What are peoples experiences after having the RPW short shifter kit installed, is shifting (inparticular quick shifts between gears) much improved - easier?

Also, it would be much appreciated if individuals could possibly PM me with how much they paid for the modified unit plus installation etc.

cheers.

Trav (tiphareth) had one installed a few months back. I had a go with it and it sort of felt nice but gears seemed harder to get in and crunchier, wasn't as smooth but i never really had a go of travs before. He'll be able to tell you all.

I think RalliartBoy had one installed on his ralliart too which would be worth a followup.

Yep, Ralliart Boy has one on his Ralliart.

Initially it was hard to get into gears and crunched but after a spray of the old WD-40, it is very smooth and i love driving with it.

Dont know how i ever drove without one.

For the minimal outlay, it is one of the best mods you could do.

Go for it.

Hey Dave, you can fix me up with a commission later - :D

I had the RPW Short Shift in my TH - it was brilliant - I drove a stock TJ after my TH (well while I still had it) and yeah - the throw is sooo much better with the RPW unit!

I dunno how i got by without it!! Totally recommend it!!!

Two thumbs up on it!!

As for crunchy gears - nah never had that issue - but I was running a fully synthetic box oil, and it was tight whilst cold, but once it warmed up I could hit gears hard and fast any time I wanted to.

Manual

Thanks for your feedback so far guys, sounds like some extra "lube" whether it be better (synthetic) transmission oil or wd40 on the unit itself is required...

I hope i don't experience any gear "crunching", can anyone let me in on how much they cost?

do u reakon they could be made so that the stupid bend could be removed and it sat in the middle ?

if it did this i would buy one straight away

I was looking at getting one to, i think i was told about $700 ish installed i think ralliart boy told me, but this is going on my totaly unrelaible memory. . :nuts:

Does anyone have some good pics of a short shift before installation so I can fabricate one myself??


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Dennis (vrxbeachboy),

It was not the shifter that was around $700 installed, it was the K+N CAI kit.

The shifter is significantly cheaper (around 8x cheaper).

Looks like that memory let you down this time !!! :badgrin:

8x cheaper?

I got quoted 220 + 110 deposit that I get refunded when I send over my original shifter.

So 330 initial outlay, not too far under 1/2.

I would definatly have it done, but im too scared in experiancing a crunching issue. Nothing pisses me off more than a crunchy gearbox. I can't help it but im such a perfectionist lol

Akko i think around 220 sounds about right for the unit plus installation. Get dave to modify yours, don't do exchange. If you get one give me a hoi i'll have to check it out and compare.

I wouldn't mind getting a completely seperate unit, that way if i dont like it I can throw my existing one back in.

According to RPW's website if you don't like it you can return it and get your old (standard) one back from memory....

I wouldn't mind getting a completely seperate unit, that way if i dont like it I can throw my existing one back in.

According to RPW's website if you don't like it you can return it and get your old (standard) one back from memory....

If you do it the way I did you pay the $330 up front and get sent the short shifter. Fit it yourself (easy - takes 20 minutes) and drive around for a couple of days.. if you don't like it, reverse the process and send the new unit back to Dave! I'm pretty sure you'll like it though. You get a cheque for $110 when you return your stock shifter.

Thats not too bad then, got nothing to loose.

Blake

mmmmm tempting...

Id want to check with dave to make doubly sure you can return it no questions asked

That is still to exspensive for such an easy mod, it is not exactly exspensive to create a short through shifter, I haven't done it and don't intend to but i don't see the price. I would like one on my car but now i know i will be forking out 300 forget it

Thats the thing, its easy as hell to do and would take around half an hour max. Therefore 220 / .5 = 440! I didn't know workshops charged $440 an hour these days for simple cut n weld jobs lol

All in all I understand RPW has to make a profit but alot of performance firms in WA will modify shifter for around the 160 mark. Im still too scared to give my shifter to someone who hasn't done a magna before.

AussieMagna, have you pulled the shifter out to look at it yet? I'm not sure how anybody could really stuff it up. It's a pretty simple bit of kit.

For what it's worth I don't begrudge RPW any of the money. I'm happy with the value at $220, but if you can get it cheaper elsewhere, more power to you :D

Yes i've seen the shifter and it looks pretty basic. But still im nervous letting anyone cut and weld anything on my baby lol

I would prefer to see results but might just have to take RPW up on their exchange policy if I don't like it.

I've got the RPW shifter before.. It's basically just cutting some bits off and welding some bits on and then extending the sitting position of the new shifter...

But how did it feel, was it crunchy?

Most importantly, did it actually work?

I'm getting closer to having this done, has anyone else had the mod performed more recently who can provide any additional feedback?

As for crunching issues my understanding is that there will be more "feel" to the shifts with the modified unit, and the only crunching if any should be the result of poor clutch work...

Has anyone investigated wheather or not an FTO/300GT short shifter kit would be a straight bolt-on affair to our 3rd Gens as an alternative to the RPW unit?

Pretty sure KB has looked into this for his second gen., and the 3000GT might fit his car, but not 3rd gens as it's a totally different shape.

I posted some comparo pics in a recent thread "Who makes...", between stock shift and RPW.

It's sometimes hard to get into first and reverse, but apart from that it ROCKS!! :D

Yeah the 3000GT shifter is the same as the 2nd gen manual shifter, not the 3rd gen.

I've had the RPW Shifter installed in my car.. What they do is you send your unit to them and they send the modified unit from a previous customer to you. I dismantled mine and sent it to them instead.. It costs about 220 I think.. But when it was returned to me, all that was done was a few quick welds to the shifter linkage and a few 15mm or so washers to sit the gear stick higher as the modified short shifter unit would be touching the floor of the car.

Usage terms.. The shifter is short and sweet (Not as short as my current one right KB? My CompTech is fully sik LOL). Anyways, sometimes, I found it hard to engaged first gear whether if the car is cold or warmed up but it's normal I guess.

In terms of value for money, from how I see it, you can get someone to do the same welding job to the shifter for prolly half the price I paid for as really, there isn't much modifications to it made....

I had it installed a while back. AT first it was VERY stiff, and i felt i could shift just as fast with it normally. it has loosened up, but can still feel that stiffness. The throw is about 50% less (which is what RPW claim anyway) so yeh not bad. might try some of that WD-40 actually

Trav

i have one its stiff as first and seconed clunck a bit but its good well worth it i payed 220 get one. some asked for apic of one here ya go

What's the best tranny oil to use in the manual boxes of our 3rd gens?

Since short shifters engage the gears faster (due to the shorter throw) would there be any increased wear on transmission parts?