| Shifter and turn signal knobs.The neat plastic shifter and turn‑signal knobs were a distinctive feature of early customs. Ron Savoie has turned his hometown of Niceville, Florida into "Koolsville" by developing a cheap‑and‑easy method of duplicating these way‑out, period knobs. (Okay, words like "Koolsville" and "way‑out" may be a bit antiquated, but I'm trying to set a mood here). Ron is no square, so let's turn the proceedings over to him: |  | |
"I began by picking up an assortment of ball‑head pins (the kind with the round, plastic ends) in the sewing department of the local Mega‑Mart. The pins I've seen are available in three sizes and an assortment of colors. I use the largest sizes for the shifter knob, and the smallest ones for the turn signal.
"I chucked a large pin into my motor tool and started by turning down the ball on a coarse sanding stick to rough in the shape of the gearshift knob, located on the steering column of my Kustom. I gave the knob a slight taper, but the shape is a matter of personal choice. I then smoothed the knob by using progressively finer grades of sanding sticks. I flattened the end of the knob, but a tapered bullet shape would work, too.
"I bent the pin to shape by using a pair of needle‑nose pliers, drilled a small hole into the steering column, and superglued the new shifter into place. The shaft of the pin is just about the right size to duplicate a shifter arm, and the shaped pinhead makes a perfect knob. Repeat the process with the smaller pinhead to do the turn signal.
"This process would work for dash knobs, too, but they might be a little too small for this technique. Try it for yourself, and see what you think!"
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