Welsh Dragon Whalen Shift Knob for my MINI
One of the best upgrades I made to the first MINI I owned was to install a custom engraved Welsh Dragon Shifter Knob for my gear stick. I know, I know, it doesn’t sound like the most exciting upgrade in the world, but it was undoubtedly the best money spent in the 2 1/2 years I owned it.
Understandably, I wasn’t too happy when I found out the custom knob wouldn’t fit my new 2007 MINI. I emailed Doug Whalen, the brains behind the Whalen Shift Machine who confirmed “It will slide on, but the snaps will not reach the groove, so the knob will come off with even the slightest upward pull.”
However, a couple of weeks later, Doug emailed me to say he’d shipped a new version of the knob to a 2007 owner and he would update me as soon as he received feedback. Luckily the news was good! The knob fitted and stayed in place, even though the length of the lever had been increased.
Long story short, I sold my original to a fellow MINI owner on the North American Motoring Forums and ordered a new knob from Doug. The good news soon turned into great news. As a returning customer, Doug informed me I was eligible for free engraving (a $20 discount). A few days later the custom shifter knob arrived as promised. I really cannot say enough good things about Doug’s company - his customer service and quality of product is first rate!
And if you’re wondering if this upgrade is purely cosmetic, you really need to drive a car fitted with a Whalen Shift Knob. The difference it makes to your driving experience is quite amazing, as a quick search of the MINI2.com Forum proves. (It does look really cool though, doesn’t it?)
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June 5th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
I love Mini’s!! I hope to own a Mini one day…
June 6th, 2007 at 8:04 am
This is the 3rd MINI my wife and I have owned and we’ve loved every one of them! Great cars, lots of fun and a pleasure to drive…
This Sunday sees an attempt on the World’s Longest MINI Convoy here in Virginia Beach (http://tinyurl.com/2y5t9k) - should be a great event!
Happy Motoring,
–Steve
June 6th, 2007 at 11:15 am
That’s a cool gear knob Steve. But looks like it will get dirty easily with finger marks.
June 6th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Thanks! I chose a “brushed” finish for mine purely for that reason. The first custom gear knob I saw was a polished finish and showed all the finger marks - really spoiled the look of it.
June 6th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
I see, so this one is not as “glossy” as the polished one :). But the finger marks are really annoying, make me want to wipe it clean all the time.