I would like to say that this is my first official post on s2ki. I've been slacking I know. I recently purchased a 2003 suzuka blue s2000 in the middle of last year. That is recent, right? Still learning this car but I've loved it the first day I got it.

Instead of telling you about my life, which I really want to do, lets get to the purpose of this post. The most recent shift knob from Moddiction, the Anvil 2.

Before ordering this shift knob, I've used the OEM shift knob, a modified OEM shift knob that I counter sunk and stripped the leather, and a custom CNC turned sphere made out of aluminum that was 1.89" in diameter.

I've had the feel of both worlds I guess you can say but after using the sphere knob, I really missed the OEM feel, and the weight. That is why I purchased the Anvil 2 knob. It feels close to OEM, slightly bigger but close. Here are the specs of the Anvil 2 borrowed from the moddiction website.

Weighs in at over 400 grams.

Height is approximately 2 1/4"

Fully countersunk to lower shift knob height 1" or more.

Height adjustable for 10x1.5 and 10x1.25 shift levers.

Made from 304 Stainless Steel.

Made in the USA


Now my impressions...

First drive was great. Feeling the heavy knob felt smooth as silk. No more "mechanical" feeling with the lighter shift knob. I purchased the brushed finish so the texture was almost a matte feeling. It is smooth, but not the smooth that you would feel of the polished. You would have a glass type of texture with the polish knob. This is what I wanted, though.

Having a counter sunk shift knob will shorten your shifting "throws" a little bit, so that is exactly what this does. Although, the OEM shift knob is a great knob to begin with, I like having a lower shifter. This does the job like a champ.

Here are some pictures of the Anvil 2 at different levels of height. Sorry for the fuzzy pictures. It was dark outside.

Without the included nuts


With the included nuts, lowest they will go



With the included nuts, highest they will go with ~1 turn of the shift knob



I personally don't use the locking nuts, but knowing that there is little height difference, I may start to.

I rate the drop of the shift knob a 10/10. I wanted it low, and it went low.

As for comfort, I love the feel, but this changes on how one holds the shift knob. Let me explain.

People hold their shift knobs differently. They shift differently. No one is the same. Given that bit of information, the way you hold your shift knob will change the comfort. I have three ways I hold my shift knob, and I know a lot will relate.



"Palming" the shift knob

Rated 8/10

I have an average size hand, so palming this shift knob feels alright. You can get a firm grip on it and bang your gears if you so chose. I personally would only use this "stance" when using a spherical shift knob.

The "baseball" grip

Rated 10/10

Similar to the palming of my knob, it is slightly different. I hold this with the thumb around the shift knob, index and middle finger straight down the front of the knob, and the pinky and ring finger curled on the side. The grip is a little looser than the palming of my knob, but the comfort is all there. I love the feel of the shift knob when I hold it this way.

Last but not least, the "hold my beer" grip

Rated 9.5/10

"Hold my beer, check this out." This is my favorite grip. With this grip, you get the full mass of the knob in your hand. The only thing I wish was a tad bit different is the radius on the top of the shift knob. There is a decent size flat spot on top of the shift knob that sort of pushes on my hand in an uncomfortable spot. I can avoid this by either loosening up my hand, or angling my hand differently. It would be nice if the radius was larger, but that is just me.

Picture of the radius



Over all I give this shift knob a 9.9/10

It is as close to OEM style as you can get while being aftermarket and counter sunk. The weight feels great and the texture is spot on.

If someone has this shift knob, please share your experiences, or correct anything that I have maybe made a fool of myself with on this review. Thanks!

 

I have the same knob. My blox 490 was a little heavier but not counter sunk. IMO the blox shifted smoother. Maybe cuz all the weight was on top. Still, the Moddiction knob is of very nice quality and sits very low. I love it

 

The height could've played a role in it shifting smoother too but this knob is a win in my book! This is my summer daily, so I can wait for it to be nicer out. Wisconsin seasons...

 

cool, I also like the beer grip

I am still waiting to see what knob to get

 

I've had the same knob for about 2 years now and I love the difference it has made in comfort of shifting. I like the wider shape, I found the oem knob too thin. The lower height allows me to rest my arm completely on the console. I have the shift pattern engraved into my anvil2 so I set the height a bi above the full bottom setting to keep the shift pattern straight, so I use the nuts and spring washer.

I always prefer a pistol-grip shifter (same as your hold the beer grip), I dislike sphere shift knobs where I have to shift them from the palm of my hand. I've always preferred leather shift knobs over full metal ones, but the anvil2 is so comfy to shift that I overlook that aspect and I wouldn't trade it for any other shift knob. Great product if you prefer pistol-grip shifting (hold the beer) .

 

Want to add that this was my first and favorite mod on my S. Pistol grip shift + heavy knob ftw. Only wish I waited (at the time I made the buy) for the colored options+ gear engraving. Still might buy another in the matte black and give my current to my little bro.

 

Keep 'em coming. This shift knob rocks. I enjoy driving the car much more with a comfortable knob.

 

I bought one as well with yellow engraving for my CR. I installed a JDM shift collar as well. It shifts so precisely now with perfect weight and kinetic force applied for each shift. Also like the fact I eliminated the gap in the shift boot.