I recently bought my 08 si and I couldn't help but notice small scratches on my shift knob. I didn't want to fork out $60 for a Skunk2 and I also wanted to preserve the stock look. So I decided to polish the stock shift knob. Here's a DIY on how to do so.
![Image]()
Things you will need:
-Metal Polish (I used Mother's)
-Fine Sandpaper
-Towels (for polishing)
-Wrench (to remove the shift knob)
-Masking tape (to protect the leather from sandpaper)
Optional:
-Touch up paint (to fill in the numbers on the shift knob)
-Toothpick (to carefully fill the inside of the numbers)
-Leather restorer (to clean off the leather after the whole process)
-Clear coat (to preserve the finish)
Step 1
Remove the shift knob (you can see mine has scratches on it)
![Image]()
Step 2
Tape the leather with masking tape, remember to cover all of it to avoid abrasion.
![Image]()
Step 3
Start sanding down the old finish. Don't use to rough of a sandpaper because it will be hard to polish later on. Use something finer that will sand the finish but won't make too big of marks on the surface.
This is the most difficult process of this diy, because it will suck getting to the edges of the shift knob (where the leather meets). This took me around 35 minutes to remove the old finish near the edges and my thumbs were ready to fall off.
![Image]()
![Image]()
Remember to completely sand down the old finish on the whole shift knob and sand down any spottiness, otherwise it will not polish equally and your finish will be spotty.
Step 4
Apply the Polishing compound to a towel, preferably cloth (although I used a paper towel because I'm cheap)
Rub it in the metal, and you will notice the cloth getting black, this is a sign that the compound is working. Keep rubbing it in and repeat a few times.
![Image]()
Step 5
This is my favorite step. Grab a clean cloth and polish out the shift knob to reveal...
![Image]()
... an AMAZING LOOKING SHIFT KNOB! :cheerleader:
Optional Steps
Get a tooth pick and touch-up paint of your preference and fill in the numbers on the shift knob. This works really well in renewing the numbering and you can do it in any color!
You can also preserve the finish by adding a coat of clear on top of everything.
Lastly, I used some leather CPR to clean of the leather on the shift knob.
![Image]()
This is my first DIY, I hope you liked it. Thanks
-Max
Things you will need:
-Metal Polish (I used Mother's)
-Fine Sandpaper
-Towels (for polishing)
-Wrench (to remove the shift knob)
-Masking tape (to protect the leather from sandpaper)
Optional:
-Touch up paint (to fill in the numbers on the shift knob)
-Toothpick (to carefully fill the inside of the numbers)
-Leather restorer (to clean off the leather after the whole process)
-Clear coat (to preserve the finish)
Step 1
Remove the shift knob (you can see mine has scratches on it)
Step 2
Tape the leather with masking tape, remember to cover all of it to avoid abrasion.
Step 3
Start sanding down the old finish. Don't use to rough of a sandpaper because it will be hard to polish later on. Use something finer that will sand the finish but won't make too big of marks on the surface.
This is the most difficult process of this diy, because it will suck getting to the edges of the shift knob (where the leather meets). This took me around 35 minutes to remove the old finish near the edges and my thumbs were ready to fall off.
Remember to completely sand down the old finish on the whole shift knob and sand down any spottiness, otherwise it will not polish equally and your finish will be spotty.
Step 4
Apply the Polishing compound to a towel, preferably cloth (although I used a paper towel because I'm cheap)
Rub it in the metal, and you will notice the cloth getting black, this is a sign that the compound is working. Keep rubbing it in and repeat a few times.
Step 5
This is my favorite step. Grab a clean cloth and polish out the shift knob to reveal...
... an AMAZING LOOKING SHIFT KNOB! :cheerleader:
Optional Steps
Get a tooth pick and touch-up paint of your preference and fill in the numbers on the shift knob. This works really well in renewing the numbering and you can do it in any color!
You can also preserve the finish by adding a coat of clear on top of everything.
Lastly, I used some leather CPR to clean of the leather on the shift knob.
This is my first DIY, I hope you liked it. Thanks
-Max
