Hi Guys,
This sounds pretty dumb, but I have searched the forum and I have looked all through the shop manual. Is there anyway to change the leather handle of the brake handle? I just want to change the leather part because it's pretty grimmy and nasty. Is the only way to change the handle to get a whole new brake assembly?
TIA
Matt

 

actually thats a pretty good question

 

I actually used black shoe polish on my interior leather parts and that restored them pretty well. The shift boot still has a dense lattice of wrinkle lines in it. I think I will change it out soon. There is a guy who custom makes them for you and he has a sticky add up in the parts for sale section. My ebrake boot is ok though. I'm in California right now, but when I get back home, I could take a picture of the shift **** and handbrake for you. They look pretty good, but then I've seen some handles that have chunks taken out of them from rings or something. You can either get a full new assembly or else find another handle like a Momo or something. The only problem with them is that supposedly you can't put it back to stock once you change it. I think the procedure involves cutting something off. I thought I read about how to do it a while ago, but I don't remember where. You can go to a few places to check out the handle options.
www.corksport.com
www.imotorgear.com
there are many other sites, but I can't remember them. Mazdaspeed makes an ebrake handle but its like $225 or some down right stupid price. If you do decide to change it, let me know cuz I'm still interested.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm really disappointed with the fact that I can't just replace the leather part of the handle. I will try the shoe polish idea. I hadn't thought of that.
Matt

 

yeah, I'm not at home right now, so I can't get a picture of mine. It works pretty well. Comparable to polishing results of shining your combat boots. I'd recommend you polish one coat, brush shine it, and then get back on it with another coat and spit shine it with an old t-shirt strip or something. Just get it with a good rope saw action maneuver and it will shine up real nice. Let me know if you still decide to pull the old one off. I know you can't go wrong with putting a Momo piece on there, but it makes you feel bad knowing that its irreversable. Good luck.
-Dave