I am wondering if anyone here has installed an aftermarket shifter ball, in ivory, black, or red;

If so, I'd like to see some pictures;
I am thinking of getting a red ball shifter handle, and don't know if it might be too much in my all "ebony" interior.

 

 

Looks good to me

 

that looks pretty cool with the ebony/red TC interior!

 

Nice Crown shift boot. I was close to doing that but made a shift knob cover with it instead.

 

so what I'm doing is modifying a factory shifter;
in the end I want a Hurst style ball shift knob.
I may re-invent what I run, but for now I'm retaining the reverse lockout, and modifying to suit.
I was debating between a black, white, or a red shift ball, but decided last night that I'm going with a white ball - It's purchased and on route...
Hopefully in the end it retains all the positive attributes of a factory shifter (which I suspect is all in the geometry of the factory setup), while looking a bit better than stock...

I should hopefully have shifter arm modifications done in a couple days, and have the shifter installed later this week.

 

Why not just go STS?

 

I don't think you can change the knob on the SS S/C T/C stock shifter.

Notice the guy above has a G5 which is a different trans and shifter.

 

because I do not like the options we have for shift knobs.

I also think that the cost for a "re-engineered" shifter arm (aka: piece of metal) is astronomical.... then we come back to shift ball options.
I think that the nicest looking one previously offered is also the one everyone who has it says it feels like turd - the Hurst STS.
I don't know of anyone who had the Hurst (or parent company re-branded B&M) STS that didn't end up going back to stock, or to another aftermarket offering.

After buying the shift ball, I am at under 1/2 the cost of a "cheap" STS of anyone's on ePay ~ which ironically is often cheaper than buying from them directly.

You can't.
But I've already taken care of this;
One short trip to a machine shop, and the shank has been machined down so that I can tap for the thread pitch/count I want.
I currently have a Hurst four speed shifter ball on said shifter assembly;
I just now need to cut it down a bit to put the ball in the right spot, and select a new spring for the reverse lockout assembly.

 

What's special about the Hurst? It's a ball just like else everyone offers.

 

I don't like the looks of any of the overpriced ball shifter handles offered for any of the after market shifters;
so, it's about looks.

I think Dodge nailed it with the (N)SRT4 - by having a Hurst shifter ball to begin with (iirc).


Our factory unit isn't terrible, but it's (IMHO) overly stylized, and not that great looking either.

 

I figured I might update this with my results.

To recap, I wanted to change the look of my shifter;
I contemplated aftermarket shifters, but even the "best" out there appear (in their shape) to change geometry;
I didn't like any of the available knobs - I wanted a plain old simple Hurst style knob.
Then I read for every brand shifter there are people here citing shifting problems which I would be inclined to attribute to revised shifter geometry - so I set out to modify the stock shifter.

I had a local machinist turn down the shank, then threaded the top;
I modified the top of the reverse lock out (which slides inside of our stock shifter knob);
I am quite happy with it, I don't know how to explain it, but it feels better - the knob is set as low as I dare - the lockout will just barely eek by when pulled up fully.

Here's the final results:

 

That looks awesome.

 

more angles. that looks nice.

 

Today I kinda copied soundjunky and decided to try and install my own shift knob. I had a light up flame ball from my previous car that my wife got me for Xmas a couple years ago and didn't want it to just sit on the shelf anymore.


I cut 1/2 an inch from the factory stick and then threaded it 1/2-20 to match the ball and then shaved down the reverse lockout piece. The elastic in the factory shift boot keeps the rl mechanism pulled down so no spring is needed. I also pulled all the leather bits away from the cloth since it was falling apart pretty much. Shifter boot is next item on my list. I went ahead and polished the factory shifter stem so it wouldn't look so dull.

Another view;

 

looks good!

 

SoundJunky, that turned out great! Looks stock!

I found an old Hurts T-handle shift knob that my dad used back in the 70's. At one point he had threaded the side to change it to a pistol grip. I found it in his tool shed last weekend. Just sanded it down quick and slapped it on to see how it fit. Looks a little retarded ATM, But I have some work to do to it still, and it fits good.