I Wanted So Much To Like This Knob

Several years back the MMC visited a local manufacturer that was making aluminum bits for the Miata. I bought their shift knob, hand brake lever handle and a cigarette lighter that was engraved to read “EJECT.” Their shift knob was shaped sort of like a toy top or tornado and had a nice rubber grip in the middle.

I liked the rubber grip as it stayed cool in summer and warm in winter. Plus the combo of black and silver was a nice touch in the black interior. I just couldn’t get used to the flat top, so I bought the much beloved in the Miata.net community Voodoo shift knob.

I’d like to say I’ve never looked back, but I have. After a summer of cooking my palm on the solid ball of aluminum I wanted to incorporate the rubber piece from the MGW knob into the Voodoo. So I machined a horizontal groove into the voodoo that was the same size as the MGW gripper knob and melded to the two together. It came out just as I envisioned it, but I didn’t like the feel. Never got used to it and ordered a new Voodoo knob to replace the one I ruined. While I was at it I ordered the matching ebrake handle too. So now the only remaining item from the first trio of items is the EJECT lighter.

Last week while cleaning out a drawer at work and found the MGW gripper knob sans the grip. MGW is out of the Miata parts business, but still makes stuff for other cars, so I emailed them and asked if I could get a rubber gripper still. $5 and a replacement is yours they replied. While I waited for the postman, I decided to paint the aluminum Garnet Red. Three coats of red and two of clear and it looked pretty good. Yesterday a box came in the mail with not one, but two gripper rings. They had changed the mold so that there was now a key in the rubber to match a groove that must have gone in later knobs to prevent the ring from turning, so I had to dremel that out before I could put it on. Only taking out one little chip mounting the gripper I installed the knob in the car. I knew right away I had created another failed mod. I left it on for the day, but tonight it came back out and the Voodoo went back on. Still didn’t like the flat top and the red looked out of place in the interior because there was no other red to balance it out. It’ll make a nice looking paperweight…