I just ordered the mgw shifter

Does anyone out there have one of these yet? I'm curious to hear from someone who has it installed.

So please follow up when you get a chance to run your new shifter.
 
please check stangnets homepage for CHarris' review on this shifter. He has it installed. Also, Barry over at www.fordpower.net did an up close and personal with it. Check that out. it's stickied in the pitstop forum there. I will have mine tomorrow. I'll make sure and get some pics of it, and then of the install on saturday
 
i recived my shifter today....lol that was the shortest two weeks ever ...only took em 3 days....the shifter was packed pretty good...took me 20 mins to open it ..lol i opened it up and went directly to the cool blue handle..... and i notice its different from what i saw in the picture.. there was no spanner nut or washer.....just two clamps ...like kind of clamps you find on freestyle bike seat post....i was a lil confused so i gave mgw a call....the nice lady who takes the orders put george on the phone in like 2 seconds....he explained to me that i have an upgraded version..that a few people had problems with the spanner nut and locking washer...nothing major...they just complained that it was taking too long to adjust the handle and to lock the nut to prevent it from moving ....i guess they were to axious to install the shifter :rlaugh: but anyway he also added a feature to prevent the shift stops from moving after you set the stops on the shifter you install a lock washer and a nut on the outside of the shifter base...which is also in the kit ......


check out the picture below
picture taken with a canon poweshot s110

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whoa, that's quite a bit different from the original model. Not only is the handle different, but the base is beveled to help out with fitment problems the 87+ guys were having, and the stops are different also. I think i woulda felt better about the spanner nut handle. I guess i'll find out when i get home and check mine out, hehehe. Congrats!!!


J.
 
Guys, be sure to come back here and post when you get 'er in there and try it out. I wanta hear comments from more people.

It would be expecially helpful if you can comment on the operation compared to whatever you had before.
 
absolutely. i planned on getting mine in today but i got coerced into getting a xmas tree set up instead. running 2 lowes cuz i'm missing a bolt from my xmas tree stand. BLAHHHHH. i'd rather be playin wif my GT, lol.


J.
 
I think Im ordering mine Monday. Im just tired of my stock, yes stock shifter. Im going with the red handle too. If I need a shorter throw Ill just order the other handle later. I hope this shifter lives up to the hype! I think it just might... ttyl
Joe E.
 
Looking at the pics - I'm not altogether certain the shorter handle (red or blue) actually shortens the throw. I believe it simply positions the handle in a different location. Shortening or lengthening the throw would require different ratios of length between the parts of the shifter above and below the pivot points - just like a rocker arm. I think.
 
i just draggged my self home..... :bang: today i decided to do some much needed work....i changed my frayed clutch cable and broken quadrant.....then later i decided to install my new MGW shifter ....installation wasnt too bad. I only ran into two problems removing and installing the bolts closest to the dash on the shifter and the bolts on the dust boot ..other than that it was pretty simple... as soon as i got the shifter bolted in i took off....i went for a lil ride....it shifted perfect i went home and installed the lower boot with the car still running. i slipped the boot on....and screwwed it down and im like wow the motor noise got quiter. i glance back at the instructions to see what to do next...it said strech the lower boot around the shifter so i streched it around and tucked it under the lip of the base and wtf the inside of the car got even quiter :D ...butwhatever i finshed up quick....finally tightened up the blue handle in the 7 o'clock position(closest to me) and i took off again......i couldnt stop smiling sitting a comfotable postion i could shift the short blue handle with no effort at all ..its alot tighter than the factory shifter ...i cant wait to wear it in a bit ..drastic difference going from factory to this ...im glad i didnt settle with the Tri AX its no where near as smooth and effective as this unit....... i ended up going for a 25 mile cruise...in regular NYC streets ....stop and go .stop signs,traffic lights etc... i didnt miss 3rd once...as soon a i came out of second the shifter was pulling into 3rd ......i feel like i ripped geroge off by only paying 175....this shifter feels like it belongs in a high end sports car like a mclearen or some ****....i definatly love this shifter ...i just need to find a better shift knob to complete the feel....it really does need a warning label tho " Increases abnormal levels of euphoria" i got my car sideways on highway doing 70 . I can drive my ass off but im still kinda new to 5 speed .....i was comming up to a bend (nothing major) in the road as i was in the middle of the turn slowing up to get off at an exit 1/4 mi away i went to down shift into 4th. as soon i pushed the clutch in the body leaned to much (stock springs) i pressed the brakes and decided to slip in into 3rd.. thats when the back came out and i slipped the clutch and countered the slide......stupid move i guess i stayed in my lane the whole time and no cars were around....this shows me i need more seat time....and for those who are still wondering if they should take a chance buying this "new" shifter ...i dunno what ur waiting for the quality and design was enough for me to run out and get one .. i doubt you gonna find customer service as good as MGW's i bet if George live closed enuff he would prolly give you a hand installing it ..lol this is comming from very picky person

good nite guys im going to bed ......To be Continued................
 
Speeds - maybe George can pipe up and confirm, but throw is a function of the piece the red/blue parts bolt to. All the red/blue part does is give you some control over WHERE you place the shifter handle/knob - not how long the throw is. It will affect your REACH to the shifter, but it won't affect throw. Throw is the distance the shift knob travels between each gear - and that remains the same whether the red or blue handle is used. You just start and end each shift in a different location depending on which handle is used. Not to confuse the issue - I'm pretty certain the shifter design reduces throw compared to the stock shifter. But that's a function of bolting in the new shifter mechanism - not which handle you put on the new mechanism.
 
Man that thing is good looking and from what I keep hearing its about the best shifter out there, for any car, ever.

I'm half tempted to order one.. even though I have an automatic F-150.. I'll just buy it and sit it in the seat next to me and stare at it as I drive. Maybe fab up a little mount for it and pretend to shift.. Yeah. That sounds like a plan.
 
This shifter KICKS ASS! I'm am so pleased. all shifts are solid and QUICK! I knew the stock shifter was a POS but man, i never really expected this much difference. I took lots of pics, i will go through them and update here later :D.


J.
 
Michael Yount said:
Speeds - maybe George can pipe up and confirm, but throw is a function of the piece the red/blue parts bolt to. All the red/blue part does is give you some control over WHERE you place the shifter handle/knob - not how long the throw is. It will affect your REACH to the shifter, but it won't affect throw. Throw is the distance the shift knob travels between each gear - and that remains the same whether the red or blue handle is used. You just start and end each shift in a different location depending on which handle is used. Not to confuse the issue - I'm pretty certain the shifter design reduces throw compared to the stock shifter. But that's a function of bolting in the new shifter mechanism - not which handle you put on the new mechanism.

actually you both are right :D

the handles will change the "ARC" distance of the shifts because the higher up you go the larger the radius of the arc. imagine if the stick shift were say 10 feet long. even though the shifter linkage did not change the actual distance the knob up top goes could be as much as 4 feet :shock:


but what alot of people fail to realize is that just shortening the handle does not really change the actual shifter throw since that can only be changed by moving the pivot point. i have actually found that some aftermaket shifters are in fact only a hair shorter in actual throw but offer a super stubby handle to make it "FEEL" shorter than it is.

our shifter can stay up rather tall and still give a short throw becuase we dratically change the pivot point.

also about the red and blue handles. if the red handle were simply longer or farther back to the driver than yes it would have ZERO impact on shift throw. BUT it is also taller so that does change the "ARC" throw of the shifter by a little so the red handle does FEEL longer throw for this reason only.

hope this helps

george

oh and 83GT289 glad you are liking the shifter :nice: :nice: