360 Manual Shift Knob / Satin Anodised or Chrome?

The OEM shift knob came with a polished mirror finish coated with clear. Over time, that clear can become scratched and chipped, but it can be removed with a paint stripper. Prior to applying the paint stripper, it helps to heat the knob with a heat gun. After polishing, the clear can then be reapplied.

BTW, that Hill Engineering knob has the wrong shift pattern for the 360. In a 355, the reverse goes down at an angle, as shown. In a 360, the reverse goes straight down.

 

I should’ve taken pictures, but I didn’t. My shift knob was scratched up, so I took it off, threaded it onto a bolt for gripping it and used rubbing compound and shop towels to polish it. It took about 30 minutes. The results were excellent, I did this four years ago now and without applying any clearcoat it still looks great.

 

I tried to strip mine but the chrome was chipped. The chrome finish obviously didn’t come off with stripper. I wet sanded the ball with increasingly fine paper, then polished it with a metal polish. Still looks great.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/index.php?threads/My-wife-polished-my-stick-and--I-refurbished-my-ugly-ball.439687/


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It's not chromed and it's not anodized. It’s a plain aluminum ball that’s been polished to a mirror finish. Because raw aluminum will tarnish with exposure to sweaty driver’s hands, the factory applied a tough clear finish to protect the polished surface.

If you are not into DIY, give it a professional refinisher who will restore it for you. The decision to re-coat with a clear is up to you. Regular automotive clears look great at first, but after a few months, the finish becomes a bit cloudy. These coatings are just too soft to withstand all the handling a shift knob gets, so they have to be stripped and reapplied occasionally. A 2K clear with a catalyst night be more durable.

If you choose to leave the metal polished but bare, as has been suggested, be aware that over time, the finish will become somewhat duller. It will still look nice and shiny, but not as pristine and mirror-like as the original finish. You could also have the knob chromed, which would produce a very durable finish, but that could get costly.

As far as replacements, there are not many options. The OEM knob is not available and used units are also likely to have cosmetic issues. Unless you get lucky.

The only replacement I am aware of is the Hill unit, which has the 355 shift gate pattern. Hill used to carry a knob with the correct 360 shift pattern, but I haven’t seen it in a few years. You may want to contact them and ask if those knobs are still available.

In any case, the Hill replacement will have a matte anodized finish that does not match the OEM shiny finish. Whether that’s acceptable to you is a matter of personal preference.

 

Ricambi does list a replacement knob that shows the correct 360 shift pattern in an anodized finish. However, before ordering, I would ask them to confirm that you would actually be getting that exact part and not the Hill Engineering knob with the 355 shift pattern. I am suspicious because that part number also show compatibility with the 355.

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Hi, I bought one from ricambi made by hill engineering in matte finish (not shiny) for about 80-90$ and looks great.

 

I have a matte Hills I'm not using. If anyone wants it, pm me.
Tom