RX7Club.com - Mazda RX7 Forum - Short Throw Shifter for SA's!!!!!

This weekend I fabricated a true Short Throw shifter for my 79 and no it's just not cut down.
After studying my dad's Steeda Tri-ax shifter in his Mustang Cobra I noticed the main shifter lever is a similar in design.

So I hit the junkyards and pulled a T-5 shifter outta a t-bird (any mustang, camaro, or t-bird with a T-5 Tranny will work) and purchased it for $15.

When I got home I disassembled the shift lever from the base and placed it next to a spare 79 shifter I had. Very similar in design, just the main handle is bolted on and the fulcrum point is a half sphere nylon bushing (say that 5 times fast) with a set pin holding in place above.

First I removed the shifter handle bolts and removed the handle it's self.

I next removed the bushing and punched out the set pin.

I set the mustang shift the side and went to work on the '79 shifter. I cut the fulcrum ball off of the '79 shifter and drilled a 3/4" hole in the center of it. I drilled it 4 times making a larger and larger pilot whole. I would recommend a drill press for this though; the hand drill took a while.

Now 3/4" is just the perfect size to press fit the ball on to the shaft on the mustang shifter. I hammered it on with a socket. I placed the ball about a 1/4" inch higher on the mustang shifter over the position of it on the 79 shifter (I'm not exact on this).

Now you got to place the ball dead center (I didn't but it isn’t' bad) and with side that shifter handle mounts too facing the passenger size of the car.

I made a few tack welds at the base and the top of the ball for security, and I grinded them smooth.

Now for the installation, remove the old shifter out of the tranny and remove the shifter bushing as well. The pivot ball on the mustang shifter was a little too large for my alum. shifter bushing so I just wrapped with some elec. tape to act as a bushing. Now set the shifter in the housing. You'll have to shave a bit off of the upper bushing to make it fit. Install a new gasket and torque the cover plate on.

Now you can either reinstall the stock shifter handle, which will give you about the stock height, or you can purchase (as I did) shifter handle from www.partshopper.com. I chose the Steeda tri-ax handle same handle offered with he Tri-ax shifter that is in my dad's mustang for about $30. There's a wide range of different shifter handles for mustang any where between $20-$30. I would go with the steeda personally because it's forged nickel-plated billet alum, if I remember correctly and shouldn't break.

Reinstall all the interior trim etc. and install either the stock ford/chevy shift knob or just get a universal and enjoy!

The throw is a bit shorter (it's not click, click short, but it's noticeable!) and much more positive feeling going into third.

Now do this at your own risk, feel free to ask me questions, but don't come whining to me that you can't shift your transmission. Your the one making it, I'm just giving the idea. I recommend you get a spare stock shifter in case it doesn't work out. Please though experiment with the position of the ball and figure out how to make the throw even shorter.

Now I don’t have any picture because I don’t have a digital camera, but as soon as I get one I’ll post you some pictures!

If you have any questions or if it sounds like I left something out, just post.

over and out,
Matt