Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Polished wood shift knob produced by Nardi for Mazda, used on several Miata special editions in recent years.
What a beautiful knob! I recently bought a Moss Euro-style wood and leather steering wheel (which I will review seperately), and wanted to add some additional wood trim so the wheel wouldn't stick out. The knob is well made, with a chrome collar at the bottom, a thick, high gloss clear coat on the wood, and a silver gear-pattern inlay on the top, which is under the clear coating. The knob looks like it will have excellent durability and will adorn my Miata for years to come. The knob is nicely weighted and well balanced, so gentle shifts are smooth and effortless, but snicking quickly between gears is still a breeze. "Installation" was effortless, just screw it on to the stock shift level shaft. It fits perfectly and tightly. My only complaint is that it is significantly taller than my previous knob, a Sola Luna chrome ball... Now I need a short shifter to get the shift lever height back where I'm used to!
The knob was around $60, and is available from several online Miata vendors, as well as local dealers (though it's cheaper online). Well worth every cent.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
I love it, great feeling and it also looks great with the brake handle and the wood dash.
It gives the Miata that retro look that a lot of us look for in our cars.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Nardi Wooden Shift Knob
Excellent product. Purchased from the dealer (MISTAKE); take your business to the 'net and find a better deal. I got taken for $92.00!! Later saw the same knob for $54.00 at another dealer. uh well...live and learn. The knob looks absolutely fantastic. The grain is gorgeous and contrasts nicely with my all black base interior. The feel is even better. Once tightened down (no clips, bolts, whatever..it just screws down on top of the boot), you feel every nuance of the shift, the tranny and the road. This is due to the lightweight nature of the knob..it is lighter than the OEM black knob. Feel great to the touch and have rec'd many compliments on the knob itself. The logo even matches the Nardi logo on the steering wheel. Highly recommend this product.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Nardi makes different wood knobs especially for the Miata -- that is, pre-threaded directly for the car and available from the dealer. These Miata-specific knobs vary in price depending on the model car and they combine different material (a 10AE, for example, is leather and blue.) I just wanted a solid wood knob that was pre-threaded for the Miata and, fortunately, that's the least expensive of the Miata-specific Nardis. I got mine from Brainstorm because they had one in stock and I wanted to actually drive over and try it before buying. Brainstorm ordered it from Mazda (for example, it's available from Roebuck).
Shift feel is superb. Perfectly balanced. A surprisingly dramatic improvement from the stock vinyl shift knob, even though both the vinyl and the wood Nardi are identical in shape, width, height, etc. The wood transmits vibrations from the car much, much better than the standard vinyl, allowing for improved feel in every shift position. It promotes lighter-touch shifting over the standard knob. To me, the Nardi is far better in shift feel and balance than any of the other aftermarket knobs I tried, i.e., before buying, I tried the Voodoo, Knobmeister and Moss wood shift knobs. I decided on the Nardi even thought it doesn't quite match the rest of the wood paneling on my car, because the feel is so right. My Nardi knob was a perfect fit with the Miata and required no adjustment; just screwed it in.
One other plus is that it has the same "Nardi Turino" logo plate on the knob as the one on the steering wheel. One minus is that the shift pattern is in stamped in gold, which does not go with anything on my interior, and looks a little cheap. Nonetheless, highly recommended. I paid $65, but I think Roebuck sells it for $59. A great cheap thrill, in my mind, for the improved response.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to '90 - '97 '99 +
The Nardi shift knob supplied with the M2 woodgrain interior option.
When I saw this knob at the dealer, I just HAD to have it! It is the most beautiful egg-shaped wood knob I have ever seen, so I'm surprised I have never seen it offered anywhere else, or even on any M2. It was not cheap at abouy $85, but being located in the very center of the passenger compartment, it sets off the bleak black interior of my all black M1 just right. It's still my favorite accessory!
Almost anyone should like this item, which is suitable for any Miata, with any interior option.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Wooden shift knob replacement made by Italian maker, Nardi.
The knob itself has the appearance of good quality and finish. It comes with a kit that includes LockTite, allen screws and and wrench to use during the installation. The instructions recommend a dry fit before applying the LockTite adhesive to the shift rod threads. After following the instructions as noted, I inserted the three allen screws in to the base of the Nardi shift knob, applied LockTite to the threads and placed the knob barely hand tight. Unfortuneately the wooden portion of the knob came undone from a factory placed threaded aluminum insert that allows the wooden knob to be screwed onto the shift rod. This insert obviously was not glued properly from the factory and made for a very poor showing out of the box. If you are considering a purchase of this shift knob make very sure that the insert is well seated before you begin. Fortunately I had a tube of very stong, quick setting pliable glue/sealant from the Honda dealer that worked just fine to reseat the insert. The final installation looks very smart in place next to the wooden hand brake. The Nardi shift knob is not weighted as I would have expected, but you quickly get used to the new feel.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Applicable to '90 - '97 '99 +
Nardi two-toned leather shift knob. Obviously, it's the one that came with my 10AE.
Definitely love it.
When I first purchased my car someone had actuyally stolen the shift knob from the showroom demo that I bought so they lifted a new one out of their stockroom (they claimed it was about a $115 part if you bought it seperately). Anyway, I realy dont' have much of anything to compair it to except the shifters in my old cars ('89 Blazer & a '96 Saturn SL2). I did test drive the stock M2 once and as I recall I definately like the feel of the Nardi more than the stock one. I just like the way it feels in my hands when I am accelerating down the on-ramp to the highway. It feels very much like a how I believe a good sports car should. I'll admit though I am also very interested in getting a Voodoo knob to see which I like more.
Under 5 minutes to remove
This is the leather shift knob previously shipped with the 97 STO. It is the perfect addition to the '99 packages with the Nardi steering wheel. The shift knob is black leather, cushioned, unweighted, and has the same Nardi logo as the 99 leather steeringg wheel. It also has the shift pattern embossed into the leather.
Installation was a snap (or a twist as the case may be). No loctite was needed, just like the stock knob.
I was dissapointed that the knob was not weighted. I basically assumed that since it was a factory part, it would weighted just like the original. However, I like the look and feel of the Nardi knob. It feels comfortable as I run through the gears. The price is a bit steep (what do you expect from factory parts) which probably makes this the most expensive knob available, but I am happy with it. No one seems to advertise it's availability. I purchased mine from Roebuck Mazda online, and saved a lot of money.
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