What Is Your Favorite Shift Knob?

[Paul4223]

My top loader has a Hurst Shifter which came with a white ball and the shift pattern printed on top. It's "ok" but I'm thinking of something a bit nicer. I may adapt the original wooden knob which is 1/2-20 female to the 3/8-16 male on the Hurst, or I may go to a period non-correct brushed stainless weighted 2" ball. Scott Drake has a nice-looking billet knob with flat top, that also caught my eye. I've got aluminum racing-style pedals so a brushed knob would look nifty, IMO. Car is triple black.

I'm curious to know what some of you guys are running that you like a lot?

 

[cadreamn67]

Not a direct response to your question, just a FYI in case it is meaningful info.

I have installed a competition plus in my Tiger but have not driven it yet. The shaft is short and straight and is not a typical one for the Ford application. I think it may actually be one for a Vette. (But since my motor also has Chevy pushrods and some other parts...) Anyway I personally like the look of it with the oversize white ball. Sort of a performance statement in my own mind to go with the 347 motor.

Not sure if you know this but it is possible to adapt a stock Tiger shifter to the Hurst mechanism. The adapter is outrageously expensive for what is a small piece of angle iron you could probably make yourself. The reverse lever does not work but the look is stock. So if you like the look of the stock lever, and knobs that would fit it, that might be an option to consider.

Gene

 

[66TigerMK1A]

Personally, I still like the look of the original Ford knob the best! I bought a 289 Cobra shift stick with a dummy lockout that fits the Hurst comp plus shifter on my toploader and it all looked stock. I really wanted the reverse lockout lever too even though it's just a 'dummy' on that stick. Much improved look vs. the Hurst 'Indy' stick that was on it

As far as knobs, now that I have a Tremec... I prefer a knob with a 5 speed pattern

see pic the Cobra one below ...and my new setup with homemade stick


Jim
B382000446

 

[ToyTrainGuy]

My top loader has a Hurst Shifter which came with a white ball and the shift pattern printed on top. It's "ok" but I'm thinking of something a bit nicer. I may adapt the original wooden knob which is 1/2-20 female to the 3/8-16 male on the Hurst, or I may go to a period non-correct brushed stainless weighted 2" ball. Scott Drake has a nice-looking billet knob with flat top, that also caught my eye. I've got aluminum racing-style pedals so a brushed knob would look nifty, IMO. Car is triple black.

I'm curious to know what some of you guys are running that you like a lot?

My vote is for a knob that has a 5th gear attached to the other end, like this one....

 

[Paul4223]

Not a direct response to your question, just a FYI in case it is meaningful info….
Not sure if you know this but it is possible to adapt a stock Tiger shifter to the Hurst mechanism. The adapter is outrageously expensive for what is a small piece of angle iron you could probably make yourself. The reverse lever does not work but the look is stock. So if you like the look of the stock lever, and knobs that would fit it, that might be an option to consider.

Gene

Hi Gene:
Thanks for the FYI- I was not aware of such an adapter. I do have the original tall shifter, but not the black knob, just the accessory wooden one. The reverse lever does look pretty cool.

And yeah, to all you 5-speed guys, those knobs looks pretty cool as well.

 

[67 Tiger]

For me nothing says "Hot Rod", like a Hurst lever with a white ball.

 

[tgrrr]

Form follows function... attached to 5 speed.

 

[cobrakidz]

I like the old white round Hurst ball.........

 

[0neoffive]

Comfort OR Style

Photo shows the hard rock capped std shifter for snobby dress up. The circa 1966 Amco leather cap & boot is for memories and comfort. The handle is over bent to place 3rd gear closer to my short throwing arm. . . . . .

 

[Tomaselli]

I picked up a period ball with a real neat shift pattern, it was scuffed and aged which suits my Rat Tiger a lot me thinks;

......you'll see the brake line lock

 

[Tomaselli]

Should have mentioned, with the Hurst ball it's comfortable being a tad larger to my hands.

 

[hottigr]

I've had this one on my car for 25 years. Don't know it's origins, but I like it:

 

[michael-king]

Looks liek the AMCO period shifters... still available from various sources

 

[hottigr]

Amco- that sounds familiar. I don't have large hands...this leather wrapped knob is perfect for me.

 

[0neoffive]

That's IT !

Amco- that sounds familiar. I don't have large hands...this leather wrapped knob is perfect for me.

Same one in my previous photo. luv it . . . .

 

[Paul4223]

$3.05 worth of hardware and I was able to attach the old wood knob to the Hurst. Not too bad, and certainly affordable. I've got calls and emails out about an adapter to attach the Tiger Shifter to the Hurst linkage but so far no responses. I'm not sure I want to spend the bux for the 289 Cobra Shifter which will bolt to the Hurst.

 

[cadreamn67]

Paul,

Auto Krafters used to have the adapter. Cannot find it on their web site right now. I did find this discussion of what they had a couple of years ago.

http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/510020-shift-handle-adapter-stock-hurst.html

As I remember seeing the adapter several years ago, it looked just like a piece of angle iron cut with a leg down into the shifter linkage and a flat part on top drilled for the stock shifter to bolt into. They wanted like $50 for the adapter. I remember thinking I could make the same thing for considerably less.

There are some adapters for Muncie trans on ebay now that would give you a better picture. The down shaft is centered there, but as I remember the Ford shifter adapters, they were like a piece of angle iron. But I could be wrong.

Gene.

 

[Paul4223]

Paul,

Auto Krafters used to have the adapter. Cannot find it on their web site right now. I did find this discussion of what they had a couple of years ago.

http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/510020-shift-handle-adapter-stock-hurst.html

As I remember seeing the adapter several years ago, it looked just like a piece of angle iron cut with a leg down into the shifter linkage and a flat part on top drilled for the stock shifter to bolt into. They wanted like $50 for the adapter. I remember thinking I could make the same thing for considerably less.

There are some adapters for Muncie trans on ebay now that would give you a better picture. The down shaft is centered there, but as I remember the Ford shifter adapters, they were like a piece of angle iron. But I could be wrong.

Gene.

Hi Gene:
Thank you- I could not find it on Auto Krafters' site either. I'll keep looking on the 'nets. At this point, I'd likely happily pay the $50.00.

My knob "adapter" shown pictured in my last post is not satisfactory. Not only does it put the wooden knob into my right knee in second gear, but I've decided it's not especially pretty.

Ironically, after spending a couple of fruitless hours or so looking for a simple threaded sleeve to adapt the 1/2-20 threads in the original wood knob to the Hurst 3/8-16 male, I found a basic black ball at a Napa store which comes with that very adapter. Another funny thing is that this basic black knob was the only shift knob in the entire store! I bought the kit for $10.00 and will try it tomorrow and see where the old wood knob sits relative to my knee.

Maybe I'll change shift knobs periodically, a fashion statement sorta like hemlines. One thing I'm likely not going to do is buy the Cobra 289 with dummy reverse lever.

 

[Bob Knight]

Shifter

B9471705 came with a Hurst shifter with a fairly long stick when I bought it. I originally put that in, but didn't like the look of the long stick, and bought a new stick that approximated the length of the early Tiger stubby shifter. I think the Hurst shift linkage must have been engineered for a longer shifter, like on a Mustang, because with the short stick it was REALLY stiff to shift.
On the other Tiger's I've had, all of which had the factory short shifter, I like how they shifter, but I've always wished it was about an inch taller, which would make it a lot more comfortable for me to shift. I don't like the later Tiger long shifters, I think they look "funky" - too long for a sports car. I like the look of the factory shift knob with the reverse lockout. At the time I was looking for a new shifter, about a year ago, I couldn't find a factory short shifter anywhere so I had to improvise.
I bought one of the rebuilt Ford shift linkages from the guy who sells them on eBay, and bought a repro 65 Mustang shifter with a functional reverse lockout. And a knob from CAT. Then I disassembled it, cut the stick right above the bend, cut off and bored the remaining piece out of the bottom block, and then welded the remaining top straight piece into the bottom block, making it 1 inch taller than a factory shifter. Re-assembled, installed, and it works and looks just like a factory short shifter complete with functional reverse lockout - except it's an inch taller!
Bob Knight
B9471705
B9471929

 

[Paul4223]

B9471705 came with a Hurst shifter with a fairly long stick when I bought it. I originally put that in, but didn't like the look of the long stick, and bought a new stick that approximated the length of the early Tiger stubby shifter. I think the Hurst shift linkage must have been engineered for a longer shifter, like on a Mustang, because with the short stick it was REALLY stiff to shift.
On the other Tiger's I've had, all of which had the factory short shifter, I like how they shifter, but I've always wished it was about an inch taller, which would make it a lot more comfortable for me to shift. I don't like the later Tiger long shifters, I think they look "funky" - too long for a sports car. I like the look of the factory shift knob with the reverse lockout. At the time I was looking for a new shifter, about a year ago, I couldn't find a factory short shifter anywhere so I had to improvise.
I bought one of the rebuilt Ford shift linkages from the guy who sells them on eBay, and bought a repro 65 Mustang shifter with a functional reverse lockout. And a knob from CAT. Then I disassembled it, cut the stick right above the bend, cut off and bored the remaining piece out of the bottom block, and then welded the remaining top straight piece into the bottom block, making it 1 inch taller than a factory shifter. Re-assembled, installed, and it works and looks just like a factory short shifter complete with functional reverse lockout - except it's an inch taller!
Bob Knight
B9471705
B9471929

Hey Bob:
Ages ago, I tried the short shifter and did not like it. It felt a bit awkward- that's before I had the Hurst linkage. I also wasn't thrilled with the long shifter but lived with it for many years. Now, that I've got the Hurst, I find the height of the shifter arm just about perfect, but I would indeed prefer an OEM look. So, my question to you is, do you do house calls? Clearly your solution is quite elegant!