Hi Lloyd. I just wanted to take a guess what you're doing in your ZF Laboratory at night and on the weekends. You're working on a paddle shift controller and mechanism to adapt to the ZF. Right? Why? Because Ford wants it for their Ford GT, don't they? And maybe they'll be funding some R&D to get the paddle shifter on their prototype Ford GT's for next year. Testing. I notice that Formula One has had paddle shifting for about 5 years or so. So, I've noticed technology takes about 10 years to become widely available, putting the paddle shift upgrade for the ZF's out about 5 more years. I hope this is true. New products always cost more in the beginning, so maybe I can afford to do it to my ZF in 8 years. Continuous hydraulic pressure source will power the shifting mechanism. Electronics will be pretty close to being available over the counter in 15 to 20 years, along with the computer controller that synchronizes RPMs to shift ratios, but might be available invery small quantities in some secret places at Ford, Mercedez, BMW, Honda, Toyota. In the beginning, technology is available from the racing teams, like Jaguar, who Ford owned. So drawings were on the shelf long before five years ago and parts have been on the shelf for about 5 years. Ford has access to the tecnology, and you know ZF's, so it's a matter of learning and experimenting, in my mind at least. Maybe there's a mass market for this upgrade. If that's the case, in 15 years upgrade kits will be avaiable at JEGS and Summit for Japanese cars, etc. Maybe the Japanese cars get it first, paddle shift upgrade kits. There's a market, I think. I wish I was in a position to do this! For about 5 years, all Formula One cars have had it, Mercedez, BMW, Ford Cosworth/Jaguar recently. Wouldn't it be nice to have a close alliance, researching and developing the ZF, with the Ford factory? I'd like to be there! Guys like you and Carrol Shelby, have always had R&D involvement with Ford and your efforts and results are inseperable from the elements that make their company flagships great and valuable. Imagine the Ford GT, as techno-whiz as Ferrari and Lamborghini, with 150 milisecond paddle shifting. And us Pantera guys get it too, like as quid-pro-quo, for shooting the ideas to the top. Right? I hope so, of course we've never spoken, so I don't know. But I can see the availabilty of this option on hi-end sports cars, very soon, then lower end sports cars, and I really see it sometime in the future available as an option, then after-market bolt-on kit. Paddle Shifters, state-of-the-art yesterday, widespread in the future. I'm really expressing hope here. Simply put, I visualize a computer interface adapter measuring RPM, and sending a signal to the hydraulicly operated shift mechanism. (I remember 10,000 psi pressure requirement at the shifter.) Another component is the steering wheel with electronics and shift paddles installed already. In the ZF Pantera upgrade kit is hydrulic fittings, hydraulic tubing and valves with electronic actuators, a hydraulic pump and instructions, for guys like me. Hopefully we'll talk someday, and I'd be thrilled to learn more. Send me an ad/spec sheet via Pantera Internationaland/or POCA, or right here, anytime. Send all of us info like that, please. Regards, VFI.
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