DSVette Corvette Leather Interior Installation

Down South Vettes Custom leather interior

Would you like to really spruce up the interior of your Corvette C6? The Down South Vette leather interior is one of those Corvette Parts that you cannot resist!! This article will show you how to completely tear down the center stack and install the Down South Vette Console Lid, DSVette Shift Boot, DSVette Brake Handle, Ebrake boot, Down South Vette radio bezel, and the DSVette Center console base. The installtion is on an Automatic transmission.

Before picture. Completely stock Corvette C6 interior.


After picture.


All of the parts going on in this batch. Center console base, console lid, center dash, shift knob, shift boot, brake knob, and brake boot.


I cut this piece of foam drawer liner to line the center console with.

In this picture you can see the shift knob is removed. To remove put the car in neutral, set parking brake, and turn off car. Then you twist the plastic ring shown in the picture (ring at top of the leather boot). Twist it clockwise from about 12 to 2 position. Now pull up on the shift knob and at the same time pull down on the ring. I’d same more pulling up on the knob than anything. It should pop off and you are left with the above picture.


Remove console cover. 4 Torx screws.


Remove brake knob. Phillips screw show here. Just slide the boot down and out of the way.


Now that the screw is removed just pull off the knob. To remove the brake boot just pull it off. There are 2 pressure pins and 2 notched pins.


Brake knob and boot removed.


Remove these two hex head screws.

The center dash peice is all pressure fit. It will pull back easily, start at the bottom and work your way to the top. Don’t pull too far, there are a lot of cables attached. There are a ton of things to unplug so I’ll attempt to point them out. This is drivers side heated seat. I’m going to show all of the wire plugs, it might help to see them when you are feeling around behind the bezel to unplug them.


This is passenger side heated seat. Just squeeze the bottom middle and it pops out.


Ash try cigarette lighter.


Emergency flasher button.


Center console cigarette lighter plug.


Traction control button.


Here is a picture with everything out.


The boot needs the shift ring taken out by cutting the zip tie. The plastic ring around the shift position indicator is glued in so it needs the leather pulled away.

The leather boot is cut for the position indicator, but I think it really needs glued in.

Here is the boot with the plastic position indicator glued in. I glued it back in similar to how the factory boot was glued into it. I used some leather/fabric glue. You apply to the leather and plastic, wait a few minutes, and then both are tacky.


The center ring just slips right into the new boot. It’s a pressure fit.

The position indicator ring snaps back in, the boot slips over the entire shifter base, the center ring slips back on, with light pressure push the shift knob back on, turn the center ring from 2 counter clockwise back to 12. You can see the shift position indicator is just sitting on; with some light pressure it will go back into place.


I hate to say put everything back together in reverse, but that is what you do. Put the console base on first (if you took it off to install a new one). Then snap the radio bezel back in place starting at the top. You’ll probably have some trouble on the passenger side. It’s all a tight fit because the new leather is a thicker product than the factory stuff. The brake boot goes on next, then the brake handle, and finally console cover.

Corvette C6 Racing Spoiler Installation

I wrote this up after completing the installation of the GM Corvette Full Length Racing Spoiler. The C6 racing spoiler is one of those Corvette Parts that really dresses up the rear end of your Corvette. Please feel free to send me any feedback you might have or variations of the installation so that I can post it here to share with others.

So starting from the beginning….

You are going to need

10mm Socket

Drill

7 mm Drill Bit

T15 Torx bit

Scotch Tape

Dremel Tool

1) The first step is to remove all 4 tail lights…Yes, you are going to need to remove all of them, do not even think about only doing two, it will just make your life more complicated in the end. They remove from the rear bumper with a single T15 Torx screw at the top of the light. The whole assembly pulls right out. Be careful when removing the T15 screw that the metal clip that the screw goes through does not fall into your bumper (pain in the neck to retrieve or a trip to the dealership for a new one). You can let the lights hang or disconnect them from the harness (I chose to let mine hang).

2) Next step is to reach in side the rear bumper, through the tail light holes and remove the stock CHMSL (center high mounted stop lamp). There are 4 10mm nuts that need to be unscrewed. Once complete, take off the stock CHMSL and unplug the wiring harness.

3) Remove all of the studs from the stock CHMSL and install them in the new full length spoiler along with the center light. Also take the included tinnerman clips and install them in the new spoiler.

4) This is where things can get dicey, be careful and take your time. Before we continue, I will tell you that I tried to think up other methods to install the Corvette full length spoiler without drilling on the rear fascia and could not come up with a secure solution. I thought about using double sided tape but there is not enough flat surface area under the new spoiler to perform this method correctly. I ended up deciding I would drill and was very pleased with the results, just can never go back to stock (not that I want to anyway).

5) So here we go, using the enclosed paper template and some scotch tape, line up the template on the rear of your car (you need to first cut the template out of the paper). Use the notch for the brake light as your center point and work from the center out. Smooth it out over the rear of the car and tape in place. If on the car correctly, it should line up perfectly with the notch in the center, and the sides and rear of the top of the bumper. If it does not line up perfect, then something is wrong and you need to figure it out before drilling.

6) Once you have the template in place, wrinkle free, and taped down you are ready to drill. Using a small drill bit, drill pilot holes in the 4 places marked on the template. Drill right through the template with the paper still in place to make sure you are exact. Once you get the pilot holes, move up to a 7MM drill bit and enlarge each of the 4 holes.  Make sure all your tail lights have been pulled out or you run the risk of drilling into the end lights.

7) Next, (and last of the painful part) is you will need to enlarge the notch in the rear bumper where the stock light went. You just need to shave off the bottom lip with a dremel tool (really easy, but scary). This has to be done to allow the wiring harness to plug into the light.

8) Ok, all downhill from here……Pull off the template and install the spoiler. Gently line up the studs with the predrilled holes without scratching your paint. Push it down and make sure you shaved off enough of the notch so that the wiring harness with plug in. If so, screw down the fastening nuts on the each side (two on each side). The center studs just slip through the holes but no nuts are needed.

9) The GM directions also call for double sided tape on the ends. I did not use it and did not see any value in using it, up to you, but I omitted this.

10) Tighten everything down and reinstall the tail lights. Site back and enjoy the look of the new spoiler, really makes your Corvette look awesome!!!