Aftermarket gear knobs.

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henderson_guy, Mar 16, 11:20am
On Highway Patrol the other night (which is Australian, obviously) an officer pointed out that the offenders gear knob was illegal because it didn't have the shift pattern printed on it. We all know Australians can be pretty anal on some things, but really? And how long before that comes in here?
tamarillo, Mar 16, 11:35am
That's absurd! Call the AA (anal Aussies)
saxman99, Mar 16, 11:35am
Draw it on with a marker pen?
tmenz, Mar 16, 11:43am
'Aftermarket gear knobs. ' - There are a lot of them driving around!
seadubya, Mar 16, 11:45am
If they get like that here I will just turn my 8 ball sideways ??? and say it is infinity speed!
tgray, Mar 16, 2:02pm
I knew a guy who wanted to sell their 1990 something Corolla with a 4 speed manual transmission, and decided to put an aftermarket gear knob on it, because he didn't want to alert a potential buyer it was only a 4 speed. Thought it might be harder to sell.
On the test drive, he made sure they didn't enter a motorway, so they wouldn't find out there was no 5th gear.
He sold the car and never heard from them again. I guess they didn't mind after all.
a.woodrow, Mar 16, 2:45pm
Yep really. Given that it's been the law there for years I would say we are safe
henderson_guy, Mar 16, 3:12pm
Brilliant plan!
aredwood, Mar 16, 5:49pm
My old factory manual subaru legacy didn't have any markings on the gearknob but it had a sticker on the centere console to indicate what the shift pattern is. Would that have been illegal also?
trogedon, Mar 16, 5:54pm
x1
None of my pre '96 cars have the shift patterns on the gear lever handles (can't bring myself to type kno. ). One even has an electric shift device in the middle of it. Most of them are factory. He wouldn't have coped with them.
inkapuka, Mar 16, 6:01pm
My 07 axela mps has a sticker on the side and has shift pattern also on the knob itself
socram, Mar 17, 4:46pm
Made my own out of solid rimu after cutting down an old mantle above the fireplace! Love recycling rimu.

If you need a diagram of your own gear change pattern, maybe you don't have what it takes to drive?
bill-robinson, Mar 17, 5:04pm
they are talking about australians socram
dave653, Mar 18, 6:13am
My HJ Belmont didn't have the shift pattern on the column change! But now with the 5 speed I have a chrome Honda 360 piston I had made way back in '86. Felt tip would last bout three gear changes.
martin11, Mar 18, 6:18am
Sure the Officer was correct in his statement ? NZ ones do get it wrong sometimes .
alfred011, Mar 18, 7:55pm
You don't look at gear knob pattern when you drive any way, your hand is over the top of it,they must be real F wits.
martin11, Mar 19, 5:21am
Please show us the AUS regulation that shows it is law there .
a.woodrow, Mar 19, 10:29am
It's an ADR requirement, feel free to look it up, I can't be bothered
fionabc, Mar 19, 12:10pm
It is law over here in oz they say it is in case someone has to drive your car in an emergency. The stickers do comply with the rules. Some or the adrs sre just stupid.
richardmayes, Mar 19, 12:22pm
You'll have to move the Torana to get to the Commodore.
mike1345, Mar 19, 1:49pm
Pretty much what I was thinking.
socram, Mar 19, 5:05pm
Apart from one or two vintage cars, where the layout is reversed the traditional H pattern will at least give you 4 gears in an emergency.

I must admit, I do have to concentrate swapping between 3 of my cars with 4, 5 and 6 speed manual gearboxes, but in an emergency, as long as you can get the first four, who cares? Dumb law.
henderson_guy, Mar 19, 5:09pm
Only time I've ever had an issue was finding reverse in a 6spd Subaru, where you need to lift a collar on the gearstick to get it in gear. Must have taken me all of 10 seconds to figure out!
inkapuka, Mar 20, 7:35pm
My mazda 3 mps for reverse you have have to push it down and go where first would normally be its 6speed
lugee, Mar 20, 9:38pm
My factory knob doesn't have any markings.

I don't have any issues with an unmarked knob.