AlligatorBling

Please help! lol... I want a shifter with a more presice, shorter throw... Im tired of feeling like im rowing a rowboat when i shift! Quite a few choices to pick from... I dont have the cash for B&M so these are my options... any ideas? They all have many claims, but which is right? and most of all, which is best! Thanks for any help


The OBX, "Reduce throw by 30~35%." ... link below

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33736

The MK1 , throw not stated... link below

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6755

The No Name brand.. lol, "reducing throw up 20% over stock." link below

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33736

The C Type shifter, "Reduced throw by 25%" link below

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33736

Another no name, but looks alot like BM shifter, "Reduced throw by 30% " link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33736

SilviaSativa

__________________

exitspeed

wow thats pretty tempting. $50? I just have a hard time trusting the quality for that price.

__________________
What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

AlligatorBling

thats the same shifter shown here

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33736

52 bucks after shipping... im also wondering about quality as well

TheTimanator

Why don't you just save up for the B&M? I mean eventually you'll have the money unless you just can't see spending that much money on a short shifter or can't wait for whatever reason. Personally I'd like to see a comparison between the Megan SS and B&M's. I've heard a few people going from the OBX shifter to the B&M and said it was worth the $200ish. So if the Megan SS and all the others you listed are the same style shifter as the OBX I'd say wait and get the B&M....

EDIT: I read more of the NICO thread. The Megan SS, OBX, C's... they are all the same style shifter. BTW, there's a GB on B&M's in the groupbuy section for $180...

__________________
89 S13 hatch/////98 Subaru 2.5RS

AlligatorBling

200 is just so much more than 50, lol... i have a lot of other things i wanna buy for my car as well... side skirts, new mtl fluid, new diff fluid, s14 seats, lightweight pully, ect ect ect... i dont have to have the BEST shortshifter, i just want it to shift shorter, and and be more precise, while working right, and not breaking for the time i have it in the car.

Demik

save up and get a B&M.. it owns all PERIOD

old_s13

why dont you go to a 240sx meet, talk to some people with different shifters.. try them out, and THEN make the right decision that works best for you? its a shifter, its not rocket science. I sat in my friends car about 3 years ago, I said SHIT thats a good shifter.. I asked what it was, and it was the B&M. BAM, I made the decision and knew what I wanted and set my mind on getting it. I bought it, installed it, done deal.

If you're going to cut corners and try to fix up your car with 50 dollar parts to make room for OTHER 50 dollar parts, you're going to end up with a 240sx that looks like exactly what you've spent on it. There's nothing wrong with inexpensive products, as long as they are good. With a lot of these shifters (excluding the B&M) they are more or less the same crap from what I've heard... all more or less copies of the menismo shifter.

So, just pick the one thats right for you. For me, it wasnt about xx% shorter shift, I dont give a flying fuck about percentages.. all I wanted was a shifter with a damn good feel. Go drive an NSX or S2000 (or even Miata), then learn what a QUALITY stock shifter is all about -- then make your decision.

- Mike

SauN

I have an OBX ss right now. Don't like it cause it's too notchy so I'm switching back to stock. Haven't tried a B&M though.

old_s13

B&M is the tightest most notchy shifter I have ever used.. its okay, I like it.. I own it.

In my opinion, the best shifter I've ever felt was the NSX shifter.

95Blue240sx

i have a b&m. its notchy, but solid! ive felt the difference between a OBX and mine. the obs just doesnt feel like quality. it seem to be no sturdy, but just notchy.

do what old s13 said. go try some out at a meet.

__________________

Please leave me feedback

AlligatorBling

whats the deal on this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33736

ive only seen it for sale just recently...

blu808

I would get the B&M I have never believed in short shifters until i bought the B&M thats why im doing a group buy right now.

Check out the group buy section, super good pricing there.

__________________

Chernobyl

I drove stock, OBX, and B&M back to back to back when some friends and I met up to eat dinner once.

All 3 agreed the B&M feels the best. OBX is shorter throw, but stilll doesnt feel too solid. I did think it had a smoother shift than my B&M though. Stock feels like a rowboat... enough said.

I highly recommend B&M.

I just sold mine and went back to a stock shifter a week ago, and I actually don't mind the floaty stock feel any more. It's very comfortable and smooth. I kinda like stock at this point.

On the track, B&M ownzorz all though. Get it. Used ones go for $150...

blue109

i have that MK1 ebay special. i dont think it shortened the throw much, but it did give it a nice solid feel. i like the notchy feel. sometimes i couldnt tell if i was in gear or not with the stocker in there.

pruto

do you have a stock shift knob still? i switched out of my stock shift knob into a leather nismo (cause i ripped the stock one getting off, grr) and i couldn't believe how big a difference having a lighter shift knob made.

my philosophy is that i rather save up, not buy a part than buy crap parts. obx types break and often come lose in two, you get what you pay for. having hookups and getting good deals is one thing, but paying for crap to put on your car will screw you in the long run.

stock is better than crap, and if you can't afford everything you want for your car, prioritize, buy one good thing for your car instead of 5 crap things. cause you'll most likely have to replace the crap later on anyway. B&M costs around $200, obx around $70, but if you have to buy a obx and later a B&M, thats $270... i hope you get my logic. That sounds silly, but i know of more than one 240 owner who has done that before, learn from other people's mistakes.

another thing, i feel that the stock 240 shifter with a light shift knob is a fairly good throw to begin with, i've been told that by the few people who have driven my car. you really don't NEED a short shifter, its not that important in terms of must have mods. if you think of it that way, waiting and saving up for a good one shouldn't be a problem.

__________________
Paul
Black and Red

TurDz

The one that's being sold for $60 shipped seems like crap personally...dunno, if you do a few more searches on NICO with the terms "C's shifter" you'll find more similiar looking Megan STS reviews and problems.

pruto,

it's interesting that you say how a lighter shift knob improves feel/throw? I had a 4th Gen Maxima (w/ a STS) and I switched from the stock one to a Momo short anatomic. It was lighter for sure, but I realized that there was a bit less momentum when shifting. I honestly believe there is a correct balance in the weight of a shift knob and how easily the shifter shifts into each gear. Eventually, I just replaced the stock knob and liked it better.

blu808

Umm. Our group buy price on these is $179.99 + Shipping.
Check it out if you guys are interested.

Luke

__________________

old_s13

it's interesting that you say how a lighter shift knob improves feel/throw? I had a 4th Gen Maxima (w/ a STS) and I switched from the stock one to a Momo short anatomic. It was lighter for sure, but I realized that there was a bit less momentum when shifting. I honestly believe there is a correct balance in the weight of a shift knob and how easily the shifter shifts into each gear. Eventually, I just replaced the stock knob and liked it better.

correct, weighted knobs are necessary.. this is why I bought the NISMO knob, its heavy and not excessively priced (about 30-50).


i've been told that by the few people who have driven my car. you really don't NEED a short shifter, its not that important in terms of must have mods.

short shifters arent a necessity at all. all they are, is a comfort creature.. much like seats, steering wheel, etc. interior mods may be low key and not required, but they very much help build driver confidence.. which is why i am very articulate with my interior preferences.

AlligatorBling

this is off topic, but old s13 sparked a thought.... with mentioning comforts... can you buy a steering wheel spacer for the stock setup?

pruto

my nismo knob feels like it weighs 1/4 as much as the stock one. i think the height also has something to do with it. but a properly designed shiftknob definiately makes the throw much better.

__________________
Paul
Black and Red

Ivan

Where can I get a nismo shift knob? I was gonna get a short shifter but would rather just get a shift knob since I don't need the shorter throw really.

Salty_X

Nope, the spacers only work with aftermarket hubs and steering wheels.

__________________

aa87

What about C's shifter, a real C's shifter, would it really compare to the B&M?

BTW, Rx-8 has one of the nicest shifters ive driven, short, and even an illuminated, rotary shaped knob.

TheTimanator

not really. The C's shifter is the style that OBX and others have copied. The B&M replaces everything including the plate that mounts to the transmission unlike the C's shifter it's copies...

__________________
89 S13 hatch/////98 Subaru 2.5RS

180fan

the c's is actually pretty comparable to the b&m's. 4th is shorter on the b&m for sure, 1 and 2 feel about the same, 3 is a little shorter on the b&m, 5th feels the same.

Demik

reverse is like 6th... o yea B&M has the bling bling blue plate that i adore

TurDz

I feel that even if the C's style may be copied, the OBX and replicas do not match the quality, fitment, and feel of the C's. It's always a tough call because they may look the same but usually feel much different.

019

the obx shifter is definitely a nice improvement over stock. it's just a little notchier than stock, which gives it a good feel, yet is still smooth, which is something i like about it. however it still retains stock height. it's definitely still moves around really easily, just like stock.

the b&m is just beyond comparison. the throws, like old_s13 said, are really notchy and very short. maybe it's just me, but they feel shorter than that of the obx. that might be because of the fact that it sits lower than the obx/stock shifter, so it gives it a better feel. the only things that really bother me about it are noise it makes, altho that's not that big of a deal, and the fact that the throws aren't as smooth. it's feels more mechanical. the positive of that is that i found it just about impossible to miss gears. just makes it a little harder to shift fast.

__________________
Red '96 240sx
www.streetdynamics.com

Flybert

One thing to know is that the B&M takes some UMPH to get it into gear. I ditched mine for this very reason. It's really nice for certain setups, but for me, I needed something that was easier to get into gear. When you are drifting in 3rd and transitioning to 2nd when you shave a lot of speed, the last thing you want to do is have to concentrate and use strength to get the thing into second. If I used my car just for grip, the B&M would still be in my car. Due to the design of the B&M, mis-shifting is less likely to happen as well.