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A person who lives a mile down our road stopped while walking her dog when I was washing the C7. She is the head of radiology at our local hospital. Found out she has had more Vettes than I, just not one recently. She said every time I pass by with the C7 she thinks of getting another. Her first was a 1976 and she has had about 6 others, all standard transmissions. She said she would have nothing but a standard shift! She asked what features I like best and knowing she would get a std trans I mentioned Rev Matching. It is one of my favorite features. I have always had standard transmissions in my Vettes (other cars and trucks as well) and have used heel toe when downshifting. As I said to her, I was fairly good at higher rpm’s but at lower speed partial throttle it is not as easy to do well. The Vette does it well! She asked about the 1 to 4 skip shift and said she hated it! I told her it was somewhat better in the C7 but for $30 I have always installed a CAGS eliminator. In fact now that some folks text while driving (not smart but some folks are like Pavlov’s Dogs and when the phone signals are “obligated” to answer) it is a safety issue in my opinion!If in bumper to bumper traffic and you take off but shift early, the person behind you isn’t expecting you to fumble and slow abruptly when you try to shift to 2nd and can’t! Their phone signals like Pavolv’s bell, they look down and hit your rear!
I also said the shift to 6th from 7th or from 5th is easy once you learn to trust the Reverse Lockout- just shift as if going to Reverse! Also for those who think a 4 speed was good enough, with 7 speeds you don’t row thru the gears! You pick the overdrive (5th, 6th, or 7th) depending on the top speed you’re going to reach and shift to it. I use 7th only on the 70 mph speed limit highway between town and my home. Then when going to the off-ramp downshift to 3rd. Rev match makes it a smooth shift-sounds good too! Suggest those just getting used to the 7 speed learn to use it like a TV remote, select the gear you want don’t think of rowing thru the gears!
A person who lives a mile down our road stopped while walking her dog when I was washing the C7. She is the head of radiology at our local hospital. Found out she has had more Vettes than I, just not one recently. She said every time I pass by with the C7 she thinks of getting another. Her first was a 1976 and she has had about 6 others, all standard transmissions. She said she would have nothing but a standard shift! She asked what features I like best and knowing she would get a std trans I mentioned Rev Matching. It is one of my favorite features. I have always had standard transmissions in my Vettes (other cars and trucks as well) and have used heel toe when downshifting. As I said to her, I was fairly good at higher rpm’s but at lower speed partial throttle it is not as easy to do well. The Vette does it well! She asked about the 1 to 4 skip shift and said she hated it! I told her it was somewhat better in the C7 but for $30 I have always installed a CAGS eliminator. In fact now that some folks text while driving (not smart but some folks are like Pavlov’s Dogs and when the phone signals are “obligated” to answer) it is a safety issue in my opinion!If in bumper to bumper traffic and you take off but shift early, the person behind you isn’t expecting you to fumble and slow abruptly when you try to shift to 2nd and can’t! Their phone signals like Pavolv’s bell, they look down and hit your rear!
I also said the shift to 6th from 7th or from 5th is easy once you learn to trust the Reverse Lockout- just shift as if going to Reverse! Also for those who think a 4 speed was good enough, with 7 speeds you don’t row thru the gears! You pick the overdrive (5th, 6th, or 7th) depending on the top speed you’re going to reach and shift to it. I use 7th only on the 70 mph speed limit highway between town and my home. Then when going to the off-ramp downshift to 3rd. Rev match makes it a smooth shift-sounds good too! Suggest those just getting used to the 7 speed learn to use it like a TV remote, select the gear you want don’t think of rowing thru the gears!
I drive A little different.I never feel the skip shift.I don't shift early.
The rev matching feature I believe is highly overrated.I hardly ever
Use it.As far as the gears,I paid for 7 ,I use 7 if the speed allows it.
I never skip gears.I also do the same when downshifting.I'm an
Ole school gear shifter.I wouldn't have bought the C7 if it hadn't
Had 7 speeds.
I've been happy with my M7. My only complaint is sometimes I can't find 5th fast enough for some reason. Might try the aftermarket shifter route.
The aftermarket shifters are probably a good addition. I found this cue ball shift **** does help the side to side shifting and it also shortens the shift stroke about 11%. Details of the install (easy after you get the chrome ring off) are on a PDF I made: http://netwelding.com/Shift_Knob.pdf
The aftermarket shifters are probably a good addition. I found this cue ball shift **** does help the side to side shifting and it also shortens the shift stroke about 11%. Details of the install (easy after you get the chrome ring off) are on a PDF I made: http://netwelding.com/Shift_Knob.pdf
Nice review, but I still like rowing through the gears. The 1-4 skip shift never bothered me on my C6 just give it a bit more gas and you are good. I do not anticipate it being any different when I finally take delivery of my C7.
Nice review, but I still like rowing through the gears. The 1-4 skip shift never bothered me on my C6 just give it a bit more gas and you are good. I do not anticipate it being any different when I finally take delivery of my C7.
This is my 4th, “7 speed” but the other 3 were a bit different so seldom used all 7! The 1st was a Dodge Colt and the 2nd a Dodge Colt turbo. They had 4 speeds with a 2 speed overdrive that could be energized in all 4 gears. Two levers and you split shifted! Two of the ratios were the same so only 7 not 8 speeds. My 3rd was in my ’87 Vette, so the C7 Vette was not the first! It came with a Doug Nash overdrive behind a 4 speed. It was activated electrically by a button on the shifter. Could not use it in 1st but could in 2nd, 3rd and 4th making it 6 + 1st for 7 speeds.
With the C7, 5th, 6th and 7th are all overdrives. If you get to 4th by rowing thru the gears then you’ll want to pick the overdrive you will use for the max speed you plan. In my rural roads with a 55 mph speed limit that is normally about 60 mph so 6th if a long trip with few stops or 5th if more local. I reserve 7th typically for a major highway and will often use 3rd in the onramp (@ 3700 rpm you're at 60 mph) and go directly to 7th. The same in leaving, 7th directly to 3rd for the offramp. The C7 has a lot of torque from 2000 rpm up. When making a turn from a 60 mph road will downshift from 6th directly to 3rd, why go the 5th, then 4th when you need 3rd after the turn. Use "Rev Match" and it makes a smooth downshift. To each his own but that is what I find works for me.
The issue with skip shift is not you as much as it is some folks today, texting while driving. Perfect time is in bumper to bumper traffic since they are stopped occasionally. What I describe in my OP happened to me! We have little heavy traffic so had never experienced skip shift. I accelerated in 1st and tried to shift to 2nd and was fumbling until I realized what was happening! Had the person behind me been answering a text they could well have hit me! I have had a number folks texting around me including a young person who had their hands holding a phone on the top of the steering wheel while their thumbs were working away and another looking in their lap on a long straight and when we stopped for a light.
This is my 4th, “7 speed” but the other 3 were a bit different so seldom used all 7! The 1st was a Dodge Colt and the 2nd a Dodge Colt turbo. They had 4 speeds with a 2 speed overdrive that could be energized in all 4 gears. Two levers and you split shifted! Two of the ratios were the same so only 7 not 8 speeds. My 3rd was in my ’87 Vette, so the C7 Vette was not the first! It came with a Doug Nash overdrive behind a 4 speed. It was activated electrically by a button on the shifter. Could not use it in 1st but could in 2nd, 3rd and 4th making it 6 + 1st for 7 speeds.
With the C7, 5th, 6th and 7th are all overdrives. If you get to 4th by rowing thru the gears then you’ll want to pick the overdrive you will use for the max speed you plan. In my rural roads with a 55 mph speed limit that is normally about 60 mph so 6th if a long trip with few stops or 5th if more local. I reserve 7th typically for a major highway and will often use 3rd in the onramp (@ 3700 rpm you're at 60 mph) and go directly to 7th. The same in leaving, 7th directly to 3rd for the offramp. The C7 has a lot of torque from 2000 rpm up. When making a turn from a 60 mph road will downshift from 6th directly to 3rd, why go the 5th, then 4th when you need 3rd after the turn. Use "Rev Match" and it makes a smooth downshift. To each his own but that is what I find works for me.
The issue with skip shift is not you as much as it is some folks today, texting while driving. Perfect time is in bumper to bumper traffic since they are stopped occasionally. What I describe in my OP happened to me! We have little heavy traffic so had never experienced skip shift. I accelerated in 1st and tried to shift to 2nd and was fumbling until I realized what was happening! Had the person behind me been answering a text they could well have hit me! I have had a number folks texting around me including a young person who had their hands holding a phone on the top of the steering wheel while their thumbs were working away and another looking in their lap on a long straight and when we stopped for a light.
Sounds like you have the shifting down pat.I once in A while go from fast traffic into all of A sudden slow traffic then I skip gears while down shifting.I don't use any gears as overdrive gears.I just go thru them all if
The speed limit allows.Many times I don't go into 7th.But sometimes I do.
Seventh is an extremely tall gear. I have accelerated in seventh from around fifty five (slow) to eighty and above, but recommend shifting down to fifth. Learning experience!
Took me a little time to get used to the 7 speed. Before this car I had a '04 GTO, '10 C6 Grand Sport and '11 CTS-V so my brain is pretty programmed to reverse being where 7th gear is.
In the first week of ownership, I took it on a 600 mile road trip and got a lot more comfortable with downshifting to 6th or 5th from 7th. It doesn't take a lot of side-side motion to use 1-6, while 7 is like going into reverse on the older Tremecs.
Rev match is probably my favorite addition and I only wish it saved that preference when starting the car.
I agree with the OP. Shift to the gear you want. This ain't a motorcycle
Good analogy with the motorcycle sequential gear box! That is not what we have with the C7!
Have always had a standard trans from my 1st car, a ’41 Ford Opera Coupe I stuffed in an Olds engine! My ’08 Vette was bought after several years without a Vette, driving pick-ups! I had an S-10 step side, fiberglass bed cover, Flowmaster with duals, 5 speed V6, reprogramed engine control, MSD ignition etc, etc. Went to look at a replacement and asked about a 5 speed with the new 5 cylinder Colorado that was just being introduced and I could not find that combo on the Chevy “build your own” website. The salesman said wait here I’ll call and I’m sure it’s available. I waited about 15 minutes and was already not happy, he came back and said, “Afraid you’ll have to upgrade to an automatic!” I got up, walked out and said “You don’t understand that is not an ungraded, it’s a non-issue!” Got on the Net and bought my ’08 Vette from Kerbeck! . (Considering the issues with the Isuzu engine and the Colorado glad they didn’t have the standard trans option!) Even made some paperweights from shift ***** I keep on my desk!
C7 OEM ****, **** from 5 speed B&M Shifter in S-10, 4 Speed **** from my 260Z!
Good analogy with the motorcycle sequential gear box! That is not what we have with the C7!
Have always had a standard trans from my 1st car, a ’41 Ford Opera Coupe I stuffed in an Olds engine! My ’08 Vette was bought after several years without a Vette, driving pick-ups! I had an S-10 step side, fiberglass bed cover, Flowmaster with duals, 5 speed V6, reprogramed engine control, MSD ignition etc, etc. Went to look at a replacement and asked about a 5 speed with the new 5 cylinder Colorado that was just being introduced and I could not find that combo on the Chevy “build your own” website. The salesman said wait here I’ll call and I’m sure it’s available. I waited about 15 minutes and was already not happy, he came back and said, “Afraid you’ll have to upgrade to an automatic!” I got up, walked out and said “You don’t understand that is not an ungraded, it’s a non-issue!” Got on the Net and bought my ’08 Vette from Kerbeck! . (Considering the issues with the Isuzu engine and the Colorado glad they didn’t have the standard trans option!) Even made some paperweights from shift ***** I keep on my desk!
C7 OEM ****, **** from 5 speed B&M Shifter in S-10, 4 Speed **** from my 260Z!
Cue Ball Size **** Installed on the C7
I really need to get that 8 ball ****.I was trying for A T handle but gave up.It looks like I will have to hunt for A shop to install it.
It sounds A little difficult.When something's difficult I start using to
Much force and start breaking something
I really need to get that 8 ball ****.I was trying for A T handle but gave up.It looks like I will have to hunt for A shop to install it.
It sounds A little difficult.When something's difficult I start using to
Much force and start breaking something
It’s actually a pretty easy install once you get the chrome ring off! This is a PDF I made of the install. http://netwelding.com/Reports_Vette_Info.htm
Mine may have had slightly oversized pins making it difficult to turn the ring. You can try with your hands before buying the **** and see it comes off easier. Just pull up and twist counterclockwise about from say 6 o’clock to 5 to clear the ridge locking it in place (pic in PDF) then push down and turn until 3 o'clock. It should slip down and you’ll see the screw holding the ****. It loosened easily and the new **** fit perfectly, just like the OEM. You can see if the chrome ring is easier to remove on your car. There is a video about doing it on a C6 that made it look that easy. Helped me by realizing it had to turn 90 degrees before it would slip down!
10-25-2014, 09:05 AM
Love My 7 Speed Standard Transmission
