Black68Vette

Just picked up one of the V-Gate shifters off Ebay, and was wondering if anyone else has installed one in their shark, if there is anything I need I need to watch out for or anything special I need to do.

427V8

Never head of it, what is it...?

Black68Vette

Heres a pic



Their URL is

http://www.mrgasket.com/pdf/hurst2001race-spec.pdf

I've just always wanted one, kinda seems perfect for a vette... now I have one!

redvetracr

Black,
Do you think that will fit your console? or your tunnel? And isn`t that the shifter that doesn`t downshift? ......redvetracr

Black68Vette

Well, it definitely will fit in the tunnel, I am a little concerned about the console though... I suppose i'll find out once I get to installing it. I've seen it in a vette before (a long time ago) but don't really remember what the console looked like. It does downshift though, just the 3rd to second downshift takes some getting used to (because you have to pull up the little t-handle as you move the stick downward). Really using it at all takes some getting used to, no wiggling the stick left + right to see if you are in neutral ;)

BADCAIMAN

I have one on my 55...That type of shifter is for the 1/4 mile...Nice at the track can't realy miss a shift..But on the highway or in city driving no going from 4th to second without hitting third first....And reverse you must be in neutral push down and back on the smaller handle... Like anything with enough time and use you become pretty efficient with it....But you will hate it at the beginning..good luck

Black68Vette

Nice Belair!

Yeah, the toy is just that, a toy. The closest to regular driving she gets is taking my daughter to daycare or school. Other than that she does a lot of garage time, just coming out on the occasional weekend. I've just always wanted one of these shifters. That and I think that if I do go ahead and start autcrossing her, it could be handy. It would definitely give me a very positive "what gear am I in" feel.

bence13_33

For autocrossing wouldn't you want to be able to switch gears (downshift) as quickly as possible? It just seems like this is pretty much a 1/4 mile shifter (sounds like something I may look into ;) ). Sorry, I just can't see how this shifter would be good for autocrossing :confused: . Just my opinion, and by the way it is a VERY nice looking shifter.


[Modified by bence13_33, 10:37 PM 2/19/2002]

Black68Vette

Yeah, you could be right there, I was thinking it would give me the most "positive" control over what gear I am in, since a miss shift (either way) in autcross would blow out a run.

Ok truthfully thats probably more of why I want it, I'm a sucker for :cool: As if a 68 with sidepipes isn't enough....

427Hotrod

Well, I don't think it's going to work with console at all. You will also have to do some floor cutting I'm sure. That Dude sits very high on the rear of the trans to enable the rods to go absolutely straight.

I've run one before as well as the Mr, Gasket version. When everything is right they go through the gears nicely. BUT.... please whatever you do MAKE SURE that the thing absolutely 110% of the time goes into 3rd gear perfectly. If the spring gets weak, or someone has replaced it with the wrong one, or the slots for shifter get dry or dirty or several other possibilities, the trans will not shift right.

If you are lucky, it will just hang up and you will miss a gear. If you aren't, when you are at about 7000 rpm and you slam third, it will miss and go back into first. You can imagine what happens next.

I've told the story here before, but a good friend of mine bought a used one and it never was right. Acted up on the 2-3 shift. He managed to find first during that shift at the track with the front wheels hanging in the air ( low 10 sec Nova- Big block 14x32's). It spit the trans out literally onto the ground and flywheel etc exited firewall and he crashed the car. Pretty ugly.

So anyway, they work great if everthing is right. Just don't take any chances.

Also. on the street you get used to the downshifting. But you ain't going from 4th to 3rd very easily. The ramps are made to ease the shift going the other way. It goes but it takes a little fanagling. Same on the 2-1 shift. The 3-2 shift requires the trigger to be lifted. You can drive it on the street ( my wife did!) but it a little weird.

But if you get it in there it'll be neat for the Toy!


Jim

Black68Vette

Well, luckily I have multiple console sets to work with... when I bought the car it had a 77+ console setup in it (prior owners were crack addicts I think), so in the time inbetween being ready to return it to "natural" I ended up buying a 68 console "outside" (the vinyl part), a 69 console plate, then finally managed to find a 68 plate. So I guess I'll hack up the 77 one thats in there now if I have to, and see what I can do with the metal plates. If I can make it happen without too much in major mods, i'll use the 68, but they are so mother cking hard to find (no repros! yay) that I may chop the 69 instead for long term use. Damn do I hate the tards that dropped the newer interior into the car anyhow.

And thanks for the mechanical tips on it too. It is a used one, but at least I'm no pro-stock.. at most stoplight racer for now, has a decently lightly built 350 in it, i'd guess in the 325-350hp range, and thats not changing any time soon. Pretty much a drive the daughter to school (she's 5, and the only time she lets me NOT drive it is when it is broken, shes gonna be a fun one once she gets her license :chevy ), and drive to car shows sorta thing. I do sorta want to do autocrossing, but maybe this is a crappy choice of shifters for that. I'm still not "ready" with the rest of the car for that, so i'll keep my hurst on hand, can always resell the v-gate in a year ;)

[Modified by Black68Vette, 1:20 PM 2/21/2002]


[Modified by Black68Vette, 1:35 PM 2/21/2002]