im in the market for a short throw shifter and found the B&M model on ebay for a reasonable price. does th B&M reduce the length of the throws enough to warrennt the purchase? is the shifter stick adjustable? thanks

 

I have a B&M on my 03 MCS. The change in the throw length is significant. Last time I drove an 04 with a stock shifter, it took some getting used to.
B&M shifters are not adjustable.

 

I have had mine in for several years and love it.

 

I have the 03 version and there is definitely a difference. Just right in my opinion. I recently replaced my 03 shifter with an 05 after I realized that mini sold me the wrong shift cables. I was holding onto them for some time before the install so it was too late to return them. It was cheaper to replace the shifter than get another set of cables. So now I am back to stock.

So after having it and going back to stock, I can say that the B&M is much more pleasurable/sporty to drive with little to no increased shifting effort.

If you have the earlier shift box and want mine, you can have it for a reasonable price. I was about to post it on ebay to get cash towards a new one anyhow.

 

Just got mine installed a week ago. Love it and i bought mine off ebay from some company in Florida that had an overstock problem. Cant remember the name though. Anyways i love mine.

 

here is the ebay link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/B-M-S...spagenameZWDVW

 

ok sounds like a great mod for the $$ and as soon as i gt a little more cash i will be installing it. any experience with the install?

 

is there a difference between the $40 b&m shifters and the $140 b&m shifters? ebay has them for ridiculously low prices as opposed to the reputable vendors... porque?

 

I picked mine up off of ebay for $50 and it was the real deal still sealed in the original packaging. I love it.

 

the install is alot harder than what the instructions imply. I would suggest professional installation.

 

ohhhh its not that hard!

just take some time thats all...

 

well mine was difficult, i hav a 1st gen 02 s and it didnt quite fit like it was supposed too. also, it seems like that if i had used the aluminum mounts for the shift box, that the plastic of the box would crack. So i didnt replace them if anyone wants to take them off my hands. Just seems pointless b/c the hardmounts would allow you to shift harder, but i think that will break my shift box

 

The install can be tricky, I have done three of them, but it is doable. I personally think the hardest part is getting the shifter cables disconnected from the original shifter. I did one install on floor jacks and two on lifts. Lifts make life MUCH easier. If you have had your MINI in the salt, be prepared to have issues with the exhaust and other parts from corrosion. Soak things with PB Blaster or the like and let it sit for a bit. Take your time and it can be done.

 

quick question, this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/B-M-4...spagenameZWDVW

will that work with my 05? It states 02-03, but I don't see any for sale for the 05's?

 

Nevermind, I went to B&M's site and can cleary see that 04+ is different

 

question should be, why are the 02-04 versions so cheap and the 05+ so expensive. they are 3-5x's the amount..

 

The 05+ model incorporates a metal shift housing cover that the previous generation did not. In changing the housing cover they also included bushings that are substantially longer than the ones included in the previous model. They are longer to provide the proper spacing for the end of the shaft that connects to the shift cables.

A quick check on the google product search shows that both models are going for approximately the same price.

 

The new versions just run at the normal price. And after doing some searching...they also appearently have problems if you get any sort of resonated exhaust.

I guess I wont be getting B&M, I may look into Craven Speed instead.

 

how much shorter is the shift **** height after install? about to get this installed and want to get a new shift boot to complement it from Redline Goods. i see they now offer shorter boots to go with short shifters. so was just wondering how much shorter i should order it. thanks in advance.

 

It's really close to stock height. With the right ****, it could appear shorter.

 

A bit over an inch. I am interested in your opinion after the install as I have one in the box ready to go but am hesitating as I don't want to have to take it out if I don't like it.

Rich

 

For those of you who are interested in the shift height of the B&M shifters their is a difference in model years. I am not exactly sure when the change happen but I suspect it was in the '05 and newer. The newer generation is the same height as stock and the older generation is shorter.
Steve

 

The change happened during the '04 production model. I helped install an '04 and it required the '05 shifter. If you contact B&M or any of the resellers they should be able to verify for you based on your build date.