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Shift Knob Talk - Specifically Not a Hard Ball

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I have a nicely setup Boss with Calimer trans, MGW Race Spec, and Hyper Single. That MGW is very direct and VERY connected. You feel a alot through the OEM hard ball shift knob. For my street driven Boss, im not sure that i like that. It was fine in stock form without the badass MGW shifter, and probably still "fine" now.

Today on the way to work, i tried an standard OEM GT leather shift knob. The shifts are smoother and softer, you feel less of teeth engagement, the shifter hitting the bottom of the gate is more pleasant, its nicer to handle and not as cold in the winter.

It feels more like a perfectly shifting OEM setup instead of an obvious aftermarket shifter. So far i like the performance, really like. You ever paint a wall or put a piece of furniture in a room and it made the room feel surprisingly different? Thats how this shift knob has impacted the driving performance of my Boss. The interior and overall driving feels more friendly and inviting and in general more pleasant to drive. Its my obvious preference.

The look sucks though and the chrome accent doesnt match the gunmetal dash.
 
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I get that. There are plenty of options out there so look around. I drove a Boss with a teflon stalk shifter knob, like you see in race cars, and liked it a lot.
 
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Does a stock Boss 302 shifter ball fit an MGW race spec shifter?
Does the race spec come with a shift ball?
Thanks!
 
I installed the stock knob on an X-spec MGW shifter, no problem. Nobody knows it's there! It is a stealth look.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
I can confirm that I ordered mine noting that I would be using the stock ball. It would be worth a call to MGW to confirm if that is required.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 

Norm Peterson

Corner Barstool Sitter
939
712
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
a few miles east of Philly
I'm not a fan of billiard-ball shift knobs these days, either.

You could always make a thread adapter from readily-available hardware. Something like this ↓↓↓ with stud and nut threads as required.

full.jpg

Covering the bare metal bits with just about any kind of insulation will make a big difference in the amount of noise coming up through the shifter. I happened to have some hot water pipe insulation and duct tape that almost matches the interior color handy . . .

full.jpg

FWIW, that's an MGW shift lever I intentionally lengthened, specifically to reduce notchiness. The longer throw is neither objectionable nor particularly noticeable. But if you wanted a shorter throw you could always use a shorter stud and adjust the MGW differently than I did.


Norm
 

Norm Peterson

Corner Barstool Sitter
939
712
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
a few miles east of Philly
I had a '79 Malibu with (variously) Saginaw, B-W, and Tremec transmissions. Never could find anything but cue-balls, T-handles, and maybe a pistol-grip here and there. For me, cue-ball was still the best of a bad lot. But I only autocrossed that car. No road course, no drag strip. But after 30 years of having to live with it when the shift knobs in the other cars we had during that time (all MT) fit me so much better, I wasn't going to take a step backward with the Mustang.


Norm
 
106
52
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
So CA
Sorry for jumping in here late guys, new to a '19 PP2, totally excited on how this thing handles out of the box! Anyway, I do want to upgrade the shift knob, ball shape is fine in my hand, after all it's an important interface. Been tracking for years in various cars and finicky on the shift feel. Anyway, any inputs on a weighty (more than stock) knob as an upgrade, any effects on the tranny shifting feel? I do like the white cue ball type but many options out there. I don't want one lighter than stock though.
 
106
52
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
So CA
I would be cautions of adding weight the shifter. The MT-82 does not have the best reputation regarding syncros and shifter forks. Adding weight to the knob would like have a negative effect on the gear box for this reason.
Good point, thanks. So best is to use OEM? I have the carbon fiber, but like the white Bullitt or others you can suggest?
 

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