I have searched and searched and all I get is short shifter this and short shifter that.

Has anyone extended the shifter length to put it where it belongs along with a short throw application to get a factory throw but where the shifter should be and not on the floor?

Clarification. Proper shifter position should put the shift **** right next to the steering wheel. factory location is half way to the floor and short shifter kits either keep this height or put it on the floor well out of reach so the throw may be shorter but the time to takes to get your hand there nullifies any benefit.

There are some videos on youtube of a modified R56 JCW that the guy has the shifter right next to his hand on the steering wheel. This is what I am looking for.

Anyone? Thank you for your replies

 

I've done that once in my hotrod, but not my Cooper. In that car, the floor shifter lever was steel, and I welded another factory shifter to the end of my original. Sanded down my weld with an emery wheel, added a nice curve with the Harbor Freight hydraulic tubing bender, painted gloss black, and good to go. That car used a small rubber boot that never went up to the ****, so it looked fine after the alteration. I don't see why you couldn't do the same with the cooper shifter, but you would need to TIG the material, since I think it's aluminium. Might need to add a bend if it comes close to the console, too. Good luck, and post pics, if you do it.

 

What about this?

http://www.sneed4speed.com/sneedspee...ift-****-mini/

Shortens your distance/movement from the steering wheel to shifter..... and no welding.

 

I moved mine 2" left and 2" to the rear of standard position, and that places it (in neutral) at the 4:30 clock position on the same plane as the steering wheel.

It was a cut & weld proposition (about 1" above the pivot ball). You could of course add extra material to raise the position of the shift **** to your liking, and add a short-shift kit below to avoid extending the shift throw.

The one area of concern in doing this (2005 MCS) was that once you remove the shift lever, you will find that the pivot ball is plastic, and it is permanently molded onto the stock steel shift lever. A skilled TIG operator can re-weld near the ball in very short bursts with cooling in-between to avoid damaging the plastic pivot ball. If you are extending the lever anyway, you could choose to do your welding further away from the pivot ball.

It was worth doing, and it places the shifter in the right position for a long-leg person like me.

 

i have the tall jaffster from bimmerworld with a helix short shifter and a custom brass selector brushing.

The top of the shifter is about even with the top of the radio, shifts are about an 1" shorter than stock, and the play is minimized with the replacement brushing (long **** increase the play).

As a taller guy i really like the higher shifter.

The shifter on the r56 video is from CAFE i think and it is a nice unit but not cheap.

-Jonathan

 

Awesome replies all! I did find that many buy a short shift kit and then add an extension to it. In my previous car I welded an extension to the stock steel shifter on both ends and shimmed the shifter stack to make the throws the same as factory but, that was a lot of work and I no longer have access to a welder capable of now tig welding. looks like I may join the short shift crowd and make an extension.

Could you all post pics of your custom installs? That would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

This is a very smart idea, one that I've rarely seen done. Look where they put the shifters on WRC or BTCC cars.

 

I didnt want a shorter length shifter either. I ended up settling on a short throw kit that is the same height as the original shifter but with a much shorter throw.

 

http://www.cae-racing.com/shifter_mini.htm

 

I wonder if Doug Whalen would be interested in making some sort of extension with the same locking method that he uses on the shift *****?
That would make it easily removable as well.
Steve

 

He already has...around 5 years ago, I drew up a couple of designs and asked Doug to custom build them for me...which he did a first class job, of course...one short, one long, both taller than stock...both aluminum...I think he's producing the short one but I still have the long one (maybe for sale)...my Rogue SSK isn't short enough to take advantage of the long one (another 1" taller)...here's a pic of the short one...

 

MSFITOY
I remember you doing this. If my memory serves me right he also did some in Delrin. My thoughts were a little different in that he could possibly make just an extension (possibly in different lengths) where you could utilize a shift **** of choice. So it would be a three piece affair, original shifter stalk, extention, and ****.
Steve

 

I think Doug or any machine CNC machine shop could do that easy enough...I had another similar **** made for another car through a different shop...all they need is an accurate shop drawing...