Gear levers

Legarocorsa · Postby **Legarocorsa** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:04 am

Hi, I contemplating a short shifter for my track car. i understand that the miataroadser are extremely good, but at the moment to get one of there shift kits here at current exchange rates cost $430.00 au.
CUBE speed offer one but only listed for NA, i have an NB
ARE THE NA AND NB LEVERS INTERCHANGEABLE?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVISE

RS2000 · Postby **RS2000** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:59 am

Apparently all 5 speeds are the same.
6 speed NB shifter is different though.

Cheers

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 11:16 am

Then there are several different sizes for the ball on the end of the shifter. Give them your VIN to be on the safe side.

de Bounce · Postby **de Bounce** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:22 pm

davekmoore wrote:Then there are several different sizes for the ball on the end of the shifter. Give them your VIN to be on the safe side.

Only with the 6 speed in the NB
All 5 speed and early 6 speed have the same bush size.
Later 6 speed have the larger bush.
Have a read HERE

All 6 speed have two guide pins.
Most 5 speed have 1 guide pin although I have seen some with 2!
Easy enough to drive the pin out of the way.

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:32 pm

.. and then there's the (NB8C) SE, which is different again. Don't try putting a 5 speed or other type of 6 speed bushing on the ball on the end of an SE shifter.

Legarocorsa · Postby **Legarocorsa** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:24 pm

thanks to all who posed , it has been most helpful

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:24 pm

Hopefully this helps too:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=67123

bear2230 · Postby **bear2230** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:55 pm

There's a chance I might get roasted here but take it from someone that has pretty much tried every short shifter ever made in the search for the holy grail of short shifters over the past 8 years and have finally found what I think is the best one ever made.
It is a factory Mazda item so you know the quality, fit and operation is perfect.
I currently have the Mazdaspeed one in Scooby http://www.srmotorsports.com/srmiataSusp.html These are just the best you get and has a factory feel, sits in exactly the right position and is angled exactly right. Dave has this in Goldie and thanks to Colster3 who showed me where to get them.

Now here is the kicker…….Don't waste your money. Sure it is shorter by probably 25-30% but FFS what the hell was I thinking.
The stock factory shifter in the white car (same year, same box as Scooby) and with twice the km's is just wonderful and you can hardly notice any difference.

I know the thought and feel of a shorter throw is a appealing and I certainly searched for a long time to find it, but just don't do it.
Happy to let you have a feel of mine. :oops:

My 2 cents worth. If you don't like it I have more 2 cents. Probably won't like them either though.

Richard.

Postby **NitroDann** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:13 am

People often ask if there is a company whichhas truly put the time and effort into getting a shifter perfect, and also getting the exact right weight gearknob to go with that shifter for MX5's and would you believe it there is a company that spent dozens of millions developing this among many other parts.

They are called, Mazda.

Everything Richard said above me.

Dann

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 8:43 am

de Bounce wrote:Most 5 speed have 1 guide pin although I have seen some with 2!
Easy enough to drive the pin out of the way.

I've had NA 5 speed boxes with one pin and NB 5 speeds with 2 pins. Yes, you can drive the second pin out of the way so you can put an NA lever in an NB box but personally I prefer the little bit of extra precision you get with the second pin in place. So it's well worth getting a lever with 2 slots in the ball if you've got 2 pins in the box.

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:26 am

BTW I use a standard shifter and knob on my car though I've dríven a few with good short shifters, almost as good as standard in fact. Bear and Dann are spot on - I think there are several hundred better ways of spending money on your car.

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:34 am

My short shifter works just great. Sadly, it also rattles, despite a very careful second rebuild of all the bushes. The manufacturer can so far offer no further advice. Beware of this possibility if you're thinking of changing over to one.

cookie · Postby **cookie** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:55 pm

bear2230 wrote:There's a chance I might get roasted here but take it from someone that has pretty much tried every short shifter ever made in the search for the holy grail of short shifters over the past 8 years and have finally found what I think is the best one ever made.
It is a factory Mazda item so you know the quality, fit and operation is perfect.
I currently have the Mazdaspeed one in Scooby http://www.srmotorsports.com/srmiataSusp.html These are just the best you get and has a factory feel, sits in exactly the right position and is angled exactly right. Dave has this in Goldie and thanks to Colster3 who showed me where to get them.

Now here is the kicker…….Don't waste your money. Sure it is shorter by probably 25-30% but FFS what the hell was I thinking.
The stock factory shifter in the white car (same year, same box as Scooby) and with twice the km's is just wonderful and you can hardly notice any difference.

I know the thought and feel of a shorter throw is a appealing and I certainly searched for a long time to find it, but just don't do it.
Happy to let you have a feel of mine.

My 2 cents worth. If you don't like it I have more 2 cents. Probably won't like them either though.

Richard.

This. I've got one and it's awesome.

pcmx5 · Postby **pcmx5** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 6:48 am

I have a 6 speed from a 10AE in my NA and found the shift quality to be very poor,constantly finding a "nothing" plane going from 4th to 3rd just when you need a bit of power.

Fitted a SImpson Design short shifter and Voodoo knob and it is very precise and consistent.I also sometimes use a long shaft and it works well with the kit..Wasn't aiming to cut the shift movement but to improve quality and consistency and it has done this.

No idea if the Simpson one is as good as others but works for me.

Peter.