How to remove Factory OEM shifter Boot Assembly

[Griffbl]

Howdy from Texas again. I am trying to replace my factory T5 shifter with a Cobra style 427 shifter. The knob just twists off of course. I did try some pry tools to pop up the housing, but I can feel some screws around the perimeter holding the housing to the tunnel. Said screws are positioned under the leather. I was hoping there might be a way to get them off without removing the stitching that forms the leather boot. I have a replacement round rubber boot and chrome ring to secure the new shifter, but was trying to preserve the original leather boot also....Am I missing something? Thank you so much in advance for your help! Most Sincerely, Brad

[westcott]

Those are rivets, no screw. The leather has a metal ring glued inside and the rivets connect this ring to the tunnel.

You can open the seam carefully and remove the rivets from the top or you disassemble ghe tunnel to the top and remove the rivets from inside of the tunnel. In this case you don't need to open the shifter bag seam.