Titanium shift knob on WRX for #100+???

[GRL]

A friend just bought a '04 WRX with manual box. Great fun to drive and very
pretty in its blue color. One option he had to take (already on the car) was
a $100+ optional "titanium" shift knob with "sti" on it. It is a really
small shift knob that does not "fall readily to hand" as the Brits used to
say. I drove the car and the knob does not have a pleasant feel at all. Too
small and too weirdly shaped. Almost a cylinder. The added cost seems really
excessive, too.

Was the dealer doing a snow job or is that little knob really that
expensive?

--

- GRL

"It's good to want things."

Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
Visual Basic programmer)

 

[Orion]

A friend just bought a '04 WRX with manual box. Great fun to drive and very
pretty in its blue color. One option he had to take (already on the car) was
a $100+ optional "titanium" shift knob with "sti" on it. It is a really
small shift knob that does not "fall readily to hand" as the Brits used to
say. I drove the car and the knob does not have a pleasant feel at all. Too
small and too weirdly shaped. Almost a cylinder. The added cost seems really
excessive, too.

Was the dealer doing a snow job or is that little knob really that
expensive?

--

- GRL

"It's good to want things."

Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
Visual Basic programmer)

The knob really is that expensive. Two main reasons: A) it's Titanium (or
at least partially!) and B) It's STi. That's probably the more determinate
factor in the price. The STi stuff, no matter what you get, is overly
expensive. The knob is priced at $125 (before shipping) and MastroWRX.com.
It's $140 at iSR Auto Care, and $150 at spimotorsports.com. You get the
idea.

When you order SIi, you are getting excellent gear...it's made by Subaru's
performance division solely for Subaru cars...it's not completely
aftermarket (most is optioned through the dealer) unless you begin getting
the stuff that's only on Euro and Jap spec cars.

Incidentally, like you said, the knob is quite uncomfortable, looks OK and
is wonderful at magnifying the tempuratures in the car. If your friend's
car is in the sun, he may brand "STi" on his palm. If he's in an area that
sees decent winters, he might loose some flesh to frostbite! It's a pretty
bit that (in my opinion) isn't worth the money for what you get.

 

[GRL]

I told him to sell it on eBay for $60 and get a proper walnut shift knob
with the money.

We're in Michigan. He'll have to wear gloves in winter if he keeps the knob,
I guess.

I thought this boutique crap was unique to Porsche and the other high priced
spread cars. Sad to see Subaru plays that game, too.

--

- GRL

"It's good to want things."

Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
Visual Basic programmer)

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Titanium has a very poor thermal conductivity and low density. It
shouldn't feel that much different than walnut(which will probably have
a urethane coating on it anyway). A VERY poor choice for a shift knob
would be aluminum. Of course, the SHAPE could be a big problem on
comfort. Still, get what you like.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Victor Roberts]

Titanium has a very poor thermal conductivity and low density. It
shouldn't feel that much different than walnut(which will probably have
a urethane coating on it anyway). A VERY poor choice for a shift knob
would be aluminum. Of course, the SHAPE could be a big problem on
comfort. Still, get what you like.

Perhaps compared to aluminum, but not when compared to walnut.

The thermal conductivity of titanium at 300K is 21.9 W/m-K.

The thermal conductivity of aluminum at 300K is 237 W/m-K.

The thermal conductivity of walnut is only 0.17 W/m-K for 15% moisture
content.

 

[Orion]

It's definitely outrageously priced from the dealer or most online vendors -
eBay is a better venue to pick one up - I got mine for $40 - still a bit
spendy, but better than the alternative!

Shift knobs are sort of a personal thing - I like my STi one alot, but then
I rarely have more than a couple of fingers on the shifter when shifting,
and prefer a smaller knob - I actually really like the carbon fiber one, but
at $175, that's not going to happen (haven't found a used one anywhere...) -
in terms of temperature, I haven't had any problems with it - and I am in NM
where we get more than a little sun - maybe if I held it longer it would
feel hot...

if you do shop on eBay for one - there are a couple of vendors pushing
powdercoated aluminum knock-offs, so pay attention to what you are bidding
on!

No kidding? All I know is before I got my Rex when I went to the dealership
I test drove one that happened to have the knob on it, in direct sun. Only
about 80 degrees outside, I'd guess. Anyway, that sucker got me (gave me a
tender spot, anyway), and I don't have particularly tender hands (he says,
looking at the callouses and scars)! I've heard the same through different
boards and websites, including the problem in the winter (can't attest to
that...I figured if it was out all day in 20 below, conductivity or not,
it'd probably still be 20 below when you touched it....but then again I
haven't studied that...does it mean that less conductivity means it will
stay cold longer and not warm up with the heater?) I took the owners' word
for it

 

[Ken Gilbert]

A friend just bought a '04 WRX with manual box. Great fun to drive and very
pretty in its blue color. One option he had to take (already on the car) was
a $100+ optional "titanium" shift knob with "sti" on it. It is a really
small shift knob that does not "fall readily to hand" as the Brits used to
say. I drove the car and the knob does not have a pleasant feel at all. Too
small and too weirdly shaped. Almost a cylinder. The added cost seems really
excessive, too.

Was the dealer doing a snow job or is that little knob really that
expensive?

btw, it's SUPPOSED to be a piston.

when you look at it again, you'll suddenly see it. i know i did.

now, as to why someone would want to grab a piston shape, ya got me.
maybe they should make them in the shape of tits.

ken

 

[K. Indis]

word.

 

[GRL]

Perhaps compared to aluminum, but not when compared to walnut.

The thermal conductivity of titanium at 300K is 21.9 W/m-K.

The thermal conductivity of aluminum at 300K is 237 W/m-K.

The thermal conductivity of walnut is only 0.17 W/m-K for 15% moisture
content.

Right. Three orders of magnitude improvement beats the snots out of one order.

- GRL