1964 Barracuda 4spd Shifter Boot

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C

CraigH

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I haven't been able to find a shifter boot made to fit my 64 Barracuda, which has a round base instead of a rectangular one. Any ideas as to where to find an oem-style one or suggestions much appreciated!

Thanks!
 
I have used the laysons version before and was quite disappointed when it tore after a few months and they would not help me out. I compared the material they used with an original boot. Laysons is a different material that is not as strong. So here we go again s*** out of luck for us early a body guys. Then I found a Mr. gasket boot, #1651 for 25.00. I have been using this boot since the late 90's. The trick with this one is to mount it, I used soap to get it to slide down the shifter handle, then drill new holes in the floor with the sifter in neutral. If you try to install in your factory screw holes you will tear the boot, as I have done. Its a good boot and if I was not always messing with my barracuda would likely out last the garbage laysons i producing. Amazon has the boot for 21.61
 
CCHHAARRGGER! said:
I have used the laysons version before and was quite disappointed when it tore after a few months and they would not help me out. I compared the material they used with an original boot. Laysons is a different material that is not as strong. So here we go again s*** out of luck for us early a body guys. Then I found a Mr. gasket boot, #1651 for 25.00. I have been using this boot since the late 90's. The trick with this one is to mount it, I used soap to get it to slide down the shifter handle, then drill new holes in the floor with the sifter in neutral. If you try to install in your factory screw holes you will tear the boot, as I have done. Its a good boot and if I was not always messing with my barracuda would likely out last the garbage laysons i producing. Amazon has the boot for 21.61
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it's that offshore stuff, again. My friend bought a Layson''s sender years ago, and it didn't work well right away and then failed completely 6mos later.
 
Watch for a 20% off sale at Classic.
No matter where you get it from they are most likely coming from the same mold. (See disappointing review above) Their customer service is probably better than Laysons.
For $22 I'd try the Mr. GASKET piece.
 
I bought a shift boot off e-bay a while back. The seller claimed he had bought it from Laysons and he was replacing it because it wasn't the correct shape or material. He had found a NOS so was seliing the Laysons. When I got it I compared the shape to my torn and deteriorated original and it was different. I put it in my car and it ripped in the folds in a few months. It's a shame something as simple as a shift boot can be so difficult.
 
grimreaper said:
He had found a NOS so was seliing the Laysons. When I got it I compared the shape to my torn and deteriorated original and it was different. I put it in my car and it ripped in the folds in a few months. It's a shame something as simple as a shift boot can be so difficult.
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I had a similar experience when I bought a new bell housing clutch fork bellows. I put it in my 1964 /6 and within 100 miles it slipped inside and got chewed up. I ended up replacing it with the torn original and it's still in there. The repro was very thin compared to the original and never really "snapped" into the BH opening.

Since then I've been collecting parts for a 4 Speed swap and bought a BH from Brewer's in Columbus. I came across the Detroit Muscle Technologies booth and he actually let me borrow one of his bellows (without paying for it yet) and check it in my "new" BH. Wow, huge difference. It is heavy-walled and fits well.

Shout out to DMT, one of our vendors on here and one of the best. If he decides to make a shift boot you can count on good parts. Still over $100 for sure though.

And for what it's worth, a custom bellows is NOT a simple part to make. The mold is 2 piece and a good size. The cost is not in the finished part but in the tooling.
 
I plan on trying a boot I found for a jeep, its not the same but similar, I just couldn't bring myself to pay that much money for a piece of rubber. it will be a while before I get to that point though
 
Just beware with the aftermarket parts, often the parts come from the same overseas manufacturer regardless of where you buy it from here in the states.
 
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