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Aftermarket Miata Gated Shifter Kit Makes Changing Gears Feel Super
Need more snick-snick in your classic Miata? Minottek's new gated shifter may be just the ticket. The post Aftermarket Miata Gated Shifter Kit Makes Changing Gears Feel Super appeared first on The Drive.
The 1990 Mazda Miata is known for many things—its light weight, its zingy four-cylinder, and its tight, butter-smooth gearbox, just as examples—but an upscale interior? Not so much. That’s not a dig, mind you. I own a red NA of that exact vintage, in fact, shiny black plastic and all. It’s… fine? Clean and simple, but spartan even by the standards of 30 years ago. Suffice it to say, the extravagance of a gated shifter simply wasn’t a priority for Mazda.
And it’s a sin made all the easier to forgive thanks to Minottek, which has just launched its very own gated shifter retrofit kit for the original MX-5. At $549, it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s also more than just a pretty piece of billet aluminum in place of your old vinyl shift boot. What you’re getting is an entire assembly, including the shifter, the milled gate, a new bushing, and replacement hardware and insulation. Minottek even includes a custom trim piece that fits around the new kit.
“Each component has been meticulously designed, tested, and manufactured for the very best durability, fit, and finish,” the company’s product listing says. “The gated shift pattern was finalized following over 20 revisions and development for the kit exceeds 200 hours.”
Not only was it precisely engineered to fit the original Miata’s center console, but Minottek says it built adjustment points into the design to allow the end customer to tweak the fit. The shifter assembly is self-contained and bolts directly to the transmission, eliminating intermediate components that could lead to rattles or misalignment.
And since the entire assembly goes in as one unit, installation is quick and easy. Minottek’s documentation suggests you’ll need no more than an hour or two to complete the job, and it only requires a few simple tools: a socket wrench set, a Phillips screwdriver, and the included hex key.
The post Aftermarket Miata Gated Shifter Kit Makes Changing Gears Feel Super appeared first on The Drive.
