What short thrower shifter do you recommend for your c5
 

Im thinking about installing a short thrower shifter in my c5 and need some advice! Is hinson the way to go? Is it worth installing or just keep it stock?

MGW, Hinson, Kirban... take your pick all seem to be liked by whoever gets them...:cheers: I got a C6 Z06 and love it.. it isn't short throw but a great improvement...

MGW is awesome:thumbs:

MGW !!!!!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a117c4f51e.jpg

The latest generation MGW with their lower box is a great setup!

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...pseqdgoun6.jpg

from what I understand I have the older generation MGW, and its a huge improvement over the stock shifter

Very precise shifts, sort of just "clicks" into place, shorter throws..I like it

I have a hurst and think it is probably the shi&$?@$? Shifter I have ever owned. Others may like them but I don't like the way it feels.

FrankLP i like that set up a lot! How was the install?

I have a Hurst and while I think it's over fiddly and notchy, that 2-3 shift is better than sex.

:iagree:

Did you orient the shifter in the 12 o'clock position or the 6 o'clock position? Assuming you have the latest version with the offset stick.

:steering:....Kirban here, I have had this shifter for 12 years and it still works great, plus, I bought it new/used !! I can't say whether one shifter excels over the other, but almost any aftermarket short shifter is light years better than a stock one !!!...:cheers:
* Side note - Drove my friends 02' Z06 last week with the factory shifter, I thought I was trying out for the next row boat olympic trials !!!!!!!

After reviewing all the opinions I ordered an MGW for my car last night.

People here seem to love the mgw. People here also seem to love chrome tail light louvers.

If you see where that's going, you know to take advice on things such as shifters/appearance mods with a grain of salt.

I, for one, like a ahifter that is really stiff. Almost too stiff for an average person to shift. C6 didn't do it for me, hurst didn't do it for me, rsd didn't do it for me. Ended up with a B&M and it's perfect. If someone gets in my car the first thing they say is "holy crap this shifter is stiff" but it's exactly what I want.

Good luck, enjoy your mgw

Piece of cake. If you've never had the stock C5 knob off, that's probably the worst part of it. MGW has great install videos on their website that walk you through all of it...very detailed and good.

That's actually a good question! IIRC I installed it at the 6 o'clock position, but now that you have me thinking about it, I'm wondering if I received the offset stick.

It was certainly supposed to be the latest version; ordered it last February and it came with the lower box, but I honestly will have to check when I have time to tear it apart again.

You can spend anything from hundreds of dollars to $50 to get short shifting. First, you need to decided how much more shift effort you want - physics 1.01 tells us half the shift travel = twice the shift effort. Then what you want it to look like, and how much you want to spend.

I and quite a few others run the economy solution - a cut down C5 shifter, Cut down as in shorter lever and shorter throws. You need a new knob, say $30-40 and a $10 die to extend the thread. Oh, and a hacksaw.

:iagree:...Totally !! Taste and needs is subjective when it comes to cars and other issue's. There has been a few times when watching a valet try to park my car, with apprehension, and watch them trying to manipulate the shifter to go into a forward gear or into reverse. I have to walk over and show them how it's done,lol, and then listen to their response, ' My Honda doesn't have to use this much effort to shift ' !!!..:lol::lol::lol:

Look at pounders pic in post #4. That's the only "offset" stick that MGW offers that I'm aware of. It is anodized aluminum and comes in a couple different colors.
If your stick is round stainless steel (which it appears to be in your picture), it is the standard C5/C6 stick. There IS no offset stainless steel stick that I'm aware of.

HTH

Also whatever you do, don't listen to the guys who tell you "you wasted your money on a short shifter, the slop is in the transmission not the shifter. Stock shifter is just as fast as a short shifter."

They don't fully understand physics, or understand that a short shifter is about feel, not actual speed.

That said, anyone in NC have an MGW? A curious soul wants to give it a try :rofl:

I'm in suburban Charlotte.....:cheers:

Is there more NVH when going with a short shifter?
I also read the stock shifter has some sort of a counterweight to reduce vibration, any truth to that?
This is probably going to be my first mod, I feel like I'm shifting my brothers manual dually rather than a sports car.

Mine is identical to stock in that regard. My friend had the shortened c6 shifter that rattled on wot but that may be just specific to his.

I think what danh52 was referring to was these two versions of the MGW for the C5.

This newest "offset" version on their website...which now I know is indeed what I have...

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...bb4fe1ac35.jpg

...and this version which I think is their previous version for the C5:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...e5d6b845cb.jpg

Cool! Nice to see George and his guys continuing to improve upon an already well thought-out robust design. :thumbs:

But, having torn my stock C5 shifter system totally apart and rebuilt it, including eliminating all the slop in the shift mechanism itself, I still do have side to side slop in the shifter in certain gears and it is in the transmission.

Anyone wants to spend $$$ on an aftermarket shifter fine, but don't expect it to be a miracle cure. It's a bit like people who swear that the C6 shifter is so much better than the C5 - strip them down side by side and mechanically they are the same.

what ever you say, the difference between stock and MGW is Vega to a Rolls !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+1 on the mgw

Exactly, a short shifter would reduce the slop you feel in the transmission.

It's not reducing the slop, the change in leverage just changes how much of it you feel.

Good think you didn't go with the Hinson offering....I feel its garbage. Mine will be for sale soon. Going with an MGW.

Short shifter
 

What is it that you dislike about the Hinson shifter?

Absolutely! I traded-in my old MGW for their new set-up and noticed the improvement straight away!

Their new shifter design with their lower box is a "no brainer" improvement/upgrade.

aAgreed - and a shortened OEM shift lever has exactly the same effect - though not as much. But, I can still "two finger" shift on my set up - don't have to put any effort into shifts at all.

That's the offset I was talking about. The owner told me it was in response to requests to bring back the offset by customers. The issue is fitting the different models, C5, C6 and C7 as the shift box is in different locations on the different models. I installed mine with the offset toward the dash as with the stock shifter during 1-2 and 3-4 shifts I would hit my elbow on the center console lid getting into the higher gear. There is plenty of room between your hand and the dash and my elbow doesn't hit the lid anymore. This is with their "race" shift handle, not the ball or C6 knob. They also include a fixture that's used during the lower box install that aligns the shifter. All in all a very nice design and well executed. During the unboxing I was amazed at how well the shifter was packaged, one of the best I've seen for aftermarket car parts.

Another +1 on the MGW. Mine has been on the car for 4+ years and it's excellent, very happy. My only advice to anyone out there is to not judge a shifter right off the bat. These aftermarket offerings need a little time to break-in. Mine took a couple thousand miles before it got to be just right.

How did this trade-in procedure work? I might have to contact MGW, I love mine from 2012ish but if the newer version is better yet then I might as well consider it.

Same here. :iagree: Mine is the old design with a C6 shift box. Couldn't be happier. :thumbs:

sterio
 

What type of stereo do you have? And are you happy with it?

just when I think I am happy with my MGW someone like you has to come around and ruin it :ack::ack::ack::toetap::toetap::toetap:: D:D

I will say from a perrmance perspective, the MGWs, Hinson's, and some of the others probably have the edge. But for us non-racing types, I'm really, really liking the retro look of the Core Hurst Shifter. Aftger doing the Anti-Venom mod, it shifts great too. I'll have to search down the pic I uploaded a while back.

IF you go for the upgrade please give me a chance to buy your old MGW for whatever the trade-in would be...Thanks

The effort required to make the throws is very high. The shifter itself is extremely notchy, which I like but this one is a little overboard. Lastly, its difficult to tell what gear you go into without over exaggerating shifter placement.

MGW, and never look back.

Mine came with a Hinson short throw in it when I bought it , so I don't really know how different it would be from the stock shifter, But it does shift precisely and somewhat smooth. I have driven a C5 with the stock one but not enough to really compare it with mine. Aesthetically..It looks better than a stock shifter to me. Here's mine.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...94d086a997.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...5556ad620b.jpg

I'm more confused than ever, I thought Hinson was my best option and now all this love for MGW is making me think otherwise. :willy:

Lol me too! I keep going back and forth between Hinson, Hurst and MGW. I even browsed some other forums from some info. Im sure either one ill be happy with and is a big improvement. Im planning on ordering within a week or two (Gotta do some more research) and ill post some photos when i install it.

FWIW (which I think is a lot) I believe that the MGW is the only one that also includes their own replacement/upgrade for the OEM lower box.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c7c118ab76.jpg

I have the Clarion NX501...love it.

Reach out to George; he's on this board too. When I bought their new setup, they gave me a $100 for my older/working MGW shifter. I'm not sure if they're still doing that, but it's worth asking.

The way I see it, if you want a short, tight shifter with heavy engagement buy either a b&m or the Hinson. If I HAD to give up my b&m I would go Hinson personally.

If you want a smoother slick slightly shorter shifter (sweet alliteration, huh?) go for the mgw.

i had the stock c5 shifter in my z06 when i bought it...i changed it out to a c6 z06 setup and love it...look and feels great in the hand and iirc it's about 30% shorter throw's then the stock c5 setup..

Officially ordered went with the MGW flat stick short thrower red and black

I got done cutting my second stock shifter. Took at least 2 inches out of it, more than I did with my Z. I also did the anti-venom mod again. Effort is reasonable, and throw is dramatically short without it being a differently engineered device with the many changes one sees from a MGW to stock. Since I make my own shift knobs, that's a non factor and I had the second of the antivenom washer 2-pack, so that was no cost as well. I did spend a few $$ for a thin metal cutting wheel for my angle grinder. I'm very happy with what I did, and for certain shifts, I just use my fingers and wrist.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...4cb6893468.jpg

FWIW I got the MGW and initially found it too stiff. I had my shop give me a little more length (its adjustable) and it was much better. It's more precise than stock.

I mounted my MGW with the stick in the forward position. Much better ergonomics than the stock shifter.

Attachment 47999375

Attachment 47999376

I highly recommend finding a C5 with an aftermarket shifter and getting a little seat time with it (if that's possible). Unless you FEEL how it performs/shifts, you could purchase something that you are NOT pleased with. Its a LOVE / HATE kind of thing for some people.

You may find that you HATE what ever aftermarket shifter is installed OR find out that you ABSOLUTY HATE your OEM shifter!

On the cheep, find a good used C6 Shifter and install it. Its most likely an inexpensive purchase and will allow you to see a VERY low cost improvement.

After I installed my KIRBAN shifter, I didn't look back!:thumbs:

MGW is most likely the newest best shifter on the market. VERY HIGH QUALITY and EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE!

As you can see by ALL the different comments, EVERYONE has their preferences.

IMHO,,,,,,,,,,,ANYTHING is better than a stock OEM C5 SHIFTER! :ack::willy::yesnod:

Something to consider. The C5 (and C6 shifter for that matter) mount to the Torque Tube with a bolt and a RUBBER ISOLATOR BUSHING.

In most older C5, that bushing gets SOFT & DETERIORATED and that can have a negative effect on shift quality. Give that bushing a look. Strongly recommend looking for a nylon or higher quality material replacement bushing!

NOTE! The C5 ZO6 shifter had SOLID ALUMINUM BUSHINGs vise the rubber isolation bushings.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...7/DSCF0056.jpg

Where are all the MGW owners buying their shifters from? Vendors or straight from MGW? I've done some searching and haven't seen any vendors selling the shifters. TIA!

Had a B&M, pulled it for a Hurst, hated that and pulled it for an MGW. Never looked back.

George from MGW has his own machine shop and is the only manufacture of the MGW shifter !!!! (it is his design)

Installed the Flat Stick short throw shifter last night. Instal wasn't too bad and the videos make it easy to install. Only took the car out for a quick spin but so far I'm really impressed by the shifter. Great purchase highly recommend!
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...2862e1f57f.jpg

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...95c7c6f21f.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...e326289523.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f3b0ca8afb.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...4344ccd11a.jpg

That's MGW, ?

yep !!!!!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...8aeb9c962b.jpg

The OP's looks to be the newer shorter throw. :thumbs::cheers:

I have one and I agree that it's definitely a high-effort shifter. However I like a few things about it, for one it's a short shifter that's not short. It actually sits quite tall and I like that I don't have that much distance between the steering wheel and the shifter. The stick itself is fairly heavy, it makes for a very satisfying gear change feel. I don't really have any issue with getting it in the correct gear (reverse is a bit difficult at times), but I'm kinda a brute anyways :thumbs:

It could definitely use a slight angle or different shaped stick.

This is one guy and one post that I respect.
.
Everyone like to say they like what they have so others can buy into it... However when I look at reviews of products, I always look at the negative reviews first. I can see through some of the BS, but reasons that are logical by well respected reviewers get my attention more than the hype of people who sugar coat things because they bought them.

It takes a big man to try to steer people from buying something that they made a mistake in purchasing.

I have a B&M ripper. I love the gated approach. after driving my car for 17 years and 100,000 miles, I enjoy each shift now as much as I did when I first bought it 14 years ago... If it did not bring me any joy, I would simply replace it, I'm going to run out of life way before I run out of money.

Bill aka ET

On the other hand, maybe he doesn't like the feel of it because he didn't adjust it properly. I've installed several Hurst shifters, beginning back in the 70s. Installing it was one thing, but getting it adjusted "just right" was ALWAYS another, including their C-5 shifter.

Just my $0.02 worth........

Oh I am not questioning the fact that he may not have it adjusted properly. I am only stating that he has had a Negative experience with it, and is willing to say so... he didn't trash it and say he bought an XXX shifter and it's much better.

I'm only giving props to people who are willing to express their negative experiences.

Many years ago we had an offering here in this forum from Granatelli in the form of a throttle body for a C5.. It was around 2001 or 2002. many people bought into the hype, ( it would add 18 HP )saying how great it was.. ( many people )..

Other would say it was crap.... 180 degrees apart. After many before and after dyno reports ( Dyno showed a drop in HP of 5 to 8 HP over stock ). and about a year on the market, a Granatelli family member and spokesperson came into this forum and apologized for the design flaw in their product and offered a full refund to anyone who bought one. My point here is that those who said it was great were just fooling themself, and trying to add to the hype, and a confirmation that they could get others to buy what they bought.

Bill

Adjustment here is not the issue but thanks for calling me out on my ability to do such a simplistic task.

MANY people have come and gone, on this forum, who have complained about various aftermarket shifters not living up to their expectations. The first question that I, and a couple others, have asked, for instance, is "Have you set the neutral gate"?. This is met with, "What's that"???

While installing a C-5 shifter is somewhat easier, since you're not crawling around under the car, like the "good old days", there are still some "tricks" that will make sure that it works as well as intended. Hopefully, you're aware of them.....

Every shifter known to man has been bought by someone...the only way the op can determine for himself , which one suites him is to try them all.. go to a Corvette club meeting and see what you think. Most Corvette club members are eager to help.

I just purchased the MGW Flat Stick Short Throw Shifter today. Care to share with me what the tricks are to make it work well. Be nice to know before the install, I watched the MGW videos and seems pretty straight forward.

Thanks in advance :thumbs:

Mojo vett i just installed mine. Just follow that video and you'll be good. Im just giving my experience with the shifter so far. Im not trying to talk other people into buying the shifter because i bought it (Like some people think). Only put maybe 100 miles with the mgw shifter and i def notice my shifts being much faster. I wouldn't go back to my stock shifter. I love it. It does exactly what i bought it for. I picked the flat stick because its for every day driver and race. Is there better ones?? Who knows, Like evil twin says unless you meet with a car club and try other shifters.

make sure the clamp bolt is tight on the shift rod, run the shifter thru the gears before you put the boot back on and make sure there is no movement between the rod and clamp.

Like Butter :thumbs::thumbs::cheers::cheers:

Aka pounder is right check those and make sure the gas tank opens too before you close everything up. Aka were did you purchase the boot from? Good call on the white knob too, i think i like that better then my black one

the Shifter boot and E-brake boot and my console cover is from http://www.vetteessentials.com/instr...structions.htm The white knob matches my dash gauges, I went with a round knob since my high school days and just always felt right to me.

But do NOT overtorque. It is very easy to do. Use a torque wrench set for 22 LBFT. Same torque for the other two shifter box bolts as well.

Also, when the shifter is in the neutral position, make sure the hole in the clamp on the rod, lines up with the hole in the shift rod.

I have an '02 z06, already had a hurst shifter. Not crazy about the knob but the shift action seems notchy but short. I like it, but never drove stock so i can't judge. I do have a softer set of springs for it but the stiff feel is ok for me.

The shift knob can be changed. What one do you have now?

shifter
 

MGW is the ONLY one to get! I have had them all...nothing else comes close.

Shift knob is kind of ice cream cone shaped, black, has z06 emblem on top. It's stubby and has an odd feel.

A few weeks ago I finally had the chance to take the console off and look at what short throw the previous owner installed. Get the cover plate off and what do I see? Breathless Performance...... Never heard of the d@mn company.

It's pretty damn short, and VERY stiff. It feels like the lateral springs that center the shifter when it's in neutral are just overpowered. Getting it into reverse is pretty difficult, but not impossible.
It's so short and the side to side movement is so confined that you could put it in 1st, 3rd or 5th and I literally could not tell you which gear it's in just by looking.
1st through 4th gear? EASY PEASY. You'll never miss one of these shifts. The springs (or whatever keep it centered in neutral) are so strong that throwing this thing from 2nd to 3rd will NEVER fail. The problem comes with shifting 4th to 5th. Having to go up, and then against the spring action to move it up and right to 5th when you're full throttle and when the adrenaline is pumping is difficult. I've been doing somewhere around 100mph-ish in 4th (I'm guessing), and slammed it to 5th only to hear the revs SCREAM because I was actually in 3rd. I did this several times.

Now I anticipate it and take a little extra time to make sure it's actually moving to the right and locking into 5th. But there's always that slight hesitation I make when doing it where I'm afraid to let off the clutch to find that the rpms start to jump.

So that's my experience. EVERYONE, and I mean everyone that's driven my car immediately asked what was up with the shifter. I'm used to it now, and didn't realize how stiff it was until I met a guy with a stock '01 C5Z and checked his out. His felt like BUTTER. I still want to keep mine a short throw, but I may look at other options. I'll likely pull this one out and install another once I have some spare cash to blow on one and do more research for reviews on what's out there.
My honest review of the Breathless Performance short throw shifter is to stay away from it.

They (BPP) were a big supplier of Corvette and Mustang stuff, a number of years ago, maybe through 2009-2010. If I understood correctly, they close up shop several years back......at least I haven't heard of them in a while.

Never quite bought into the whole short shifter thing. It's all about force times distance. The short shifter is only a higher effort pivot point connected to a rod controlling the "shifter" that is inside the transmission. After trying a short shifter that came in my car, I went back to the stock one. Yes, you have to move it a litter further, but with less effort, plus you have more feedback on the positions, since they are further apart. You can pull the stick faster, which has the same effect. I'm usually waiting to get the clutch in and out at the correct moment on a fast shift anyway, which has much more travel than the shifter.

I have the old school ripper and I love it. Never a doubt when she is in gear.

I'm planning to buy an MGW soon, but I was wondering if getting the flat stick takes away too much of the length adjustability that comes with the offset shifter, or is the flat stick pretty well set for length/ease of shifts?

I had the original MGW and added the flat stick, it put my hand in a different position and made it shift better for me. The sign of a great shifter to is one you don't have to look at or think about, it just goes in the gear you want !!!

That my friend is ALL that matters. :rock::cheers:

Lots of MGW fans for sure.
The Hinson is very nice once its loosened up a bit.
Reverse is well secured with spring pressure.....

I checked out a Hurst shifter before I went from stock to one of the first Hinson shifters that they put out, and I absolutely love it. It IS difficult for a newb to get used to; and it is stiff.

But it's what belongs in this car, especially mine after the mods to 500+ HP.

I got the MGW and it was too stiff. It's adjustable, so I had the shop unscrew it a little to make it longer. The result is quite nice, the shifts are smoother than the stock shifter, but not as slick as I would like. The limiting issue is the transmission, and I'm not brave enough or rich enough to think about replacing it. The experience is good, the MGW is an improvement. It's not nirvana.

I have the Hinson withe the C6 handle and its true they are very stiff for the first couple of hundreds, but when it lessens up its a great shifter.

drive it a while it gets very good !!!