When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The Mazdaspeed **** is amazing but it's no longer available new and is a fortune many times used.
I think you can still get the stock **** or the Spirit R red stitch **** as well.
A good weighted **** is the way to go, the stock ***** are all weighted. Razo also makes some really nice ***** if you like the metal or CF look, they install very sturdy and they have weighted options.
Momo ***** are garbage. Install with set screws and will buzz and rattle and eventually pop off in your hand.
It really depends on you and probably your hand size too.
I got a weighted Razo Carbon fiber ball weighs about as much as a pool ball feels nice and solid and my hands are small so it fits just right in my hand. The carbon fiber also won't burn your hand if it sits in the sun. It's also VERY low drops the stock one by like 2 inches it's literally a ball that has threads almost all the way through.
I also got one of those LONG jdm blue ones it's just plastic with bubbles and has no weight but it's easier to reach the **** if you keep your hands on the steering wheel a lot however it makes the throw feel off. I'd miss third if it wasn't for the fact the JDM trans has a strong spring to stop you from grabbing 5th if you have some kind of mechanical sympathy.
Both are like 30$ I like my little Razo it feels good and didn't cost much.
it does depend on your hand a lot. the shift feel is also greatly effected by the weight of the ****, about 450g seems to be the sweet spot (too heavy is too heavy)
the stock FD **** is actually quite good, IMO. Razo does make some nice ones, along with all of the JDM tuners. team voodoo also, but since these are metal, they tend to be either too cold or too hot...
I have tried many ***** in the past I still find the OEM shift **** my favorite. Many aftermarket ones feel too light, too heavy, too cheap, too cold, too hot, etc. Look wise OEM **** might be a bit boring but it feels perfectly weighted in my hand going thru gears. I am currently using an OEM spirit R ****.
Last edited by hadokenny; May 9, 2020 at 01:13 PM.
I use the Mazdaspeed leather shift **** and its a nice weight. I'll be putting on the Spirit R one once i get them seats. Haha. The mazdaspeed one is a little bit larger than stock and the spirit r, both work well for me. The rx8 shift **** is nice, main reason why i never changed it on the rx8 and got to love rotor shaped objects.
I have the red stitched Spirit R and the 5 speed RX8. Both OEM, and weighted. And I like both. But switch them out every so often for the different look and feel.
I've tried about every shift **** on the planet since 1998, and absolutely love the Okuyama Carbing..... IMO it's the perfect length for leverage, looks great, and has kickass knurling to aid grip. Makes you feel like you're grabbing a barbell each time you grab a gear Could maybe be a bit thicker--- hey, that's what she said
Stock or the Mazdaspeed are the best feeling in my hand.
Shift **** was always the first thing I'd change whenever I bought a new car. I tried a few on the FD but none of them felt as good.
The metal ones are utterly terrible. They get really fricking hot.
RX8 5-speed lighted shift ****. One of the best investments I made. Not available in the US as it came through a GB in from the UK. I have had it installed since 2004. Just recently upgraded the 15-year old LED technology in the shift **** to a more current and brighter LED chip.
Great weight and as it is OEM, high quality and a nice fit.
Last edited by David Hayes; May 11, 2020 at 02:16 PM.
The MCA (Miata Club of America) spherical "Ferrari-style" made of black Bakelite plastic is on our '94 and has been for many years. (Of course it's NLA.)
I replaced my tired stock shifter with a ball-style one which looked good but I found that it didn't screw down far enough, so it sat too high for my liking and effectively gave me a 'long throw' shifter. I would continually find myself reaching below it to shift. I ended up replacing that with this bat-style one from Tomei.
This sits much farther down on the shaft and I think gives it a much snappier feel. It is light though, and I've recently been considering something with a bit more weight.
RX8 5-speed lighted shift ****. One of the best investments I made. Not available in the US as it came through a GB in from the UK. I have had it installed since 2004. Just recently upgraded the 15-year old LED technology in the shift **** to a more current and brighter LED chip.
Great weight and as it is OEM, high quality and a nice fit.
+1, I was able to snag one few years ago. It was new in box but the LED never worked, how'd you open up the **** to replace the LED?
I also toy with using the Miata Nardi teardrop, unfortunately it sits too high on our shifter, it'll look great if the shifter is 2" shorter.
^The Nardi **** looks good with the wheel and tan interior. Is there enough length to work with that you could get a used shifter to cut down and re-thread?
I also have a 5 speed RX-8 ****. It really fits nicely in your hands and has a quality feel and weight to it. I had a heavy RAZO **** that was really nice before it, but it would get super hot in the summer.
Is there enough length to work with that you could get a used shifter to cut down and re-thread?
I tried doing that to an OEM shifter. I was also needing about ~1-1.5" of lowered height. The oem stalk shaft gets really fat at the base heading into the touret so tapping it further is tough without milling it down. So i did that and found out the hard way that it's a hollow stalk shaft and thin metal in that area. There goes that...
I just had a custom **** built. It's weighted, edge contoured & side knurled. Currently getting laser etched now. I have a new oem one which I still love.
I grabbed the shift **** from a late 80's or early 90's Nissan at one of those pick-your-part junkyards years ago. It has the same thread pitch and 5-speed shift pattern label as the original Mazda ****, and I really like the feel of having a slightly hooked front lip for shifting with your palm down.
I was thinking of pulling the trigger on a Cobb ****. I like either the light bulb or GT300 teardrop shapes, and I want delrin instead of aluminum. The Cobb looks good because they say its delrin over aluminum.
Anyone using ***** of these shapes from companies with good quality. As said before, I dont want something that is secured with set screws.
A weighted **** is much more preferable to a lightweight **** IMHO. Makes the shifts feel so much better. The Cobb **** is probably of good quality but it's probably a light weight.
Could maybe be a bit thicker--- hey, that's what she said 
