Justin
01-23-2012, 02:08 AM
Ken(GarageStar) has been a friend of mine for a while now, and is one of the most influential Roadster owners in my life. I've seen many of his products in person and have lusted after many of them, especially his carbon plug cover and the aluminum cooling panel. Since I got my Miata, I've focused mainly on maintenance, and that came with rebuilding my shifter with new boots and bushings, and fresh gear oil. The shifting dramatically improved, but my 5th gear grind was still prominent, and at times it felt clunky with the stock shift knob.
That was when I started to look for a new shift knob, I wanted a weighted one for sure. I was thinking along the lines of a Moddiction Anvil II, or a Voodoo. I rocked a bubble knob for awhile as I was in my drifting stage, but I got it out of my system, it made the throws too long. Ken then told me at the local NorcalRoadsters meet that a ball type shift knob was in development. At first I thought it would look like the those small Greddy ones, not like those spun stainless steel ones that I wanted.
Finally, they were released:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/386397_10150480616587996_641397995_8697273_1559515 770_n.jpg
Shipping was fast, ordered it Tuesday night, got it on Thursday. He even included a special knit cover to help during the times the knob is scorching hot or frozen.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/377092_10150480613577996_641397995_8697253_1851525 01_n.jpg
It looks perfect, not too big, not too small. It also weights perfect at around 303 grams. The stainless steel perfectly matches my brushed aluminum gauge panel and my soon-to-come vent rings. Best of all, is that it's made of the traditional good quality GarageStar is known for.
Left to right: stock, GarageStar, not mine
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/394179_10150481850887996_641397995_8703000_1761130 935_n.jpg
I installed it and I felt a huge difference in shifting. The extra weight really helped to minimize the 5th gear grind that I had. It's still there, but just less noticeable. The shifter wants to actually go into the gear you tell it to go into. No more hunting for gears, and downshifts are a bliss. Honestly, it makes me go out for a drive more often :woolery:
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/381126_10150502289272996_641397995_8792142_3503147 54_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/386417_10150502295097996_641397995_8792168_9538498 43_n.jpg
This shift knob is definitely worth the $55 it costs, the feel of a Joyfast for roughly half the cost. I can't wait to see what GarageStar has planned next...
That was when I started to look for a new shift knob, I wanted a weighted one for sure. I was thinking along the lines of a Moddiction Anvil II, or a Voodoo. I rocked a bubble knob for awhile as I was in my drifting stage, but I got it out of my system, it made the throws too long. Ken then told me at the local NorcalRoadsters meet that a ball type shift knob was in development. At first I thought it would look like the those small Greddy ones, not like those spun stainless steel ones that I wanted.
Finally, they were released:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/386397_10150480616587996_641397995_8697273_1559515 770_n.jpg
Shipping was fast, ordered it Tuesday night, got it on Thursday. He even included a special knit cover to help during the times the knob is scorching hot or frozen.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/377092_10150480613577996_641397995_8697253_1851525 01_n.jpg
It looks perfect, not too big, not too small. It also weights perfect at around 303 grams. The stainless steel perfectly matches my brushed aluminum gauge panel and my soon-to-come vent rings. Best of all, is that it's made of the traditional good quality GarageStar is known for.
Left to right: stock, GarageStar, not mine
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/394179_10150481850887996_641397995_8703000_1761130 935_n.jpg
I installed it and I felt a huge difference in shifting. The extra weight really helped to minimize the 5th gear grind that I had. It's still there, but just less noticeable. The shifter wants to actually go into the gear you tell it to go into. No more hunting for gears, and downshifts are a bliss. Honestly, it makes me go out for a drive more often :woolery:
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/381126_10150502289272996_641397995_8792142_3503147 54_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/386417_10150502295097996_641397995_8792168_9538498 43_n.jpg
This shift knob is definitely worth the $55 it costs, the feel of a Joyfast for roughly half the cost. I can't wait to see what GarageStar has planned next...