GONEFISHIN'
Well-Known Member
I love the stiffness of the rectangular cross-section of the pistol-grip shifter on top on the Competition Plus - no flex, just solid shifts
IMO, I think that is not 100% the whole story, as there is a stop-pin in the detent/interlock mechanism, that prevents over-travel to a large degree. I've depended on that since forever.otherwise your brass blocker rings are the stops.
Not sure if what you wrote is what you mean.The length of the shifter handle has no effect on how fast you can shift.
Not sure if what you wrote is what you mean.
The factory shifter was a good 5 inches longer than it needed to be, so even Grandma, and pussy teenage boys, could shift it. And from second to third was always a little iffy, and as far as I can recall; the only shifts I ever missed with it were on the 2-3. That factory shifter was the very first thing I swapped out of my 70 swinger, just as fast as I could save up the cash, back in 70/71..
Then, in 2001 or so, I had again had enough of it, and went in search of that old Bang! shifter, which I was pretty sure I had kept back in 76 when I sold the Swinger. And sure enough I found it in one of my sheds.
After I switched to the shorter stick,
and moved it back between the buckets,
and up closer to my thigh,
and high enough to install the top bolt from the cabin,
and canted it backwards a few degrees,
and with the straight tubular rods;
I have never missed a shift since.
and I have never had to reset the neutral-gate either.
I am reasonably certain that I could shorten my stick at least another two to three inches, and on the street, it wouldn't cost me any muscle-power at all. The only reason I don't do it, is because IMO, it would look lame. As it is, from pivot to top of the ball is at most 8.5 inches.
I'll guess that my shift throw from all the back to all the way forward is about half of what it was with the factory stick. You can do the math to see if it is or is Not any faster. But I can tell you this, the trans is so easy to shift fast, that my left leg is the now the hold up. But I sorta fixed that too, lol. After all, the factory clutch geometry was also designed with Grandma in mind. But that didn't mean I had to keep it that way.....
But like I said; I street slick-shifted second and third in my trans, so I now have oodles of space for the sliders to go into, and I can easily overpower the blocker rings even at max shift-rpm. I no longer have to wait for them to do their job. And she shifts so easy, all the time. It shifts at least as easy as a top-loader ........ except faster...... lol.
That’s what I mean. The handle can be 5 feet or 5 inches long. It won’t make you a better or worse shifter. And those short throw, short sick shifters are actually harder to shift.
The length of the shifter handle has no effect on how fast you can shift. In fact, a short throw shifter is harder to shift.
You kindof made my point.Not sure if what you wrote is what you mean.
but you said;
which is why I wrote;
Agreed! One of the best things I ever did to mine.slick shift mods are worth the time or money X's 3!
i wouldnt go power shifting without it!!Agreed! One of the best things I ever did to mine.
I dont necessarily agree with all you said, but a few points are valid.Now you say
but you said;
which is why I wrote;
You kindof made my point.
I've always been a "good shifter", but now, I'm also lightning quick.
While I won't argue that reducing the lever ratio, won't increase the effort; that is the physics of if levers. But the fact is that the factory ratio was already excessive. It was designed that way, so that the ball would come up over the bench. I don't have a bench. I've never even seen a 68/69 Barracuda that had one. Not saying they don't exist.
But;
What little extra effort my short stick might take, is made up for by me eating my Wheaties every morning, and so on. I find the new position actually easier......
Many people complain about how hard the A833 is to shift. But it doesn't have to be that way. The blockers are more than adequately sized for the job. You just gotta make it so they can actually do their jobs. Then it becomes a lovable transmission.
In reality, my blockers worked too good, and I had to reduce the bite just a bit.
Getting back to the Pistol-grip in an A-body, and to the OP;
Install one and see how you like it. It's very hard to argue against opinion. A guy just likes what he likes.
As for me and Pistol Grips; not a chance would I ever install one in my Barracuda; not even if I had it given to me. My opinions are;
1) that it is out of scale for an A-body
2) it has an awkward fixed grip
3) it has no flexibility in useage under various conditions
4) it gets stinking COLD
5) it gets too close to the dash and too far away in Third gear
6) You more or less have to have buckets to get Second gear, and a passenger to get the trans into Fourth for you
7) the shift throw is like for a semi-tractor or a grain-truck
8) it is heavy, and bolted onto the trans, so if your engine has a vibration, so will the trans and the handle. I hate it when they buzz or rattle
9) it is too tempting to "fondle"; the shifter is Not an armrest.
10) did I mention how cold it feels as the summer season wanes?
These are my opinions;
I may have exaggerated, just a lil, a time or two..........