New / Old favorite shift knob (screw on type)

[JohnS]

In my years of BMW ownership I've probably had every type of shift knob known to mankind, but I've always come back to the original black rubber shift knob.  I saw that Walloth & Nesch now makes a reproduction so I ordered a couple.  I like it a lot.  It's similar to my old knob but with a texture on top and more flexible new rubber.  It feels great to me.  Thought I'd share...

 

W&N on left, original on right..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19 by JohnS
Added content

[Stevenc22]

Awesome, i use that style in one of my 2002's and its my favorite. 

[Son of Marty]

Yup, I always liked the stock knob myself.

[JohnS]

The funny thing is that whenever I had a knob with a roundel on it, I was constantly fiddling with it to align the roundel squarely or something...  I like the profile and the grippy-ness of the rubber new one.  The old one is like hard plastic now.  Petrified.  I will preserve that fossil..

 

Edited July 19 by JohnS

[resra]

Reminds me of Dr. Seuss "Old hat, New hat"

 

 

[John76]

30 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I will preserve that fossil..

Toss it in the creek, let it mellow, then drink it in 12 years. 😁

 

 

[JohnS]

14 minutes ago, John76 said:

Toss it in the creek, let it mellow, then drink it in 12 years. 😁

 

 

That would Petrify me...  Maybe that's a good idea 😊

 

Better than CD's pool I guess...

Edited July 19 by JohnS

[Mike Self]

The original knob had the textured surface all over--it didn't take long for that to wear off and become smooth, like JohnS's original one. 

 

I didn't particularly care for that soft rubber one; took it off my '69 within weeks of buying the car and turned one from mahogany on a wood lathe using the same contour as the wood knob that came on a 2000CS.  I made the shaft a little too thin, though, and it broke during some spirited downshifting, so I made another one out of cherry with a thicker base.  It's still on the car--with a half century of hand polishing...

 

I later made one out of koa wood (from Hawaii, looks like a cross between mahogany and teak) for my '73, but I have a chunk of pipestone that is soft enough to turn on a wood lathe (but not with wood chisels!) or just hand carve.  Wouldn't a stone shift knob be cool... 

 

mike

[TobyB]

I too have a wood version that's roughly the same shape as the original rubber-

I like the stock shape, but smoother texture.

 

hmmm.

 

There's a big chunk of aluminum I've been tripping

over in the barn, recently...

 

t

profile cutter for the lathe, anyone?

[DieselOx]

The shift knob is such a key part of the experience driving an 02 (and most cars). I'm torn about what to do with the knob in Cookie Monster (1971). Having owned several '76s, I latched onto that same shape, but with leather and the roundel.

 

I think I'll drive with a later knob, but keep the original or equal for history.

 

Thanks for the info!

[VWScott]

I bought the billet alu. from IE. I like it because it's smooth, heavy and is a push on type that works with the Getrag 245. I think one turned from cherry would be great too.

[JsnPpp]

3 hours ago, DieselOx said:

The shift knob is such a key part of the experience driving an 02 (and most cars). I'm torn about what to do with the knob in Cookie Monster (1971). Having owned several '76s, I latched onto that same shape, but with leather and the roundel.

 

I think I'll drive with a later knob, but keep the original or equal for history.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Cookie monster has original CR 5 speed right? (I think you said it did?). If so, only one knob for you - the rubber original type embossed with the CR 5spd pattern on the top. Awesome!

 

 

[DieselOx]

1 hour ago, JsnPpp said:

 

Cookie monster has original CR 5 speed right? (I think you said it did?). If so, only one knob for you - the rubber original type embossed with the CR 5spd pattern on the top. Awesome!

 

 

Yep. The knob on it is so chalky it looks like it will fall apart. From the pics it looks like it had the pattern embossed, but barely legible, thought I was imagining it.

 

OK, so that's settled then.

[Son of Marty]

My first project in metal shop was to turn a aluminum shift knob for my bug eye sprite, the cars long gone but I still have the knob.

[VWScott]

9 minutes ago, Son of Marty said:

My first project in metal shop was to turn a aluminum shift knob for my bug eye sprite, the cars long gone but I still have the knob.

Pic?