My dad and I made a short shifter for my car today :D

Unfortunately I'm too lazy to get the photos off my phone as it takes AGES because I've only got infrared. But anyway, the shifter is 2 inches shorter than the stock one and it's magnificent! We got a nice little metal bar, lathed it down to the size that seals perfectly inside I think it's a red and black Autotechnica gearknob, and drilled one small hole into the shaft so that one of the grub nuts can be screwed in to hold it in place.

Very stoked . My car's a V6 VN manual, which has a reasonably short stock shifter but not short enough . That and I really wanted to get that gearknob in, so I figure - why not make a shifter to fit the gearknob?

All I can say is: SUCCESS! BAHAHA!

nice work man, get some pics when you can be bothered

another thing also, i hope you did it correctly, alot of people to half assed short shifter jobs and just start shaving/cutting stuff to make it smaller, wich really doesnt help in any way, hope you did it the proper way.

We started off with a metal rod, cut it down to about 10cm in length (including the section which is bolted onto the gearbox). Then we lathed the shaft which is inserted into the gearknob and we got it to such a perfect fit that it seals. Then dad decided to try something new, and he actually created the flat surfaces used to grip the gearbox using the lathe as well and it turned out perfect!

The only horrible part was countersinking the holes. We didn't have a drill bit that was *quite* the right shape for them so it looks kind of tragic but the bolts actually grip really well and it's not like it's going to snap. I might do some photos tomorrow after work when I have time .

rum said:

nice work man, get some pics when you can be bothered

another thing also, i hope you did it correctly, alot of people to half assed short shifter jobs and just start shaving/cutting stuff to make it smaller, wich really doesnt help in any way, hope you did it the proper way.

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i think this guy means that to do it properly you need to lift the pivot point of the lever therefore the throw is much shorter. This is heaps more effective than simply shortening the stick.

however the stick shortening is way easier and ive done it myself. Looks cool if you do it really short!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I'm pretty sure he meant by a real short shifter as in moving the pivot point. So effectively it doesn't require as much travel in the stick for the pivot to get the selector in the right places.

Where as by just cutting it down. Your making it shorter, but the selector has to go the same distance.

It does actually make shifts faster for me because I physically don't have to move the shifter as far, but I do get what you're trying to say .

I shortened the gear stick in my old commodore (VS) But couldn't be bothered with adjusting the pivot point (was done for looks) It made the throw so damn heavy that when the missus started driving it all she can do is complain about how much effort it takes to throw the lever I just tell her to shut up and drive.

I wouldn't think it would be that easy to adjust the pivot point though? Wouldn't that mean stuffing around with the shaft coming out of the gearbox, ie. changing things that normal people like myself shouldn't change?

I haven't noticed a significant increase in the heaviness of the throw, but I tend to adjust to changes like that pretty quickly which is certainly handy going from my work car (a manual Hyundai Getz) to my car... The difference between the gearboxes and clutches is HUGE.

trunkrattler said:

I shortened the gear stick in my old commodore (VS) But couldn't be bothered with adjusting the pivot point (was done for looks) It made the throw so damn heavy that when the missus started driving it all she can do is complain about how much effort it takes to throw the lever I just tell her to shut up and drive.

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I like the way you think ! "SHUT UP AND DRIVE WOMAN!"

HAH

Here's the photos, sorry they took so long!! My infrared adapter decided it hated my phone and didn't want to work anymore, then I got a new phone and I bought a bluetooth adapter so I got the photos off my old phone and here they are!! This is before we drilled the holes, I don't have an after photo, sorry .