Voodoo Shift Knobs
 

Has anyone added a new shift knob for their RX-8?

I have been looking at the various sizes and finishes. I am leaning towards a pearl finish 2" sphere. Has anyone tried the pistol grip style voodoos?

Voodoo Shift Knobs

Those are awful, they look like some of the bad shiftknobs from ebay. No offense, but just not my taste.

NO WAY!!!

Don't even consider it - they are disgusting.

I dont know, but I think they just took door knobs and called them shifters :)..... Not my cup of tea but if you like them go for it....

I have only seen web photos, never one in person. I have read a few posts that imply that they are nice shift knobs...

What would guy recomend as a replacment? Or just keep the stock one (it is stylish, but not super comfortable).

voodoo knobs
 

I had one on my Miata, and still have one on the wife's SVT Contour, and I'm ordering one for the RX-8. Wouldn't live without it. And you know you can have it engraved by Joe Portas the Knobmeister.

Re: voodoo knobs
 

Which style/color do you think matches the RX-8?

(ETC!)

You guys are obviously unfamiliar with the legendary Voodoo shift knobs - They're more than just shift knobs, you should know...

Seriously, they have a huge following in the Miata world - they were patterned after the classic Ferrari spun aluminum shift knob, and are machined from billet aluminum with threaded collar (no lame set-screws here). I own two of them - a crinkle-black regular Voodoo knob, and a polished aluminum Magnum Voodoo knob (I also have a custom wood shift knob made by one of our local Miata club members). They really do enhance the shift feel of the car - major functional improvement, if lacking the flashiness that impresses the cruising crowd these days (avoiding the rice word). I've thought of getting one for the RX-8, but figure Mazda put so much effort into providing that rotor-shaped shift knob that I feel obligated to stick with it a while longer! ;)

Regards,
Gordon

Not my cup o tea, but if it works for you then that's all that matters. Personally, I can't use a solid metal shift knob here in Phx, It gets to dang hot. I tried that before with a brand that had thier logo engraved on it and the first time I got in the car to drive somewhare after the car had been sitting out in the sun all day, I felt like that Nazi guy in Indiana Jones when he brands his hand on the medalion.

Nope, no way for me. While I can see the apeal to these replacement knobs, one of the things I like best about my 8 is the rotary-shaped shift knob it came with. Plenty of other things to spend money on too. :)

One thing to remember if considering a replacement shift knob: the OEM knob is quite heavy. I suspect that this is to improve shifting feel and/or reduce vibration; replacing it with a lightweight alternative may be detrimental in one of both of those areas.

i like the stock knob i dont see myself replacing it unless i get the leather light up one

I also like the look and style of the stock shifter. There was a post however of someone having trouble with the finish wearing off. Has anyone else had this problem? I haven't yet and I am at 2500 miles.

I think the only people with wear problems are those that like to fondle their knob while they drive. ;)

This is a ferrari-style knob, not a pistol-grip clear plastic LED-ridden ebay knob. This coming from Mr. Function-over-form :)

I had a team voodoo knob in my acura - it helped out shifting feel because the stock knob was very tall, and the thread only ran up about halfway through the knob. In extreme summer/winter temps here it wasn't too bad in that respect.

But since the stock knob in the 8 has a good feel already, I don't know if I'd spring for one.

I can attest to the amount of thought that went into the Voodoo knob. As I recall its development stemmed from a lengthy thread on the CompuServe "Miata-ville" SIG, which I frequented back in the day. (This was a few years before Al Gore invented the Internet).

Aluminum was chosen for its light weight, which results in a lower moment of inertia (quicker shifts), and also reduced thermal mass (so it doesn't burn through your palm on a hot day). Titanium would have similar properties. The sphere also serves to lower overall height, resulting in a shorter throw (quicker shifts). I sense a pattern...

My idea of a copper knob was shelved because of the thermal issue.

Somewhere I have the 5 1/2" floppies which I used to download the message threads to my C64 at a blazing 300baud. Serious! Funny, there seemed just as much good information available then as there is now with high-speed internet. Maybe that represents some kind of universal constant :)

Anyway, I never got over my copper jones and put off my purchase; ended up cancelling CompuServe at some point (it did cost $6 per hour!). Nice to know the legend survived. It must have been 12 or 13 years by now. I still have the Miata too, but I think it's going to be swapped for an 8 pretty soon. Maybe this time around I'll use some VooDoo. The pearl aluminum looks fine.

Voodoo Bob does offer a Titanium Voodoo Knob, but it is a little pricey. but it is pretty nice. i am still debating on ordering the Ti knob or the regular polished/chrome piece.

santino

Well, I took the plunge and ordered a 2" pearl shift knob. I will post again about it once it comes.

voodoo
 

I'd like to see that pearl knob installed. Almost went that route myself but have ordered the smooth black instead with the thought of getting it engraved.

Hey,

If you're interested in some Titanium shift knobs or similarities, check out:

obbnmotorworks.com

Look around :D

knobbers
 

Trouble is, many of those look like beer tap handles, golf clubs, or marital aids. Where do I put the batteries?

Read POS for 'company cars' on Carlson's sig line. (Speaking of thread drift... ;-)

Speaking of that sig. what year Lotus Elite, I don't suppose you have any digital photos of it? ;)

And to stay on topic, I'll take a Momo knob, or my current Prodrive knob. The Voodoo knob just looks cheap and cheesy to me, maybe they are great knobs but I'm not impressed by the pics.

I still don't get what can even look cheap about the voodoo knobs. They're so simple. Maybe if you have a black spun one with an 8-ball engraved on it, but this does not look cheap to me:

http://www.maserati-sudan.ch/Ferrari...20Interior.jpg

Especially when compared to this, for $70 and from what I can tell is a set-screw universal knob:

http://www.flat4engineering.com/prod...ro-0008bkd.jpg

The momo knobs I see are similarly brand-name over-priced and are set-screw mounted. I'd rather have something that threads directly in.

same here. i made the mistake of purchasing a Momo...the thing kept on spinning around after a few months on my FD. bought the Voodoo knobs for all the cars ever since. and that was 4 years ago for the Miata and the 7.

there was a comment on the heat the metal knobs absorb...just crack a window so the air will circulate a bit or cover the knob with a hat or glove....problem solved. and if you have arthritis, the heat makes it feel better!:D


santino

I covered mine with an emergency-spill towel that I'd stuff under the seat, and maybe keep it covered for the first two minutes of driving if it was a reeeeeal cold day. Problem solved.

Check it......

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...threadid=12894

You don't know who Prodrive is do you? No it's not a set screw it's a direct fit since Prodrive prepares the WRC cars for Subaru, it also attachs rather nicely to the shift boot which I don't see happening with the Voodoo knobs. Or maybe the Prodrive Ferrari's will ring a bellthat beat the next competitor by 10 laps at Le Mans this year in the GTS class. Hehe, I don't know my point with all this but the Prodrive knob is a great fit and feels great in my hand, I'll agree with you guys on the Momo that it's not a direct fit on cars which is why I went with the prodrive, but still nice products.

Ike

Oh Gawd, I'm cheesy! I've actually been thinking about drilling out an 8-ball for the knob.

8 - get it?

....slaps

....forehead

naw, i still think it'd be cute.

Geez Ike, way to come up with a rant about nothing! YOU said you had a momo knob and a Prodrive knob, and HE said . Obviously you don't disagree with that point, yet you come up with a response ranting about how he doesn't know who Prodrive is. He never mentioned Prodrive!!

If you ever wanted someone to show you an example of how you troll for arguments, here it is - you're deliberately picking an argument out of thin air. You just couldn't concede that maybe the Voodoo knobs do resemble the shift knob on that F360, huh?

As for attaching to the shift boot - Voodoo knobs (nor any other Miata shift knobs) don't need to, because the shifter height is so short that the shift knob sits right down against the shift boot anyway - there's never any gap. I would expect an RX-8 version to be the same.

Regards,
Gordon

Well, I *did* go out and find the first prodrive knob pic I could find, and posted it in comparison, and said it looked cheaper :) Talk about fitting shift boots, look at the neck on that knob...overall = not the best looking shift knob to me. I'm sure it does its job, but $70?

The voodoo knobs are designed for their specific applications to fit the boot correctly, ie: http://www.teamvoodoo.com/Voodoo/Images/VKnob_Grip.jpg

If you take a look at my homepage pictures of my old acura, you'll see that since I got an S2000 knob, it didn't quite fit the boot. But, if you wish, you can always move the boot ring up yourself. I'm generally a function-over-form guy though (which some people claim as a personal quality, *ahem* :) ), and didn't really care about that :)

:eek: THAT was the ProDrive shift knob?? :eek: Maybe it is threaded rather than setscrew, but I thought you posted it as an example of a generic cheesy shift knob! Seriously, that pic makes it look like crap.

Apologies to Ike, then, in that you did mention ProDrive, so his rant wasn't quite the unjustified argument that I suggested. However, I have to seriously question Ike's taste if he thinks THAT thing looks classy and the Voodoo looks cheesy! :p

Regards,
Gordon

Gord I think you need to go read page two over again :p By the way I don't have the black knob from prodrive, I don't like painted shift knobs because they are bound to get scratched and look like hell. In case you didn't already figure it out I don't own a Momo knob, I have the Prodrive but like Momo knobs. Though I uderstand why people wouldn't want to Momo due to not having a direct fit, it's why I didn't ask for the Momo to match my Momo steering wheel. Anyhow the Prodrive was a gift and normally I would be satisfied with stock, but needed to think of something for someone that wanted to give me a birthday gift.

To cover all bases - '93 SHO Taurus, '62 Lotus Super 7, '60 Lotus Elite (the type 14 in other words), '92 Miata, '69 and '73 BMW, '60 Volvo.

Can't find an Elite pic right now but I'll go look. Meanwhile here's a pic of the Miata at Pacific Grove, CA and the Seven at the air races in Olathe, KS.

http://www.authorsandartists.com/Car...k/miata-pg.jpg

http://www.authorsandartists.com/Car...theAirRace.jpg

Very cool car, I love the type 14, I was affraid you were going to say one of the mid 70s models so I held off on the compliment :p

OK, kids, here's a picture of a smooth black Voodoo knob in an RX-8. I think it compliments the piano black rather nicely.
And Ike, you get 10 bonus points for even being aware of the mid-'70s P.O.S. Elite.

I should also add the Knobmeister (http://www.knobmeister.com/) does great engraving on these knobs. He also has a Visor Glove which may well fit the RX-8 and can be embroidered to suit.

http://www.authorsandartists.com/Car...ank/v-knob.jpg

that is damn tight man
________
PREGNANT PISSING

I think I might try a titanium one since it goes with the car. I can shift pretty much anyway and I like the look. If I dont like it I can always sell it off on ebay.

great pics
your shifter looks great

damn good post pooMan

I installed my pearl Voodoo knob tonight. I find it very nice to hold, but makes the shifter even shorter.

My seat is quite low to give me headroom, and my arm rubs on the armrest a bit. I will have to try it for a week and see how it turns out.

damn, that pearl is hott too, i was thinking of getting the pearl, but the black is so damned stealth...hmmmmmmmm
________
LovelyWendie

thanks
________
Suzuki Gsx1400 Specifications

I'm 6'3" and my seat is all the way down too, but I rest my arm on the console and can shift with just a "flick of the wrist" as they say. I was impressed with how heavy the original knob was, nothing like the Miata which isn't even good enough for a paperweight. The RX-8 knob weighs a ton.
The Voodoo certainly does impart a different feel. It almosts seems like a smaller car when shifting.
Those worried about heat or cold can get a Knob Glove from the Knobmeister.

Looks good. Where did you get your dash-topper

I purchased the shift knob from team voodoo.

Team Voodoo

2 questions, first of all, do you guys think the titanium knob would go well with the interior? (because there really is no other titanium bits on the inside) and secondly, if I have the NAV system, do you think the controls would get in the way of shifting? Seeing that the knob is so short? thanks a lot

if you have the means, go for the Ti. knob. and go for the magnum size, it fits better in the palm.

santino

Re: voodoo knobs
 

Here's my Voodoo knob mocked-up with transparencies of how it will be laser-engraved by THE knobmeister. Pending arrival of what will become a Lightning Yellow with Yellow and Black interior. Since the knob is a direct screw-on to the factory post; the engraving will wait for the knob to actually be fitted and "indexed" to the car itself. Not a great pic but digicam had just enough juice for one shot.