Dash Knob

"Berang" (berang) 01/15/2016 at 15:16 • Filed to: None

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More cars should put the gear change on the dash.

The gear lever came out through the dash because this was the easiest way to route it on early front wheel drive cars which usually put the transmission in front of the engine.

But it also has some advantages over the floor mounted lever. It saves space, puts the gear changes closer to your hand, and offers a more direct linkage in a front wheel drive layout than a floor mounted shifter (excepting cars laid out like the Subaru). Plus because it’s different, it is inherently cool. I’m just wishing more cars had them.

DrJohannVegas > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:21

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Crash safety rules on interior protrusions? (Shrug)

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:25

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Don’t forget these other Honda products:

Honda made some excellent manual gearboxes - and especially with the dash mounted shifter knob...

duurtlang > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:27

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Don’t most modernish vans have the shifter on the dash?

Berang > duurtlang 01/15/2016 at 15:29

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Might depend on where you are in the world. I know in Japan dash and column shifters are still commonplace.

davedave1111 > DrJohannVegas 01/15/2016 at 15:30

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Space utilisation, IIRC. Getting it out from between the front seats frees up quite a bit of room.

fhrblig > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:30

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I thought having the gearshift on the dash would be weird in my Fiat, but it was in just the right spot.

Leon711 > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:31

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Was gonna say the majority of European vans have it on the dash.

Nibby > duurtlang 01/15/2016 at 15:33

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Ugh I hate that... they’re so awkward. Some Hondas have shifters like that and they just don’t feel right at all.

DrJohannVegas > davedave1111 01/15/2016 at 15:36

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I was proposing a potential reason for why not dash shifters.

Cé hé sin > duurtlang 01/15/2016 at 15:37

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They do, and not just vans. This one even tells you what D, N and R mean:

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:40

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If you have a Vibetrix, it’s kind of both.

Cé hé sin > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:45

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Plenty of them left, just not maybe cars. Meet a Ford Transit.

duurtlang > Nibby 01/15/2016 at 15:46

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I’ve rented a few of those vans, and while you do need some time to adjust they’re absolutely fine. I guess adjusting will take far longer in that Honda due to it not being a manual, meaning you don’t need to use the shifter very often.

davedave1111 > DrJohannVegas 01/15/2016 at 15:49

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Sorry, Kinja’d. I thought you were responding to Duurtlang.

Cé hé sin > Berang 01/15/2016 at 15:50

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Dash switch, courtesy of Citroen?

Jonee > Berang 01/16/2016 at 03:52

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I want more dash mounted pre-selects.

My brother’s old Dodge van had one of these.