed the aluminum knob onto the stick.

IT FITS!

I finished screwing the knob and then stepped back to admire the work. It was then that I noticed that the new shifter knob accidentally matched with the chrome rollbar that came with the vehicle. At first glance, it looked like the knob was meant to be there! Ecstatic, I hastily put my tools away and went for a spirited drive through some of the country roads nearby to test the new knob.

I have to say, shifting is a joy with this car now with the new aluminum knob! Also, even at 100 degree days, the knob tends to stay cool so long as I park in the shade!

LESSON LEARNED

After my first attempt, I gave up a little too easily. I blame it on being frustrated that “my brilliant plan” didn’t work out the first time around. But, making mistakes is a great teaching tool. I had learned that if I took a step back and realized what went wrong, I would have the knowledge to succeed the next time around. All I needed was the encouragement from more knowledgeable people to try again.

So thanks !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ! I’m enjoying my new shifter knob now!

DISCUSSION (18)

Future Heap Owner > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 13:46

Good work! In my experience, persistence is the most important thing to have when working on your car. If I stopped a project after something didn’t go according to plan... none of them would ever have finished

CalzoneGolem > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 13:57

This is a win for all of Oppo!

CalzoneGolem > Future Heap Owner
06/11/2019 at 13:58

I had a project go as planned once.

Windshield wipers.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 14:05

That’s awesome! Glad you gave it another go. I hate to leave a project defeated. Never sits well with me. I’m glad you were able to get back to it and be successful this time around. Well done.

CobraJoe > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 14:06

Congrats! Looks great, and you applied every lesson you learned the first time around.

Corkscrew'd > CalzoneGolem
06/11/2019 at 15:22

Lol that was literally my firs t project.

Corkscrew'd > Future Heap Owner
06/11/2019 at 15:23

That was a good lesson for sure. Plus, I got some confirmation as a lot of my buddies liked the modification and wanted one for themselves.

Future side hustle perhaps?

Corkscrew'd > CalzoneGolem
06/11/2019 at 15:24

It was all thanks to you guys and gals lol

CalzoneGolem > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 15:25

It’s all up hill from here bud, but you’ll learn skills like:

swearing

shouting

getting angry enough to force the parts into place

vowing to never do this again

doing this again

more swearing

paying someone else to finish it

CalzoneGolem > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 15:25

I’m glad I could be here for it. Also sweet knob.

Corkscrew'd > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
06/11/2019 at 15:25

Thanks! Plus, it isn't anywhere near as hot to touch as I thought, chalk that up to a win!

Corkscrew'd > CobraJoe
06/11/2019 at 15:27

Yep, you were one of the voices of reason, so thanks for your input!

Corkscrew'd > CalzoneGolem
06/11/2019 at 15:28

I came swearing out of the womb, so at least I got that part down. Everything else I've been slowly learning ever since I learned how to replace my own shocks lol

Corkscrew'd > CalzoneGolem
06/11/2019 at 15:29

Amazingly that’s not the first time someone said that to me. Context is completely different though lmao.

Also, thanks!

CalzoneGolem > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 15:33

Shocks are a good one to learn how to get angry enough to force parts into place.

Schaef_Camaero Z/28 > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 17:31

Good job. It feels good to conquer a project.

MrDakka > Corkscrew'd
06/11/2019 at 20:48

IMO helicoils and keenserts are a little pricey and too specialized for this sort of application, but they would work. Good for when the fastener is harder than the base material.

Corkscrew'd > MrDakka
06/12/2019 at 00:15

Yeah, that’s why I decided on just getting another knob. For half the price of the helicoil tools, I could get two more knobs!