I'm not trying to make my car something it is not, but I always dug the minimalist look of the Ferrari shift gate. Has anyone made anything like this? Do you think it could work on an M6 Vette if I (or preferably somenoe else) fabricated one?

 

Gated shifters suck monkeyazz, my friend.

Metal obstructions in the shift pattern

Looks cool but that is all.
I would think you could make one to work for a vette though

 

You could probably take some measurements, cut out a cardboard template and duplicate it in aluminum or sheetmetal.

 

Well if they suck, why would I want one?

I believe function comes before form. If it is not a good way to go about my business, the boot is fine with me!

Thanks!

 

I have to agree that they really suck. My dads Pantera has one. Looks stylish but thats about it. You can't shift it in a hurry to save your life, makes an otherwise fun car to drive not so fun.
Will

 

that is the common problem with shift gates... they look neat but are not as functional as advertised.

As an aside, the gates made up for what were essentially crappy shifters... so the gates applied the quality, so to speak, of the shift.

The latest Ferrari's and such that use gates, are using them as cosmetic tricks, the actual quality of the shift comes from the linkage and shifter box. So the gate isn't doing anything.

with that said, if you can build up a decorative gate, I think you may have something.

 

I've always loved those shift gates. I am diappointed to hear they don't work well, lol.

 

Actually, it's funny you should ask this because it is exactly what I'm working on at the moment. I am of the opinion that the stock trim around the shifter area is the ugliest part of the interior, and a prime example of GM's liberal use of awful plastic parts. If you've ever actually removed that part you'll know what I mean about what cheap crap it is. I think this is definitely something that can and should be remedied in a Corvette regardless of if it cannot be done in a way that functionally helps shifting.

Sort of in line with Bogus's idea, the shift gate I am building will be entirely decorative. Since it can't be functional the goal is to make sure it doesn't impair the existing functionality, so unlike the Ferrari shifter pictured above, I imagine that when mine is done there will be a lot of open space in the "gates." This is because I am making darn sure it stays well away from where my shifter has to move. Moreover, I've checked and found out that a flat shifter gate will not interfere with the protective rubber boot that exists below and inside the outer leather boot; the rubber boot is low enough that it will still fit and be able to move just fine under a flat piece.

To make this, I was planning on doing what an above poster also suggested: making a template out of cardboard and then cutting up some solid-colored sheet metal according to that template, and then bolting it to where the stock boot bolts in (it's great that the bolts are underneath and out of view; the metallic surface can then take up the entirety of the visible recessed area). I'm looking for a metal that has a surface similar to the one pictured up there: solid colored, and shiny but not too aggressive.

This is part of a general overhaul of my shifter area; I'm also overlaying the plastic trim with leather or some other material, using rivets and stitching, and I'm adding a decorative spec plate and getting a new shifter ball. When it's done it should look much better than the awful quality of the stock trim piece. I will definitely post a thread with pictures when I put it in the car.

 

Keep us posted on this one, eh?

Pix are good!

Not sure if big wide gaps are going to look good, but if you are going to invest your time in it, and it looks good and functions properly, you may have a few customers!:o

Wouldn't the bias spring in the stock tranny keep things pretty much moving in the right direction anyway?

I wonder how an after market shifter would affect the length of the gates?

 

"It sucks." Says the people who have never driven a Ferrari.

 

and you know I haven't?

A 348. About 5 years ago. I hated the clutch.

 

Yeah, Ferrari has 'em they must be good...


Go put one on your car see how you like it.

You might not notice a diffrence if you drive like a granny..... Speed up those shifts and you will see just how much they suck

 

The one's on Ferraris work. It's not a decoration. I worked for a while as a Ferrari mechanic. You either love them or hate them.

To get it to work on the ZF6 you have to go into the transmission.
Unless you just wanted the cover.

 

I have driven my uncles 550 Maranello a few times and it reminds me of my Richmond 6...very postive and notchy. Shifting fast in the Ferrari was kinda hard with the gate being as it is. Just my $.02

 

go down the 1/4 mile with one of those and everyone will think you're learning to drive stick. Beside from them not actually being functional i think they're sexy as hell.

 

Off the top of my head, I don't think the gates on the ZF6 gearbox are far enough apart to allow individual slots on a plate like that.


Just as well.



Larry
code5coupe

__________
Often wrong, never in doubt....

 

No, they aren't very far apart, and it will have to be quite a bit different than the one in the picture. If I remember right there is some distance to work with between gates at that height, but not much. If I use enough open space in the horizontal section and allow the slots to overlap one another, I think I can pull of the gated "look" without the shifter actually being confined to moving within a slot.

 

Remember that without the rubber boot and leather boot there will be considerably more 'noise' coming from the tranny area. I personally love the whine of the zf but driving without the boot is just not for me.. way too loud.

 

It looks cool, for some strange reason nobody has ever let me drive one of them fancy 2 seat Itallian Mustangs

 

The ZF has a little more room between gates than any other 6-speed I've driven. It'd depend on the height of the trim piece, and the thicknes of the shifter. Stock I don't see it happening.