Wow - got and installed my Whalen this week. Doug responded quickly to questions and shipped mine the day I ordered it. Two days later it was in my MINI. Thanks, Doug!

The most amazing thing to me is the improved shifter feel. How can a shift **** make such a big difference? I know the weight is the key, but it is so dramatic a difference... much more than I expected.

 

I was wondering if this had been done before? Annodized to a color and then carve the shift pattern/logo afterwards.

OOPS my bad I didn't see the earlier post where he says that he doesn't do color. Stilll would be COOL!

minigolf: Was your billiard ball painted or annodized?

 

Your just saying that because you got took for $150.00

I bought one, loved it, got the Alta short shifter and had Doug make me another one that would screw onto it. So I'v been taken twice.

Earl

 

This is what YuccaPatrol and Doug Whalen designed for me! My MKO boys gave it to me for my birthday, up at the Fall on The Dragon couple weeks ago. LOVE IT!!!!

 

i like that pattern you got, looks very nice and clean! My 26th birthday was in August, anyone wanna hook me up too!!?

 

The billiard ***** are actually real billiard *****. They've been bored out to attach the shift lever adapter.

 

Hey Doug,

How about making a Death Star for a shift ****? Maybe make the indentation (for the Giant La-Ser) where one's thumb would go...

Would this cause some licensing issues? If so, couldn't we call it a Sphere of Death?

(Guess who's a nerd!)

 

Ordered my Whalen Shift Machine yesterday morning had a picture of it and it was shipped by the afternoon.


Little background story on it. My MINIs name is Boo. The girl on the shift **** is Boo from Monsters Inc (my car wasn't named after her, but I use her as an avatar on a local board. Only got the idea after the car was named).
Thanks Doug!

 

My Minis name is Boo as well. I needed the shift pattern for the wife so my ingraving is very simple. Doug did a great job on yours. Love,love,love my Whalen.

 

Apparently we aren't the only ones with MINIs named Boo. Doug already had the pattern made when I sent him my request. Although it did say TEZ on the top too.

 

Does anyone know the diameter of the space available for custom designs?

Here's what I started working with today in MS Word. I don't want to go too far (like get a pro to perfect the spacing, etc) without knowing how much room I really have to work with. Thanks.

 

I like to keep the design within a 1.625" circle.

 

Wow ... these ***** are out-of-sight How can I order one?

 

E-mail me for info.

whamac@msn.com

 

I may have missed this in the many Whalen postings but what is the diameter of the Whalen Shift Machine? I hear it's smaller than stock (I have an 05 MCS) and I see that as a possible issue as I like the diameter of the stock shifter ****...

thanks!

 

I love my Whalen!!

 

I just had Doug Whalen do a custom **** for me to match my tattoo and it looks amazing!!! Now are there any instructions on how to get the original **** off? Is the original **** round or is the bottom shaft molded to it?

 

Wow - that's really nice work!
The **** is just the round part on top. To remove: Grasp orb, pull really, really hard and it will pop off.

 

It's exactly 2.0" diameter.

The stock one is around 2 3/16".

 

Be careful you don't smack yourself in the forehead like I did...

 

My 2005 and my wife's 2006 came off easily, one handed and a firm tug.

 

I had to work at for a while but I did finally get it to pop off just like you guys said. Thanks for the tips, no damage to myself or the car and it looks fantastic!

 

Thought I would show off the Dragon shifter ball, I made, using Doug Whalen's attachment mechanism.



Joel

 

Maybe I posted this many pages and ages ago in this thread, but if you move the seats all the way back and carefully straddle the E-brake, you can grab the **** with your hands and use your knees to push your forearms upward to get a bit more force on the ****.

Boy did that sound dirty!

 

I have wanted a Whalen for a long time, but wanted to think it over and decide what I wanted on the ****... Doug was extremely responsive, extremely patient, fast to execute the order and fast to deliver a very satisfying product!! The **** was a snap to install, too!

It feels silky smooth to hold, and the shifting feels more precise - a totally fabulous product!

Doug patiently put up with my going through a few iterations, and this is what I ended up with:




Here is a close-up:




A little background - my car is a tribute to Pat Moss, the younger sister of the famous GP driver, Sir Stirling Moss. Pat drove a Works Mini Cooper to it's first international win at the Tulip Rally in 1962, thereby showing everyone what this little car was really capable of. This was two years before Paddy Hopkirk won the Monte Carlo, when the Mini Cooper was still very "unknown" on the Rally circuit.
You go girl!!!