Has anyone ever done a conversion to a gate style shifter on an FD. I hate shift boots.

 

A gate shifter will take more energy and concentration to operate.

 

but it looks so tight!

Just to maek sure my terminology is right this is a gate style shifter right?

 

They look damn cool, but I think it would take slightly longer to shift with one. I've never driven a Ferrari, so I couldn't say for sure.

 

Yeah, you'll have to shift slowly and carefully, especially when you're a beginner. And you might want to power shift a little to make things smoother.

 

Yeah, but this is the 5 speed one. The 6 speed one in the F355 is different The R gear is all the way to the left (next to 2nd, which is right below 1st).

 

I don't think that's a Ferrari shiftgate. Looks like a Lambo to me. I didn't think Ferrari did a dogleg 1st gear.

 

Yes they did up to the F355 when the went to a 6 speed tranny.

 

so would this be possible to do this to a 7? Are there more mechanisms and stuff underneath that a regular 5-speed doen't have? If so, is it possible to just make it look liek a gate style?

 

I had this idea a while ago. I simply took a piece of cardboard and cut out the pattern so the stock shifter could move normally. I was then going to have it reproduced in aluminum. By the time I got done trimming the cardboard the path for the shifter was so thick it just looked stupid. The base of a stock shifter is very thick. It might have worked if with an after market short shifter they may be thinner.

 

If u ge the shift gate its really easy to hit the gate when you are trying to shift from like 2nd to 3rd and this could screw you up a lot. I agreee though it looks phat as hell.

 

Too bad its not functional, but it does look pimp-tacular.

If its not functional why do they put them on the ferraris?

 

I cut one on a waterjet at work. I used a thin rod in place of the thick stock one. The shift pattern at the console is so small that i couldn't even make an H type pattern with a 3/8" rod. I still plan on using a small rectangular one with radiused corners but it's only about 1.25" wide by 1.75" long.

 

Top end Italian sports cars use gated shifters because it's the cool thing there. It's all about looks to the Italians.

 

oo00ooÖÖoo.... cool......

 

any pics?

 

I don't have a digital camera but, I'll try to borrow a friend's Monday and post them.