quote:Originally posted by ZR1 Pantera:
All joking aside, the function will be there. I agree, if it isn't better then I wouldn't go that route either.
I just finished with some geometry design changes I wanted to make to make it even better. We got it re-installed in the car today and am VERY happy with the results.
Another functional benefit is, it is maintenance free. There is nothing to lube and nothing to cause shifter issues once things heat up (like a lot of people complain about with the rod shifter).
Once my car is running again, people will be able to try it first hand.
Did you say I would be the first hand to try it? I'm in.
It isn't actually the shift mechanism that causes the issues necessarily in the original Pantera.
I really think it is the ZF. I'm not sure anything can be done to tighten up the shift gates. It is not a high effort trannie to shift at all. It is just mainly the second gear gate that if you even think about looking at it wrong will grind second gear.
Lots of people have had them apart, put in all new parts and the thing still does it.
Show me your shifter helps that situation and I'll need to fight for a place in line to buy one because this really is an across the board issue.
A couple of people have pointed out the Ford GT is cable shifted but it isn't the same transmission so it really isn't an accurate comparison. You can't presume that the Pantera will be the same by going to a cable.
I won't argue with the current thinking of using cable shifters in current production cars BUT the reality is that they were introduced for simplifying production engineering and therefore ease of installation and are a cost reduction measure. They are not necessarily better than a rod shifter.
They make installing manual transmission and transaxles possible in certain designs where a rod shifter would not have been before. There certainly isn't anything Holy about them.
The stock Pantera shifter can be improved a lot by removing the gate plate, the detents in the shift mechanism itself and using a re-engineered shift knob that effectively makes it a short throw lever.
The lowered knob is a clever, effective and inexpensive solution to an entire unnecessary shift mechanism change over.
I do agree though that without those modifications the original shift mechanism is one of the things that dates the car and seem an antique.
The cable could make the car feel more modern. Question is, will it?
I need a test drive.
Incidentally if you guys do this all with the Smithy, I'm going out to buy a Smithy 3 in 1 and a bunch of aluminum billet. I don't know what I am going to make with it yet but gonna make sumpin' with it!