Deciding on finding the best short shifter

[churchx]

But just as "drivers car" mostly is about feel, though usually generalized about handling as a whole, shift feel improvement might certainly be one many owners are willing to pay for.
I paid for accel pedal spacer to ease H&T. Steering wheel is relocated closer and of smaller diameter. Braided lines & master cylinder brace. Steering rack lockdown. Different clutch master cylinder, braided line, mtec spring. Heavy shift knob, stiff tranny mount & bushing and non stock gearbox oil. - none of these are required for performance, speed, whatever. But they did improve "feel" and thus - enjoyment i get from driving.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Quicker shifting is a myth. The shift speed is limited by the time it takes for the syncro to slow down or speed up the input side of the gearbox. A short-throw lever only decreases the force the operator applies to the syncro clutches.

They feel cooler. That's all.

To piggyback this, I'll offer a back-in-the-day story about short shifters.

(yes, Tcoat, I know - I've told this story before - )

One hot summer Saturday night, back in small town Ohio, me and several of my buddies, had collected our cars up at Hollon's garage.

Present was a 1937 Chev coupe, a 1937 Chev sedan, my 1948 Chev coupe and several others. When a new car to the group pulled up. Yep, Steve had bought himself a 1937 Hudson Terraplane, coupe. We all gathered around since we had never seen a car like that.

During the subsequent conversations, Steve bragged about why is car was faster than ours. (all the cars were powered by 6 cylinder engines).

When we asked why, he said because he could shift faster and showed us his "short throw" shifter. Yep, we agreed that was neat because one could detach the floorboard shifter, so that your girlfriend could sit closer.

However, we tried to tell him that his "short" electric shift wasn't any faster.

So off we went out in the country a few miles to our "dragstrip" -

(that's how we settled things back then)

The 1937 Chev and my 1948 Chev both beat the Terraplane in a quarter mile, proving that his short shifter was not faster -

The end.

humfrz

[Lantanafrs2]

Must have taken 20 minutes

[weederr33]

Just gonna put it out there, I really like my STI short shifter. If I didn't care about subtlety or raced, I'd get the IRP.

[FunnyGopher]

The Perrin shifter mount bushing does wonders. Technically doesn't shorten the throw at all, but it feels so much nicer and stiffer to put into gear, without feeling unnecessarily hard and mechanical like the IRP short throw does.

I've driven a car with both the bushing (my car), and a car with the IRP (friend's car), and in traffic, the mechanical sturdiness that the IRP brought was a pain in the butt in day to day traffic. Rowing through gears, it was amazing. Shifting into 1st and 2nd over and over again in traffic was not.

I'd give the bushing a try, it's ~$34 and 20 minutes under the car. Knowing the difference, it'd be one of the first things I'd do to the car if I had to build it again.
Here's a link to it on FT86SF --> https://www.ft86speedfactory.com/per...shing-119.html

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by churchx

But just as "drivers car" mostly is about feel, though usually generalized about handling as a whole, shift feel improvement might certainly be one many owners are willing to pay for.
I paid for accel pedal spacer to ease H&T. Steering wheel is relocated closer and of smaller diameter. Braided lines & master cylinder brace. Steering rack lockdown. Different clutch master cylinder, braided line, mtec spring. Heavy shift knob, stiff tranny mount & bushing and non stock gearbox oil. - none of these are required for performance, speed, whatever. But they did improve "feel" and thus - enjoyment i get from driving.

That's all good but don't say it shifts quicker.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by churchx

But just as "drivers car" mostly is about feel, though usually generalized about handling as a whole, shift feel improvement might certainly be one many owners are willing to pay for.
I paid for accel pedal spacer to ease H&T. Steering wheel is relocated closer and of smaller diameter. Braided lines & master cylinder brace. Steering rack lockdown. Different clutch master cylinder, braided line, mtec spring. Heavy shift knob, stiff tranny mount & bushing and non stock gearbox oil. - none of these are required for performance, speed, whatever. But they did improve "feel" and thus - enjoyment i get from driving.

YIKES! I'll betcha you are loved by the aftermarket folks -


humfrz

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by FunnyGopher

The Perrin shifter mount bushing does wonders. Technically doesn't shorten the throw at all, but it feels so much nicer and stiffer to put into gear, without feeling unnecessarily hard and mechanical like the IRP short throw does.

I've driven a car with both the bushing (my car), and a car with the IRP (friend's car), and in traffic, the mechanical sturdiness that the IRP brought was a pain in the butt in day to day traffic. Rowing through gears, it was amazing. Shifting into 1st and 2nd over and over again in traffic was not.

I'd give the bushing a try, it's ~$34 and 20 minutes under the car. Knowing the difference, it'd be one of the first things I'd do to the car if I had to build it again.
Here's a link to it on FT86SF --> https://www.ft86speedfactory.com/per...shing-119.html

I'm thinking that some of you folks that have a MT, should have gotten a AT.

humfrz

[FunnyGopher]

Originally Posted by humfrz

I'm thinking that some of you folks that have a MT, should have gotten a AT.

Haha, don't get me wrong, I love my manual. I even love it in traffic. Wouldn't have it any other way. But the stiffness of the IRP was just too much on the street for me. I couldn't see the benefit unless you're really on it all the time.

[Dr. BRZ]

Originally Posted by FunnyGopher

Haha, don't get me wrong, I love my manual. I even love it in traffic. Wouldn't have it any other way. But the stiffness of the IRP was just too much on the street for me. I couldn't see the benefit unless you're really on it all the time.

You must be old....

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Dr. BRZ

You must be old....

humfrz

[FunnyGopher]

Originally Posted by Dr. BRZ

You must be old....

I wouldn't call mid 20's old

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by FunnyGopher

I wouldn't call mid 20's old

OK, you're in trouble then -


humfrz

[Lantanafrs2]

This thread went to shit lol