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Shift Knob History

To: autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Shift Knob History
From: Dick Rasmussen <rasmussend@mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 19:15:40 -0400
FYI,

Back in the "old days" it was VERY common to replace ugly stock shift knobs
with neat looking aftermarket ones on British, German, and Japanese sports
cars. In the case of my Datsun 260Z the stock knob was "foam plastic" and
tended to strip the "threads". The better new ones stayed tight on the
shaft and looked better and slightly custom. Some of the 'merican cars also
had the Hurst "T Handle" which was popular for drag racing (and cost a
coworker of mine an engine when he speed shifted underhanded and bumped his
elbow into the passenger seat in the middle of the shift . . . opps).

Anyway, at THAT time, it was one of the common, accepted things a sports
car driver did and was not considered a performance issue as far as I knew. 

Dick Rasmussen
CM 85
85 Van Diemen RF-85 Formula Ford

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