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

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?

Reply to
GRL
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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.

Reply to
Orion

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.

Reply to
GRL

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

GRL wrote:

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

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.

-- Vic Roberts

Reply to
Victor Roberts

anywhere...) -

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 :)

Reply to
Orion

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

- GRL

Reply to
GRL

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