Stage 1 shift kit - worth it?

[Ripcell]

hey all, im thinking of getting a stage 1 shift kit.

from peoples personal experience with them, are they worth it? is there somewhat of a noticeable difference with it? is it worth the $70?

cheers

[1991_Vn2nV]

They're mainly used for towing I think.

Why not get a stage 2 shiftkit mate?

[Cobez]

Yeah, unless you are purely using it for towing, spend the extra and get the stage 2 kit. Well worth the few hundred you pay for it. If you hunt around you can find one fitted for about $350.

[Emackulation]

I have a Stage 1 Transgo shift kit in my car. The only reason I got the stage one was because they would not offer a warranty on stage 2 or 3 kits. I had the whole GB rebuilt with a heavy duty drive shell and corvette servo. I am happy with the firmness of the shifts, I dont know if I would have a stage 2 now because I quite like the way it shifts. Saying that the actually revs it shifts in auto is **** and too low, but when changing manually, its ace, very strong.

[Ripcell]

i was thinking of a 2, but is it true that with a 2 you can put the stick into any gear at any speed and it will engage, like put it into 1st at 100 ks?

[Emackulation]

Stage 3 is known as fully manualised, but if your first gear cant get to 100 then how could u make it at 100kms?

[Ripcell]

i ment if your doing 70ks in third and you knock the stick back to first it wont actually engauge the gear untill your doing under 60ks, ive heard that the stage 2 will go to what ever gear you move the stick to, only for down shifts tho, not fully manualised

[1991_Vn2nV]

Yes thats correct, or how it should be.

If you do change it manually (i.e. back to 1st at 60km/h) it will stay in that gear and wont change UP (will still change down in gears though) until you let it.

[Cobez]

I thought even with a shift kit it's not too great for the gearbox downshifting in an auto?

[Ripcell]

I thought even with a shift kit it's not too great for the gearbox downshifting in an auto?

yeah, ive driven mine hard treating it like a manual most of the time, doesnt slip even after over 100000ks worth of me driving it, i was kinda hoping the auto would break so ide be motivated to drop a manual box in it but since it wont break im thinkin of kittin the auto

[Cobez]

I drive mine manual style a little bit to clear out the combustion chambers a little bit, rev it right out in each gear from 1st through to 3rd into 4th, but i have never downshifted, i was under the impression it can stuff your gearbox up really badly when you DOWNshift in an auto.

[Ripcell]

i was under the impression it can stuff your gearbox up really badly when you DOWNshift in an auto.

so was i, but i wasnt worried cos when it breaks im gunna convert it, but its still holdin on strong even after doing over 100k in it driving it like that

[excalibur]

my auto took nearly 150000km of punishment before it stop selecting properly and that was stock and changing up?down manually.
i then got a rebuild with a stage 2 kit best thing ever nice crisp changes

[1991_Vn2nV]

I thought even with a shift kit it's not too great for the gearbox downshifting in an auto?

I do it all the time man, I live in the hills and have a good 20 minutes of twisty road through the hills and I downshift all the time, especially back to second down the hill in town as the speed limit is only 50km/h and its better than riding the brakes.

[barely legal]

I do it all the time man, I live in the hills and have a good 20 minutes of twisty road through the hills and I downshift all the time, especially back to second down the hill in town as the speed limit is only 50km/h and its better than riding the brakes.

but is it bad for the car?

[VZTHUNDER]

i do it a bit too
only when im coming down from golden grove (you all know that big hill). drop it itno 3rd and it maintains a steady speed (my car creeps up like 5kmh but the ssz sits dead on 80 and doesnt move)

[NORTI]

I do it heaps, as does Ben, we did it ALL the time in the VN Calais & that thing copped even more of a flogging from the next owner & STILL going!!

Ben downshifts constantly in the shift-kitted trimatic aswell, & my VN cops a beating too, still no problems. So Im happy to keep doing it when needed.

[barely legal]

I do it heaps, as does Ben, we did it ALL the time in the VN Calais & that thing copped even more of a flogging from the next owner & STILL going!!

Ben downshifts constantly in the shift-kitted trimatic aswell, & my VN cops a beating too, still no problems. So Im happy to keep doing it when needed.

i'me pretty sure that if you not doing something stupid like shifting into 2nd at 100k's that it couldnt be that bad for the engine.
i'll shift into 2nd alot at no more than 60 k's and ive had no trouble.

[NORTI]

lol not far off sometimes

haha 2nd at 80k's on the downhill to keep it at 80k's - slack much?