Swap-out of OEM gear shifter
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From: Prague, Czech Republic
2009 C63, 2007 GL 450
Swap-out of OEM gear shifter
Just a little mod and swapped out the OEM shifter for CF/Alloy AMG shifter. Very simple to do and very cheap to do. What I was amazed at was how cheap the OEM shifter is...all plastic and felt like it was from a Tata or something. I showed the shifter to MB service crew and they even admitted it was a joke. Technican response was "did this really come off a AMG"? Speaks volumes IMHO.
Last edited by harrower; May 4, 2010 at 02:56 PM.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Prague, Czech Republic
2009 C63, 2007 GL 450
Got it at ForMyMercedes com http://formymercedes.com/mb_results....ry=Shift Knobs
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Prague, Czech Republic
2009 C63, 2007 GL 450
Carbon interior has not arrived yet. Probably 2-3 more weeks to fabricate them. CF steering wheel and CF rear trunk lip have arrived at my office in US so they should be in Europe in a week or so. Will post once installed.
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From: FL
'09 C63 AMG
Just a little mod and swapped out the OEM shifter for CF/Alloy AMG shifter. Very simple to do and very cheap to do. What I was amazed at was how cheap the OEM shifter is...all plastic and felt like it was from a Tata or something. I showed the shifter to MB here when I took the car into to determine what the bump in rear passenger foot well was and they even admitted it was a joke. Technican response was "did this really come off a AMG"? Speaks volumes IMHO.
Still can't understand why MB doesn't have a special ///AMG shifter in the C63 AMG as standard in the first place. 
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2009
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From: Prague, Czech Republic
2009 C63, 2007 GL 450
I bought one of Gary who sells on the board. This is temp unit as the car is going in for a complete body rework at the end of the summer. Have not decided yet on final body kit but leaning towards Vorsteiner.
Last edited by harrower; May 4, 2010 at 02:58 PM.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Prague, Czech Republic
2009 C63, 2007 GL 450
I think the black maple would look good as well. I considered this option as well, but since I replacing the interior alloy trim with CF and have CF wheel coming as well I went with CF version. The quality was excellent and there was great weight to it. It felt solid alone and feels even better installed. This part reminds of the old MB cars where everything was solid with the highest attention to detail. Just feels right vs. the OEM unit
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Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Toronto
2016 C63 S
Just a little mod and swapped out the OEM shifter for CF/Alloy AMG shifter. Very simple to do and very cheap to do. What I was amazed at was how cheap the OEM shifter is...all plastic and felt like it was from a Tata or something. I showed the shifter to MB service crew and they even admitted it was a joke. Technican response was "did this really come off a AMG"? Speaks volumes IMHO.
Too bad the AMG center doesn't flip up so you can hide the Nitrous button
Looks awesome!
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 258
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From: Bellevue, WA
'10 C63 AMG P31, '88 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, '78 Toyota FJ40, '10 Audi Q7 TDi
I think the black maple would look good as well. I considered this option as well, but since I replacing the interior alloy trim with CF and have CF wheel coming as well I went with CF version. The quality was excellent and there was great weight to it. It felt solid alone and feels even better installed. This part reminds of the old MB cars where everything was solid with the highest attention to detail. Just feels right vs. the OEM unit
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From: Prague, Czech Republic
2009 C63, 2007 GL 450
here were instructions I got from their site...followed it and it was very easy
1. The leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame that slides into the console’s rectangular trim. Remove the boot at the console by slightly pushing in on the leather on the driver’s side approximately 1 inch from the top and bottom. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console.
2. Turn the leather boot inside out. Loosen the first collar by turning counter-clockwise ¼ turn. (Looking at the shift knob from the top with your hand under the boot) Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob, away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the shift knob, second collar and the shift boot from the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the 4 flanges and the second collar. There is a small plastic ring that holds the four flanges to the shaft. Turn this ring 1/4 turn counter clockwise to release the fragile flanges from the shaft. By pushing the 4 flanges into the center, towards shift knob, you disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob, and free the boot. To push the 4 flanges into the center, use an 11mm socket attached to an extension. Press the open end of the socket over the flanges to compress them, and simultaneously use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry the collar from the base of the shift knob.
5. To install the Schaetz shift knob. Unscrew the chrome dome shaped fitting from the base of the shift knob. Place five parts onto the shaft in this order: First put the knurled ring on the shaft, then the nylon ring flat side down, then the leather boot, then the chrome domed fitting, then install the shift knob itself onto the shaft.
Make sure the shift knob is fully seated on the shaft and facing the right direction. Next screw on the chrome dome shaped fitting to the base of the shift knob, which holds the shift knob firmly in place. Next, push the leather boot against the underside of the chrome dome shaped fitting. Bring up the nylon ring against the leather boot. Make sure that the boot is straight and not twisted. Hold boot into position by screwing the knurled ring against the nylon ring. Lastly, re-insert the base of the leather boot into the console’s rectangular trim.
1. The leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame that slides into the console’s rectangular trim. Remove the boot at the console by slightly pushing in on the leather on the driver’s side approximately 1 inch from the top and bottom. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console.
2. Turn the leather boot inside out. Loosen the first collar by turning counter-clockwise ¼ turn. (Looking at the shift knob from the top with your hand under the boot) Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob, away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the shift knob, second collar and the shift boot from the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the 4 flanges and the second collar. There is a small plastic ring that holds the four flanges to the shaft. Turn this ring 1/4 turn counter clockwise to release the fragile flanges from the shaft. By pushing the 4 flanges into the center, towards shift knob, you disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob, and free the boot. To push the 4 flanges into the center, use an 11mm socket attached to an extension. Press the open end of the socket over the flanges to compress them, and simultaneously use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry the collar from the base of the shift knob.
5. To install the Schaetz shift knob. Unscrew the chrome dome shaped fitting from the base of the shift knob. Place five parts onto the shaft in this order: First put the knurled ring on the shaft, then the nylon ring flat side down, then the leather boot, then the chrome domed fitting, then install the shift knob itself onto the shaft.
Make sure the shift knob is fully seated on the shaft and facing the right direction. Next screw on the chrome dome shaped fitting to the base of the shift knob, which holds the shift knob firmly in place. Next, push the leather boot against the underside of the chrome dome shaped fitting. Bring up the nylon ring against the leather boot. Make sure that the boot is straight and not twisted. Hold boot into position by screwing the knurled ring against the nylon ring. Lastly, re-insert the base of the leather boot into the console’s rectangular trim.
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,103
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From: FL
'09 C63 AMG
here were instructions I got from their site...followed it and it was very easy
1. The leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame that slides into the console’s rectangular trim. Remove the boot at the console by slightly pushing in on the leather on the driver’s side approximately 1 inch from the top and bottom. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console.
2. Turn the leather boot inside out. Loosen the first collar by turning counter-clockwise ¼ turn. (Looking at the shift knob from the top with your hand under the boot) Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob, away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the shift knob, second collar and the shift boot from the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the 4 flanges and the second collar. There is a small plastic ring that holds the four flanges to the shaft. Turn this ring 1/4 turn counter clockwise to release the fragile flanges from the shaft. By pushing the 4 flanges into the center, towards shift knob, you disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob, and free the boot. To push the 4 flanges into the center, use an 11mm socket attached to an extension. Press the open end of the socket over the flanges to compress them, and simultaneously use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry the collar from the base of the shift knob.
5. To install the Schaetz shift knob. Unscrew the chrome dome shaped fitting from the base of the shift knob. Place five parts onto the shaft in this order: First put the knurled ring on the shaft, then the nylon ring flat side down, then the leather boot, then the chrome domed fitting, then install the shift knob itself onto the shaft.
Make sure the shift knob is fully seated on the shaft and facing the right direction. Next screw on the chrome dome shaped fitting to the base of the shift knob, which holds the shift knob firmly in place. Next, push the leather boot against the underside of the chrome dome shaped fitting. Bring up the nylon ring against the leather boot. Make sure that the boot is straight and not twisted. Hold boot into position by screwing the knurled ring against the nylon ring. Lastly, re-insert the base of the leather boot into the console’s rectangular trim.
1. The leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame that slides into the console’s rectangular trim. Remove the boot at the console by slightly pushing in on the leather on the driver’s side approximately 1 inch from the top and bottom. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console.
2. Turn the leather boot inside out. Loosen the first collar by turning counter-clockwise ¼ turn. (Looking at the shift knob from the top with your hand under the boot) Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob, away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the shift knob, second collar and the shift boot from the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the 4 flanges and the second collar. There is a small plastic ring that holds the four flanges to the shaft. Turn this ring 1/4 turn counter clockwise to release the fragile flanges from the shaft. By pushing the 4 flanges into the center, towards shift knob, you disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob, and free the boot. To push the 4 flanges into the center, use an 11mm socket attached to an extension. Press the open end of the socket over the flanges to compress them, and simultaneously use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry the collar from the base of the shift knob.
5. To install the Schaetz shift knob. Unscrew the chrome dome shaped fitting from the base of the shift knob. Place five parts onto the shaft in this order: First put the knurled ring on the shaft, then the nylon ring flat side down, then the leather boot, then the chrome domed fitting, then install the shift knob itself onto the shaft.
Make sure the shift knob is fully seated on the shaft and facing the right direction. Next screw on the chrome dome shaped fitting to the base of the shift knob, which holds the shift knob firmly in place. Next, push the leather boot against the underside of the chrome dome shaped fitting. Bring up the nylon ring against the leather boot. Make sure that the boot is straight and not twisted. Hold boot into position by screwing the knurled ring against the nylon ring. Lastly, re-insert the base of the leather boot into the console’s rectangular trim.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 258
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From: Bellevue, WA
'10 C63 AMG P31, '88 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, '78 Toyota FJ40, '10 Audi Q7 TDi
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'09 SL Black, '12 ML63, '13 SL63, '14 E63 Wagon, '14 458 Italia
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,194
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From: Prague, Czech Republic
2009 C63, 2007 GL 450
take a look here. http://schaetztuning.de/shift-knob-r...61552b82b83803 or here http://schaetztuning.de/shift-knob-b...61552b82b83803
These are Schaetz products, but does not have AMG engraving on alloy. None the less a upgrade for sure from the OEM plastic we were all given. Hope this helps
These are Schaetz products, but does not have AMG engraving on alloy. None the less a upgrade for sure from the OEM plastic we were all given. Hope this helps
