I have just had RPW install a Rally Spec short shifter into the magna. What a great mod:D I would recommed this to anybody with a manual magna, really reduces the throw between gears. About $325 installed in about an hour.

Im considering getting one.. who else has got one and found it a big improvement?

Im considering getting one.. who else has got one and found it a big improvement?

Ive got one here you can try if you want Gerard. Personally I wreckon theyre a piece of crap. Chantra can back me up on that.

Ooo..

Ey jump on msn if u can, i wanna know why u think they'r crap.

Ive got one here you can try if you want Gerard. Personally I wreckon theyre a piece of crap. Chantra can back me up on that.

just because you guys are incompotent to install one doesnt mean they are crap,

Nah.. apparantly its alot stiffer to the stock one.. makes it difficult to use.


I dunno who said they were crap cause they couldnt get it on..

who said that?

just because you guys are incompotent to install one doesnt mean they are crap,

Yeah your right, must be my inability to undo 3 bolts. :gtfo:

Couldnt possibly be that they are overrated?

Nah.. apparantly its alot stiffer to the stock one.. makes it difficult to use.


I dunno who said they were crap cause they couldnt get it on..

who said that?

what do u expect from a shortshifter, of course its gonna be harder to slot it in, you have bascially halfed the length of the rod thus giving less leverage

if u can remeber chantra made a thread about not being able to install one

cool.. yea i expect that from it.. im jus sayin, thats why some people didn like it.

anyway, ill try it out and see how i like it personally



thanks articuno

considering i need a new clutch, im finding that the shifting isnt exactly that hard or slow. im able to shift very quickly without a short shifter with minimal effort, i dont see how increasing the effort to shift gears by decreasing the throw distance will be beneficial unless i was racing the car full time.

i've got one installed, and its awesome :D

never tried the stock shifter, but i still dont think this is too hard (little difficult to go from 2nd-1st when cold... well... when first started, getting out of the work carpark... fine after that!)

I also have one and think it's awesome. The increased effort to move the shifter is minimal (honestly, I can't even see a girl whinging about it :nuts: ), and the reduced throw is phenomenal (this is abundently clear when you have to drive a magna with a standard shifter after being used to one of these things).

My only issue since installing it is that when I'm "driving in anger" I occasionally miss 3rd gear. Not miss it as in I accidently engage 1st or 5th, just miss the gate slightly and clunk it into a solid object. I think it comes down to the fact that the movement is very precise and if you don't let the shifter spring back to centre properly you won't be able to slot it in to 3rd/4th in one movement.

I'll chime in here with what I think is a pretty un-biased opinion....

I had my Manual TE for 2 years, never got a short shifter.
I once tried Booyas with the car turned off and to be honest thought it was ****e..to hard to choose gears.

Just before I left I was lucky enough to drive JET_BLK's VRX with a short shifter.
First 10ish gear changes were a little strange.
Next 10 were pretty damn nice.
After that I was in love.

Had I been keeping my car, I would have ordered a short shifter that day. Money was not important.

-Dan

I've been thinking about doing the DIY short shifter for a while now as per this link. (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16089&highlight=short+shifter) Worth it? Or would it be better to buy one from RPW or something? Consider I'm quite poor.

i also have them in both my cars....

At first it was hard to shift esp getting into 2nd.... but after a week of practice, you get use to it and you can NEVER go back to using stock....

So you cant just try it once and then have an opinion about them....

the ppl who have short shifters in their cars can comment on how it feels to drive another car that has a stock shifter....lol.... it is WEIRD!

yeah i will be making or getting a short shifter soon cos i reckon the magnas have the longest gear throws ever made in a car!!!

i reckon my unles truck had closer throws than the magnas

Had the RPW short shifter in my car for years. Discussions on value for money asside, I reckon it's a great piece of kit. I'd also suggest people install it themselves to save a bit of cash. It takes 20 minutes.

I've been thinking about doing the DIY short shifter for a while now as per this link. (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16089&highlight=short+shifter) Worth it? Or would it be better to buy one from RPW or something? Consider I'm quite poor.

im still considering doin this, as it gets rid of that bend in the shifter too

i also have them in both my cars....

At first it was hard to shift esp getting into 2nd.... but after a week of practice, you get use to it and you can NEVER go back to using stock....

So you cant just try it once and then have an opinion about them....

the ppl who have short shifters in their cars can comment on how it feels to drive another car that has a stock shifter....lol.... it is WEIRD!

When did you get one?? Do you remember me commenting on how spun out I was by using the standard shifter in your TH when I moved it at that photoshoot earlier in the year?

alan a.k.a Megatron has done both my cars....

you can request how much you want to cut off whether 30mm or 50mm....they also come with appropiate spaces and bolts.

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40170

Megatron is selling some soon, $100 or something.

Well I just got back from down south (WA) and did 1000 k's in the last three days. I will firmly stand by the short shifter kit, It was a dream to drive, great when multiple shifts are needed through lots of twist and turns it was also gooood for overtaking, nice and easy to keep the revs high. Muchly enjoyed:)

Can anyone tell me if the Rally spec one RPW sell is harder to get used to than the regular ?
Im not sure what one to get?

Short throw shifters are awesome. Best things ever, I'll never go back to a stock shifter.

I helped RPW develop the 2nd gen one. You know it's going to be good when you can tell them how to make it lol

The only thing I dont like is the price. But there's tons of other short shifters for cars that are about the same price...so I'm just being a tight**** about it lol

Short shifter or just shortened shifter?

The idea of a short shifter is to reduce throw and create a more efficient gear change.

I dont know what RPW do to their gear sticks, but if its just shortening the stick length then all they are doing is making it harder to change your gears. And paying $225 for someone to cut a peice of metal off is insane!

Can anyone post up a pic of the RPW quickshifter? Just want to see what they do to it.


The below are fine examples of actually improving your gear changing and shortening the throw between gears.

Ripshift (http://www.gmmotorsport.com/ripshiftmanual.htm)
Herrod Sureshift (http://www.herrodmotorsport.com.au/images/products/under_car_enhancements/shifters/1st_DSC01428.jpg)

Short shifter or just shortened shifter?

RPW's shifter moves the pivot point up the shifter, so yeah, it's shortening the throw not the shifter.

RPW's shifter moves the pivot point up the shifter, so yeah, it's shortening the throw not the shifter.

Ahh ok. thats good then..


So why are these people who have these RPW shortshifters saying its harder to move into gear? It should be improving it..

i think the pivot point is moved up about 2-4cm, so not a massive drop in shifter length, but makes a massive improvement in the throw. you really only need to flick the wrist!

the problem some people have, is in not having a strong enough wrist :D
the shift is a lot firmer than stock, and quite "notchy" its either in or out, no inbetween, but i honestly wouldn't have it any other way!

some weeks i just drive the barina to work and its honestly like rowing a boat.

So why are these people who have these RPW shortshifters saying its harder to move into gear? It should be improving it..

Moving the pivot point up the gear stick also reduces the leverage, just like only shortening the stick would. :)

RPW Site says...

"RPW has modified this shifter to increase the throw of the stick both forwards and backwards, as well as sideways. This means that with practice you can do your flat gear changes (Within reason) without fearing of missing the gear. Due to the increased feel for the gearbox synchro rings, you can know how hard to push it and get a better feel of when to release and engage the clutch.

This is not achieved by just shortening the stick, although the height of the stick will be approx 1" shorter than normal. This is achieved by lengthening the lever after the pivot point on both the forwards and backwards and sideways levers so that for the now less throw on the top half of the shaft, there is now a larger movement on the throw point after the pivot point. Basic principles of engineering used to your benefit.

With practice RPW clients report being able to go straight from 2nd - 3rd gear on a straight diagonal rather than having to do a sideways movement."

Source: http://www.rpw.com.au/shop/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=194&category_id=167&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=31


It mentions the option of Standard or rally Spec - but doesn't say which models these are available for or the difference between the Standard & Rally Specs.

Ahh ok. thats good then..


So why are these people who have these RPW shortshifters saying its harder to move into gear? It should be improving it..


its because they're not use to it... give it 1-2 weeks and it becomes natural and very easy to change gears.

So why are these people who have these RPW shortshifters saying its harder to move into gear? It should be improving it..

It is actually physically harder to move the selector into gear, because the length of the stick above the pivot point is reduced. Throw is reduced by lengthening the stick below the pivot point, but in order to keep the overall unit height in check, the length of the stick above the pivot point is reduced, removing the mechanical advantage of force required to engage the gears.

For example, look at a door. When you push on the furthest point from the hinge, it requires little force to move the door. But when you push right next to the hinge, the amount of force required to move the door is increased exponentially.

Hit the nail on the head Citizen, mine was harder to shift to start off with, but I very quickly got used to it because the throw was so much shorter. Even in the first day of using it I loved it, it was a little harder...but man it was sooooo much better overall.

It's like a heavy clutch...you just get used to it. Whoever whinged about it either a) didn't install it right or b) didnt give it enough time to get used to it.

It is actually physically harder to move the selector into gear, because the length of the stick above the pivot point is reduced. Throw is reduced by lengthening the stick below the pivot point, but in order to keep the overall unit height in check, the length of the stick above the pivot point is reduced, removing the mechanical advantage of force required to engage the gears.

For example, look at a door. When you push on the furthest point from the hinge, it requires little force to move the door. But when you push right next to the hinge, the amount of force required to move the door is increased exponentially.

I understand this.. But having driven a Monaro with a ripshift it was actually easier to change gears.. Not physically harder..

Same goes with a mates 6 speed T with a herrod sureshifter in it..

It was much more precise and easier to slot the gear into place over my standard 6 speed.

i have something other to add to this...does this in any way alter the way/wear out gear box synchro's(spelling??)...

in my 180sx i had a C's short shifter and i prefered to drift without it as it was a little to hard to be precise when changing fastly and trying to keep the car sideways..so i opted to put the stock one back in...but after i removed the c's i found my box was a little stiffer...(may have been from the flogging it copped to,,,so who knows)


i have herd many stories from fellow drifters that they can wear out the synchro's???im not sure about the truth of this??


having said that i will be looking to get one in my magna as i dont plan to be drifting it.

I understand this.. But having driven a Monaro with a ripshift it was actually easier to change gears.. Not physically harder..

Same goes with a mates 6 speed T with a herrod sureshifter in it..

It was much more precise and easier to slot the gear into place over my standard 6 speed.

They probably make the shifters in a different way. 2nd gen shifters are just a plain old lever config...whereas the 3rd gen ones are made differently. I thought N/S motor shifters were linked to the side of the gearbox and meaning the shifter would be made differently again?

Perhaps this is why there was that difference Bain? Also when I say that the shift was harder, it was harder to move initially...but the difference in overall throw made the shifter easier and more precise on the whole.

RPW Site says...

"RPW has modified this shifter to increase the throw of the stick both forwards and backwards, as well as sideways. This means that with practice you can do your flat gear changes (Within reason) without fearing of missing the gear. Due to the increased feel for the gearbox synchro rings, you can know how hard to push it and get a better feel of when to release and engage the clutch.

This is not achieved by just shortening the stick, although the height of the stick will be approx 1" shorter than normal. This is achieved by lengthening the lever after the pivot point on both the forwards and backwards and sideways levers so that for the now less throw on the top half of the shaft, there is now a larger movement on the throw point after the pivot point. Basic principles of engineering used to your benefit.

With practice RPW clients report being able to go straight from 2nd - 3rd gear on a straight diagonal rather than having to do a sideways movement."

Source: http://www.rpw.com.au/shop/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=194&category_id=167&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=31


It mentions the option of Standard or rally Spec - but doesn't say which models these are available for or the difference between the Standard & Rally Specs.

If you go to the bottem of this page, you will see you can select a choice of normal short shifter or rally spec, which outlines the differences of both.

as a rule of thumb, if you want something better than stock but you don't want a heavier stick, then go the normal short shifter. If you don't mind it slightly heavier (And you do become accustomed to it over time) then go the rally spec cause it is SOOOOOOO much better. I did the first rally spec on my car and I am now going ot modify it further to way beyond rally spec as a full custom race unit but then again, I want it extremely short for racing and this one just feels like a normal shifter to me now.

QUOTE]this one just feels like a normal shifter to me now.[[/QUOTE]

Agreed..The time it takes to get used to the new shifter is minimal. Dave (RPW) said it might take a while to get used to it. But let me tell you by the time I was pulling back onto the freeway I was in love :drool:

if u can remeber chantra made a thread about not being able to install one

No, you Nutmegseed :nuts: ...I made a thread about wounding myself while installing it! :p

They do work..but that particular one made shifting harder than stock, though!