New shifter knob

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Decided to try a different shifter knob in the car. This car has pretty long throws between gears. The factory knob is rather tall which just exacerbates the problem. It also forces you to keep your hand rather high up. I am still pondering a short shifter kit though...

The new knob is an M style weighted knob. It weighs about the same as the OEM knob (maybe slightly more) but is shorter. The throws are still far from short and sporty, but it does feel a little better. The touch and feel of this new knob is very nice as well.

ZHP_knob.jpg


ZHP_knob_installed_closeup.jpg


ZHP_knob_installed.jpg



And below is the old factory knob. The wood accent matched the rest of the interior, but I find the overall looks of it kind of antiquated. The new knob adds a bit of a sporty look... not that it really matters in a family sedan. Something different I guess...

OEM_knob.jpg
 
Nice!

Great condition of the interior of your car. E39's are probably the most attractive cars BMW ever made. They used to define the marque and everything that was good about it (from a design perspective), which is why BMW o'philes were so hard on Chris Bangle.
 
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Nice!

Great condition of the interior of your car.

Thanks. Only issue is the passenger seat leather - it is very brittle, cardboard-like. It was like that since I bought it 2 years ago. Not sure if the first four years of its life in hot Florida sun contributed to it or if it was like that from day one. Driver's seat and rear seats seem to be much softer.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Didn't want to hijack the thread.

No sweat. Nice logo! :)


It was too much info. I don't want an identifier posted on the Web.
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I like the wood knob better, but I'm sure the better shift feel is worth it. I don't wood is not antiquated (if done right - not the fake junk), people pay a lot for it now.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
I like the wood knob better. And wood is not antiquated, people pay a lot for it.

Well, OK... maybe I was being a bit harsh there... wood makes it look more dignified. Both knobs look good, IMO. I just wanted to try something else. Might still do the short shift kit down the road, although the long throws don't bother me as much as they used to...
 
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
So what you're saying is that you like feeling your knob?


I see your boss sent you to assist your buddy. Your dirty mouth could stand a clean and rinse phase, cleanfreak.
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I wouldn`t waste my time with a short throw shifter if I were you. I tried a Fidanza short shifter in my car awhile back and didn`t like it at all. The stock shifter is superior. The short shifter was very notchy and unacurate. It was really easy to miss-shift with it and I can shift 200% faster with more accuracy with the stocker.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wouldn`t waste my time with a short throw shifter if I were you. I tried a Fidanza short shifter in my car awhile back and didn`t like it at all. The stock shifter is superior. The short shifter was very notchy and unacurate. It was really easy to miss-shift with it and I can shift 200% faster with more accuracy with the stocker.

Thanks for your opinion. There are many different short shift kits out there, at least for my application. Some good, some not so good. The one I was considering comes highly recommended by others who have installed it in the same car as mine. It ain't cheap though.

I put in a short shift kit on my old A4 as well - I liked it much better than stock.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
But I really don't like the use of wood in any car interior.

I'm right there with you, unless it's really dark wood, which this one isn't, even though it appears that way in some photos.

If it were me, I'd prefer black leather with platinum/carbonfiber accents, alas, it was slim pickins in the used car market...
 
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