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You just want your reach to be shorter? A cube would be good. The overall throw is mega short so it would translate to less "reach" for the top row of gears
You just want your reach to be shorter? A cube would be good. The overall throw is mega short so it would translate to less "reach" for the top row of gears
Yeah, that would be ideal. Or maybe the Banzai Racing shifter, since it's half the price...
I don't really care about the throw so much as the reach.
(Though apparently the Cube offers more precision than the stock shifter, so I might miss fewer shifts into third when the engine is hot?)
My seating position is a compromise between reach and thigh support because of the slack angle of my Tillet seat. It would be great if I had longer arms and shorter legs.
(Buying a new racing seat for an FD is *the worst.* Either the seat is too wide at the bottom for super low rails, or the seat is too big for the car, or its too narrow for my hips. Maybe if I lost another 30 pounds I could fit in a "regular" sized racing seat.)
This whole mess started because I reinstalled my factory seat mounts, in part because I no longer need for the seat to be uber low (I lost a lot of weight), but mainly because I would like to get the car street legal again (which will involve installing stock seats) at some point. Also, fixed seats aren't very popular when the people you hire to transport your race car are a head shorter than you. Haha.
I had considered messing with the shifter when I first installed the seat (in order to get better support under braking), but in actuality it's not that bad once you've got your belts on. But there's always room for improvement.
Have someone heat your shift lever with a torch and bend it back?
I had considered bending the lever. That might be an option with an aftermarket shift lever, but the stock FD lever is never going to bend. It's too thick.
I think it's also insulated with rubber on the inside, so it would probably also catch fire...
The old version of the Cube shifter had a thin, non-insulated shaft that would have been good for this purpose.
Originally Posted by billyboy
Either that ^^^, or a remote shifter mounted on the tunnel.....I assume the console is long gone.
Interior? What's an interior?
Remote shifters are.... not an option. I'll just go back to my previous position before I do that.
Part of the issue my issue was that the seat rails I bought (Kawai Works) are offset so far forward that I am slammed at the back of the adjustment range.
Like, WHY would anyone this short *ever* buy rails this low??? It's just nonsensical. Regular Bride FG rails would have been perfect, and I could have bought them used for a third of the price.
If I had realized how little drop my Tillet seat actually needs to achieve my desired position, I would have just bough the used not-so-low rails on sale for $15 at the nearby Up Garage. Actually, I probably will go do just that after work. The front slide release is much more convenient than dual locking levers anyway.
My previous position was so low that I can barely see out of the car at 5'11" lol. I used to be like 70 pounds heavier, though.
I modified a cube shifter for my jz fd. The lever has 2 bolts that attach it to the base of the shifter so if you put 1 bolt in, you can pivot it to the angle you want and then weld it. In an almost fully reclined position, I can hit all the gears comfortably. The only thing you need to be mindful of is the back row of gears. With the angle, it puts the shaft really close to the center console...... if you had one lol
The r154/w58 shifter has a Z shaped lever that would more than likely work on the FD base. If you asked, I'm sure they would not only check for you but also sell it to you as such. The Z shaped lever is what I have in my car. Although modified, I can confirm it clears the center console.
there are shifter for a miata that come in different shapes, L Z, etc
however it might be better to just put the seat the right place
It's not that the seat isn't in the right place, it's that the seat back angle forces a compromise between arm reach and leg position.
I ended up being able to snag the used rails for $5, since they were marked half-off. LOL.
Now I kind of wish I had picked up the aftermarket fiberglass fenders they had on the wall for $150 to use as spares.... FDs have gotten insanely expensive, but at least the parts are still cheap.
Now I just hope I can sell the Kawai rails online for a decent price.
Another option would be to use two-part urethane foam to create a seat insert that gives me more hip hold and leg support.
I'll first see if I can't dial in something reasonably close with the new (used) rails. Being able to slide the seat should make it lightyears easier to tighten my lap belt.
I also got a quick release, so getting out of the car should be easier, too... Haha.
I modified a cube shifter for my jz fd. The lever has 2 bolts that attach it to the base of the shifter so if you put 1 bolt in, you can pivot it to the angle you want and then weld it. In an almost fully reclined position, I can hit all the gears comfortably. The only thing you need to be mindful of is the back row of gears. With the angle, it puts the shaft really close to the center console...... if you had one lol
The r154/w58 shifter has a Z shaped lever that would more than likely work on the FD base. If you asked, I'm sure they would not only check for you but also sell it to you as such. The Z shaped lever is what I have in my car. Although modified, I can confirm it clears the center console.
That's the old style shifter. The current FD shifter is insulated like the stock piece and attaches to the base with a lock nut. Maybe they can still make the old style base and attach the angled W58 shifter? Except then I would need a Supra shift ****...
where you lost me was by only listing those forward gears. Because everything being discussed here moves the handle position back for all the gears. Which is an easy solution in a variety of ways.
the FD3 version of the Cube seems like an isolated OE shifter with a better, adjustable gate assembly though. Not seeing how it will move the forward gear position back by that amount even in the shortest throw setting.
edit; just saw your post above about them changing it to the OE style
.
where you lost me was by only listing those forward gears. Because everything being discussed here moves the handle position back for all the gears. Which is an easy solution in a variety of ways.
the FD3 version of the Cube seems like an isolated OE shifter with a better, adjustable gate assembly though. Not seeing how it will move the forward gear position back by that amount even in the shortest throw setting.
edit; just saw your post above about them changing it to the OE style
.
If the throw is 40% shorter, all of the gears will be close to neutral, and therefore by definition the front row will be closer to my left hand.
Reach to 2nd, 4th, and reverse was never an issue.
Even in my previous position, only 1st was a bit far (but still reachable) when strapped in. But it's not like I really used first for anything but starting.
I see they make angled extensions for the Miata (and thereby for any Mazda), but I don't really want to use one of those. They're almost comically long.
Another option would be to use two-part urethane foam to create a seat insert that gives me more hip hold and leg support..
that works great. take a plastic garbage bag, and put it on the seat and then sit in the seat. pour the foam in the bag, and viola, you have the seat insert.
You can always go to a local fabricator and have them weld a "z" section for however long you want it. It's kind of a way of rigging it but can be done cleanly with a god fabricator and you may be able to hide it decently with a large enough shift boot.
You can always go to a local fabricator and have them weld a "z" section for however long you want it. It's kind of a way of rigging it but can be done cleanly with a god fabricator and you may be able to hide it decently with a large enough shift boot.
I don't have anything but the lower rubber shift boot, which I just replaced, so I would like to have something that will let me keep this... haha.
The stock FD shifter is already quite notchy, so the idea of shortening the throw does give me pause, somewhat.
that works great. take a plastic garbage bag, and put it on the seat and then sit in the seat. pour the foam in the bag, and viola, you have the seat insert.
That's the idea, but there is a bit more to it. lol.
You have to cut out the belt holes and, ideally, cover it in some sort of not-so-burny fabric.
I'm not sure what foam to get, either. From what I can tell, a kilo of foam is fairly expensive ($30-40), so trial and error could get pretty expensive. I would probably need the softest foam they make, which expands the most, but there's only a handful of options online that I can find (typically 30 or 40 times expansion ratio).
It would be significantly less aesthetic than just having the seat far back enough for my leg to be at just the right angle with the seat as-is, but my controls would end up looking like those of a DTM car. The seat back would be so far back that I might not be able to install a full roll cage at some point.
there are numerous kits out there, none of them are really low cost, but possibly could be less if you only need the lower seat area. On my Kirkey road race seat the upper half with shoulder wings is perfect, but I intentionally bought a wider bottom area to accommodate other co-drivers. So it only needs the foam insert mostly at the bottom for the the thighs and waist.
there are numerous kits out there, none of them are really low cost, but possibly could be less if you only need the lower seat area. On my Kirkey road race seat the upper half with shoulder wings is perfect, but I intentionally bought a wider bottom area to accommodate other co-drivers. So it only needs the foam insert mostly at the bottom for the the thighs and waist.
I just found that someone makes a long shifter with even shorter throw, but it costs even more.
Looks cool, though. And having the shifter close to the wheel is very racecar...
10-31-23, 06:38 AM
