Pettit Racing New Short Shifter Review
 

My first impressions on Pettit Racing's new short shifter was... disappointment.

Why? Frankly b/c it's just a stock O.E. shifter with the handle cut down about 3/4".

The actual lever that extends below the fulcrum point of the shifter is NO different in length/design than the stock O.E. shifter. Thus the distance in between gear changes are not reduced.

The new Pettit Racing shifter literally looks like someone at Pettit Racing took a hacksaw to the end of a stock O.E. shifter.

Yet on Pettit Racing's site, the picture they use to advertise their shifter is completely different from the one i received. Here is a pic of their advertised shifter:
http://pettitracing.com/rx7/images/t...e_1000-600.jpg

here is the claim on pettit racing's site:I bought this short shifter under the impression that it was a copy of the mazdaspeed shifter / rx7store shifter/ mazdatrix shifter which all have great reviews on this site claiming to have shortened the throws during gear changes. And at $200 shipped Pettit Racing's shifter was cheaper than the rest.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...P1040558-1.jpg
LEFT: Pettit Racing shifter with aluminum shifter bushing which i added on.
RIGHT: Stock O.E. Shifter
The Pettit Racing shifter is about 3/4" shorter than a stock shifter.
Note that both shifters have the same length/design lever beneath the fulcrum point.

For refrence... here is a pic comparing a stock shifter (LEFT) vs. a mazdaspeed/rx7 store/mazdatrix shifter (RIGHT).
http://mahjik.homestead.com/files/FD...r/MVC-003S.jpg
Note that both shifters have a DIFFERENT length/design lever beneath the fulcrum point.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...m/P1040565.jpg
You can see where the end of the shifter handle has been cut/grinded off to make it "shorter"

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...m/P1040566.jpg

Cliff notes: Pettit Racing's "New" short shifter is just a stock shifter cut down about 3/4"

wow. that's total bullshit.

Unreal. It seems that many formerly reputable shops have gone completely downhill over the years...

rough... send it back

I'm less than impressed with quite a lot of what they offer, especially for the prices they offer them for, its utter bullshit.

I'll take a hacksaw, and rethread my stock shifter for anyone for half that price!

:facepalm:

Why didn't you just call Cam up and complain to him or send it back and get a B/M ? Like the man said, just take you stock shifter cut it off and rethread it and you have a shortened shifter. Pettit has always stood behind their products.


Later

arent all short shifters just shortened stockers?

I've talked to Cam when disappointed with a purchase and he had no problem with return/refund.

Many of their products I find way over priced for years and some of the prices have reduced over the years. Their cold air intake comes to mind, price had to drop when other intakes came on the market since the mid-90's.

Jack

Wow thats a bunch of crap. Call Cam up. This is quite a black eye for Cam. Update us on what happens.

The reference picture above is mine. That was the old Pettit Racing short shifter which several places sold. I saw about a year or two ago they updated their description with a shorter throw percentage. You can check to see if Jason still sells the original version:

http://www.rx7store.net/product_p/mazdashortshift.htm

If not, C's is the next choice for that type of short shifter:

http://www.rhdjapan.com/jdm-low/Comr...-DC2-EK9-23180

Ok, so the old pettit unit is the RX7 store unit? Is the Mazdatrix one also the old Pettit?

I have a B&M right now and don't really like it and was thinking about switching it out for one of these designs, this muddies the waters a bit now.

Anyone have anything to say about the RE unit ... http://www.rhdjapan.com/jdm-low/RE-A...D3S-SE3P-16699

The RX7 Store unit and the Pettit unit used to be the same. I don't know if they still are or not. I have not scene the Mazdaspeed unit, but you could probably email them and ask for measurements to see what you are going to get.

The RE unit is a stock shifter with the top cut.

*shrugs* I bought a Pettit shifter about eight years ago and I love it, very positive, short throws

No complaints from me and my RE-Amemiya shifter. I couldn't believe the difference it made...my FD shifts like a Miata now.

Interesting... Given the info above, I think I might actually enjoy the Pettit shifter comparted to the others. I used to have a B&M and hated it. It made the shifting feel too notchy and it vibrated all the time.

The stock shifter's isolation is nice to have and the feel is much better than the B&M (IMO). I'm reasonably satisfied with the throws of the stock shifter but a little bit shorter might be cool.

From what I hear, a lot of people agree with you about the B&M and it's mechanical feel.

C's is another good shifter that hasn't been mentioned....it's basically a Mazdaspeed knock off, as are pretty much all the shifters with good reviews.

EDIT: Mr Links beat me to it with the C's
C's, Re Amemiya, Mazdaspeed, RX-7 Store, and Mazdatrix are all good, from what I've read. My RE-A one (About $220 shipped from JKL) definitely shortened the throws. I never took a pic, but the fulcrum point has obviously been moved in that one.

There is a picture of the RE-A short shifter in the following thread:

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/re-amemiya-short-shifter-installed%3B-pics-498580/

No, the fulcrum is moved resulting in a shorter throw.

I second that

Damn those bastards got me on that shifter I brought it about 3 months ago and when I compare to my miata shifter which is shorter than Rx7 and Pettit, it's still taller taller than the miata.I had saw it to make it even shorter, I should return ir or callcomplaint like, I been way to busy to either. Anyway it's that you took the time to post it.

Big G,

I'm running a B&M and get zero vibration, this with a diff brace installed :)

Now here is something that reminds me of Racing Beats sway bars. Ahhhhh what is in a name....a rose by any other name.

I called Pettit Racing today and spoke to Cam. I explained to him how the shifter i received wasn't at all like the one advertised with a picture on their website. And that the shifter looked exactly like a stock shifter just cut down 3/4" from the top.

Cam admitted that the pic on the website is of their old style shifter and that the new Pettit Racing SHIFTERS ARE NEW MAZDA SHIFTERS CUT DOWN 3/4".

He also stated i could just take my stock shifter and cut it down and achieve the same results as the one he is selling. This of course is also depends on the condition of your shifter and its internal isolated bushing damper.

He also said i can get a full refund or exchange it for their old style shifter if he had any laying around or for some other items on his site that he would reduce in price.

Cam told me he just wants his customers to be happy. And his customer service was top notch. very relaxed.