This was the car I learnt to drive in... and for 6 months used to drive on a regular basis once I passed my test. As it wasn't mine (at the time), it got royally abused by me. Traffic light grand prix versus school mates on the way home, handbrake turns in the supermarket car park... and my favourite vehicular pastime... J-turn practicing on the airfield runway.

I got quite good, until one day I twisted the gear knob a bit too hard when changing from R to 1, and snapped the inside thread. Since then, it sat slightly crooked, and twisted really easily. Annoying, but it wasn't mine to deal with.

Since acquiring the car though it has come to bug me, along with the fact the gear knob feels too big in my hand, and that silly rubber ring keeps pinging off.


Changed that with the purchase of a Puma aluminium knob which I fitted this morning. Decided to go for that one because as much as I love the RS knob, my car isn't an RS and never will be, so I don't wanna badge it up like it is (I know I'm sticking ST170 stuff on, but I'm not claiming it to be one, and not gonna stick ST badges on or anything).

I want to get a short shifter in if I can find one, but from looking about, it seems they no longer make them for the Focus with an IB5 box, and 2nd hand they're very rare I'm told. Might have to get a friend of a friend who works in motorsport tuning to make me one. Also the gear lever is a little high for my liking, so might chop a section out and get it welded up. It's a pain the knobs are threaded rather than held in with grubs screws or I could just lop the top off and not have to worry about welding the thread back on.


Before, old (broken) Zetec knob.


Puma knob


Oooops. Because the original knob extends down quite a bit, the gaiter doesn't naturally sit high enough.


Fixed that by bodging a collar on to hold the gaiter up. You can see the original metal "stops" a few inches lower. Cable ties & electrical tape. Unfortunately, I ran out of duct tape, so it's not a true bodge.


Big improvement imo