1g short throw, custom or purchase

[c4uldr0n]

I've read many of the searches and find horror stories about 1g short throws and shift forks breaking... etc. I'm debating on whether I should customize the stock shifter and make my own short throw or purchase a Fidanza. What would you members recommend? (I have full access to a shop with a welder and all of the other goodies)

Thanks,

c4

 

[TSisleeper]

I have a fidanza short shifter in my, along with the symbroski shifter base plate bushings, and the underhood "skateboard wheel" bearings and I don't have a problem. I ordered mine through ultrarev.com (less then $50). Just my 2 cents though, I give the 'danza one

 

[StR8sPo0Ln]

I would have to agree. The fidanza has a very good reputation to it. I vote for the fidanza as well.

 

[91tsi2wd]

werd^^ I have the Fidanza (also from ultrarev) have the underhood bearings, just haven't installed them, and'll install the symborski shift kit at some time too.


but for now the Fidanzan piece is really nice and crisp. I'd giver a go, just a forewarning though, there is some modification required for it to fit correctly

 

[kraka]

I ran my Fidanza short shifter on my 91awd and had great results...Was pretty damn stiff and I didn't think it was 'short' enough, but I liked it nonetheless...

Im throwing my 91awd trans in my 90awd, will there still be modding needed to run the 91+ fidanza in my car?

 

[91tsi2wd]

Yes there will be modification required to fit in a 91 car. That is what I have. Fidanza engineered the short throw a: without any shift stop, so you will have to rig up something for that (ie drill in a bolt and wrap it in rubber), b: the hole in the chrome piece will have to be bored a bit bigger in order to compensate for the bushings which sit on the black piece, fidanza will basically tell you to f off if you call for help

 

[c4uldr0n]

I already have all of the bushing kits, I read about having to mod it and I probably will since I just rebuilt my tranny and don't want to break those nice looking shepard forks

 

[jazzyjay]

Yes there will be modification required to fit in a 91 car. That is what I have. Fidanza engineered the short throw a: without any shift stop, so you will have to rig up something for that (ie drill in a bolt and wrap it in rubber), b: the hole in the chrome piece will have to be bored a bit bigger in order to compensate for the bushings which sit on the black piece, fidanza will basically tell you to f off if you call for help

Do you have pics of the mods you are talking about?

 

[c4uldr0n]

well, I just sent ~52.00 dollars to ultrarev, waiting patiently for my shipment... as far as the pics, look at your stock shifter, the piece of metal/rubber that prevents the shifter from moving "past" any gear, thats they mod they speak of, to add that to the aftermarket.

 

[Echo5Zulu]

I installed the OBX one in my first gen. I had to cut down the mounting block some but I love it. Made shifting a lot quicker, shorter and easier. Goes into rear and second easier too. The Fidansa (sp.?) shifter may be better but I do like my obx. Its also chrome with a nice chrome shift knob. Dont worry its not too ricey.

 

[Pat D]

Hmmm I guess im the only cheapskate that mods the stocker. I cut it right under the taper and cut off 1 inch and welded the top tappered piece onto the wider bottom so there was a shelf. Combined with the 2G shifter knob I loved the way it shifts.......
Smooth and fast

 

[91tsi2wd]

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

This is the best pic I could get as of yet, crappy cell phone cam so I apologize. But you can see where the bolt is on the left side of the chromed piece. that is where the black piece is attached through the chrome piece. On both the factory shifter and on this fidanza unit there are two plastic bushings, one on each side that fit around the black piece and almost act as a washer between the black and chrome piece, these are what give the shifter (both stock and fidanza) its fluid motion, as they prevent the metal pieces from coming in contact and reduce friction. They fit great on the stock piece, but on this fidanza unit, they are a little to big to fit in the chrome piece's hole (which is drilled through the middle for the black piece to fit in). In order to compensate for this, you must either take a drill press, or a hand drill with a vice (as I did), and essentially bore the hole until the bushings and black piece will easily fit into the chrome piece and move fluidly. If you just opt to eliminate the bushings altogether you will get sloppiness as the black piece alone is to small to fit in the chrome piece snugly.

I'll try to get some better pix up later of what I mean

Hope this helps

 

[TalonTsi31]

go with a b & m you pay moe but as you've heard stories of you get what you pay for

 

[91tsi2wd]

I don't know that that is necessarily the case though, he was asking about modifying his stock shifter so he obviously doesn't have a problem making a few mods to the fidanza unit (5 or 10 min. max extra) and the fidanza piece is very nice and way cheaper, it gets the job done. I speak from experience as a satisfied customer

 

[Dream On]

www.jnztuning.com has a great short shifter for 1g's. It's the only one that includes the stop that I've seen.

 

[c4uldr0n]

I bit the bullet and bought the Fidanza, it sits here until I get a couple hours to do some work on it and some other things on my car. I'll post some pics when I'm done.

 

[91tsi2wd]

good luck and good choice. the shifter took me <1 hour with modding and install, so it shouldn't take that long bro...

 

[Talesin]

TalonTsi31, B&M doesn't make a short shifter for the 1G. All well and good for the aftermarket-popular 2Gs.

Actually have a Megan prototype short shifter sitting on my shelf that looks a whole lot like the Fidanza, but haven't been arsed to install the bumpstops and see if it'd fit and work properly yet. Maybe when I install the shifter base bushings, when I have time.

 

[c4uldr0n]

good luck and good choice. the shifter took me <1 hour with modding and install, so it shouldn't take that long bro...

Yeah, I'm not too worried about that time so much, but I need to take of my 2G o2 housing and port the crap out of my 1G one, the o2 sensor is too close to my short route FMIC tubing. Or if I get super ambitious, I'll make a custom o2 housing instead of waiting to have one shipped... wow am I impatient

 

[AndrewD5418]

werd^^ I have the Fidanza (also from ultrarev) have the underhood bearings, just haven't installed them, and'll install the symborski shift kit at some time too.


but for now the Fidanzan piece is really nice and crisp. I'd giver a go, just a forewarning though, there is some modification required for it to fit correctly

Supposedly they fixed the fitment issues. As well as including stoppers.

go with a b & m you pay moe but as you've heard stories of you get what you pay for

B & M only makes them for 2n'd gen. Not first.

I bit the bullet and bought the Fidanza, it sits here until I get a couple hours to do some work on it and some other things on my car. I'll post some pics when I'm done.

Did they include bumpstops and revise it? ULtrarev visits here and said that they have updated it, i'm not sure if they did or didnt though.

TalonTsi31, B&M doesn't make a short shifter for the 1G. All well and good for the aftermarket-popular 2Gs.

Actually have a Megan prototype short shifter sitting on my shelf that looks a whole lot like the Fidanza, but haven't been arsed to install the bumpstops and see if it'd fit and work properly yet. Maybe when I install the shifter base bushings, when I have time.

When/where did you get this megan one ?

 

[91tsi2wd]

morpherex, they haven't engineered bumpstops in it. I purchased my shifter in December of 06 and there were none to speak of. ordered from ultrarev on ebay

 

[Talesin]

Morpherex, I am (was) the 1G AWD test car, since Megan's about 15-20 miles away from my house. They haven't emailed for a while now though, so I dunno what's up. Apparently they aren't going to be making one for the '90 as it's different than all the other 1Gs out there, and they don't see enough of a market... a real pity, as (AFAIK) no one makes a drop-in replacement for the '90 shifter. Have to modify a Fidanza or whatever you can find, or just chop the above-pivot section down with a sawzall, welder and a few hours of patience. Shame I still don't know how to weld. :b

 

[AndrewD5418]

I found a guy on ebay that makes them with stops, I emailed him if it has it and he says it does.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-9...71341105QQihZ019QQitemZ290071341105QQtcZphoto

I'm gonna give it a try.