Product of the Month - October, 1997

Voodoo Shift Knob & Grip

"It feels incredible in the palm of your hand!"

"It should have been a factory design."

"It's the best shift knob made for the Miata!"

"It makes you a better, faster driver."

"It adds 20 horsepower, cures baldness, and improves your sex life!"

Such are the type of comments that appear regularly on the Miata Listserv. OK, so maybe there's a little bit of hyperbole surrounding the "nearly legendary" Team Voodoo shift knob. But the reality is, fans of Voodoo Bob Krueger's effort are rabid enthusiasts who wouldn't trade their Voodoo knob for anything!

Why the rave reviews? What's the big deal?

Well, for starters, the Voodoo products are the end result of an on-line discussion several years ago which debated the merits of different types of shift knobs. The "ideal" knob was actually designed by about 10 people in Compuserve's Automobile Forum. Bob Krueger rose to the occasion and turned the concept into reality.

The result is an aluminum billet knob with a round head similar to the type used on Ferrari. The height is much lower than the factory knob which makes the overall shift throw shorter than the already minuscule stock Miata throw. The spherical head eliminates the hard edges of the factory plastic or Nardi wood shift knobs making it far more comfortable than stock.

Bob continued the concept by coming out with two black powdercoat versions to appeal to owner's wishing to keep the all-black interior intact. The textured powdercoat model has a finish which looks like it came from the factory. The next step was to create matching brake handle grips - also in aluminum, to complete the set.

There's a minor idiosyncrasy with the Voodoo shift knob. Since its made of solid aluminum, it has very high thermal conductivity. Translation: it gets pretty toasty after the car has been running awhile, and it can be pretty cold on those frigid winter mornings. Our solution: a pair of driving gloves offers insulation from the "elements".

We've actually been using the Voodoo Knob for quite some time. After renting a Miata recently and having the dubious honor of spending a few days with the factory shift knob, it occurred to us that the Voodoo knob is Product of the Month material. We wouldn't consider using anything else!

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Copyright © 1997, Eunos Communications