The previous owner of my 10th A/E installed a Mazdatrix short throw shifter and then cheaped out and got a cheesy $10 **** to put on top. Guess he blew all his cash on the shifter.
Anyway, I'm having some trouble finding a source for a simple, black leather, thread-on shift **** for the larger diameter 12mm X 1.5 (s4 size) shift lever. Not interested in the crappy setscrew attachment ***** found on Ebay, Pepboys, Aid Auto, etc. I want something similar to the OE Momo ****, but don't want to give up my first born child for the origional ****/boot combo from the dealer. Already checked with Momo and they don't have anything like it available.
Got any suggestions?

 

i had the same problem. ended up selling my s4 short shifter and buying an s5 and getting this ****:

 

$20 too much?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda...Q5fAccessories

 

thats an s5 shift ****. it does not fit on an s4 shifter.

 

I may end up going that route if need be. I'd rather not spend the extra cash for a new shift lever right now though.

 

Anyone else have a suggestion?

 

you can sell the one you have to make your money back

 

Yeah, but what can I realistically get for a used Mazdatrix short shifter....... $100-$125 shipped? A new one goes for $192 plus shipping, so I would still have to make up the difference.
If I can, I'd rather just find a good quality **** to fit what I have. Then, if I come into an excess of cash down the road, I could always opt for getting the OEM ****/boot combo.
Get where I'm coming from?

 

I know you want a 10th AE but I got a really nice GXL one that I could sell ya for cheap.

 

get an s5 shift lever and then use an OEM Rx-8 5 speed ****

my buddy has one in his FD (same threads as s5 and Rx-8) and it's NICE. it's weighted really well and feels so precise in your hand.

 

Thanks Bujjin, but I want plain black. I already have a few standard s4 shift ***** laying around.

arghx-- I'm using a RX8 **** in my convertible and agree, it's an awsome feel. But as I mentioned above, I'd rather not spend the extra cash for another lever right now. And having the option to install the original s4 Momo ****/boot down the road would be a real plus.

 

No one knows where to get a good quality aftermarket shift **** for an s4?

 

there really aren't many out there that are cost effetive. why not stick with the oem ****?

 

Hay guys and girls. Just thought I'd post up a few pics of the end result to my dilema.

I kept the s4 shift lever and picked up a Rx-8 shift **** off eBay for less then $20 shipped. The 8's **** has a nylon sleeve on the inside of the lever bore, so I simply drilled out the bore with a common 3/8 bit and grabbed my trusty tap & die set. Tapped the hole with the proper 12mm x 1.5mm (s4 sized thread) tap, and voila! Perfect fit!
I know it isn't quite OEM"ish" in regards to the original 10th A/E **** style. But hay, OEM from another rotary is the next best thing!

The brushed "metal" trim ring (It's actually plastic) was loose when I received the **** yesterday. So I popped the shift patern emblem out to get access to the philips screw that secures it. While I was at it, I deceided to change the shift patern to represent the 5-speed patern of the 7. I scraped the unwanted black and silver paint off from the back of the disk with a pocket knife and hand painted the R in its new location. Once that dried, I shot the whole back with a quick coat of black. A little heat gun action and it was ready to install.
All told, I probably spent about 45 minutes on this project. I think it was worth it!

Let me know what you think!

 

Interesting solution to your problem.

Personally I think it would have been simpler to turn down the end of your shifter and rethread it to 10mm...lots of great options with that thread size.

 

looks good. how does the triangle shape feel in your hand?

 

i think it looks really nice. well worth the time you spent on it. as an RX-8 owner, i think the oe shift **** feels great in your hand and is weighted really well!

 

FYI, as I mentioned in my earlier post there are OEM 5 speed Rx-8 shift ***** from European models. That's the one my friend has in his FD. Usually you have to buy them new from various websites, they are over $100 though. They fit so much better than aftermarket Momo *****.

 

Once again, I reiterate; I wanted to keep the s4 thread patern in the event that I can afford the OEM ****/boot combo down the road.
Besides, I dont have regular access to a lathe.

Quite comfortable actually. And as Mazdave said, the weight of this **** is great for smoothing out the notchy tendencies of short shifters.
I loved it when I installed one in my convertible with a Miata short shifter, and love it in my 10th.

 

On my S4 Turbo... My friend gave me his WRX ****. Either an '04 or '05, same thread pattern as our S4's!

 

Do you happen to have the p/n for the OEM 10AE ****/boot? What price were you quoted?

The Rx8 **** looks nice. I may end up going that way, but I'd really like to do an original Momo if I can get a new one.

Josh