Once the wood trim is off you only need to remove the "lid" of the black box (just the gated part). There are two plastic pins at the front of the box, one on either side. Pull them out (toward the ashtray) first. Once the pins are removed you just need to pry off the top of the box. A flathead screwdriver will help. You will obviously not be able to fully remove this part, since the opening in the gate is smaller than the shifter handle, so it's pretty tight in there.