Anyone have a pistol grip shifter on their c3 or use one?
 

I'm getting ready to order a Keisler RS400 transmission. I don't like the factory Corvette shifter as in the spring and fall its often below freezing in the mornings and the steel ball is too cold to the touch so I want to get a shifter with a plastic handle. Keisler offers a Chrysler style pistol grip shifter with plastic handles:

http://www.keislerauto.com/mopar/e-b...ypage_acc.html

I've held one and like the way it feels in my hand but I'm wondering how it is to actually shift in a car. It's 11 inches high, is it significantly taller than the factory shifter and thus a little awkward? Also one's hand only fits on the pistol grip shifter in one position so when shifting and the angle of the lever is changing one must bend one's wrist to row the gears whereas with a ball you can keep your wrist in the same position as the ball will just rotate in your hand as the shifter lever angle changes. Is it awkward to always be bending your wrist when shifting a pistol grip shifter or is the motion small enough that its not a concern?

I think that it would look out of place. It was really designed for larger cars with a higher seating position. I'm sure there are better alternatives out there for you.

I'm not concerned with it looking out of place, just how it shifts.

The pistol grip shifter works great as a tap for a Kegerator...not sure how it would do as a shifter. Besides, it is made of "chromed steel" somehow I think it will be just as cold as the shifter ball
http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/y...0106-00008.jpg

:cheers:

Andy

I thought about getting one cause I like the way they look,also it would piss off all my mopar friends :thumbs:

No, the grips are plastic, see the link I posted.

A member called "Motorhead" has one in his 80 vette. Search for posts by him and you will find it. :cheers:

I can't imagine that it would give you solid shifts because of the height. I have my hurst shifter off the car in the garage. I need to go measure the entire arm for you to see what the difference in height is. If I remember correctly, the hurst is a straight bar where this one is angled back which I would think would make it even more awkward in a vette shifting.

If you are just wanting a pistol grip, do a google search. There are several companies like hurst that make one that will replace the ball on your shifter probably giving you a more positive feel when ripping thru the gears. I used to just grab the vertical shifter bar and shift with my hand at that angle and it wasn't much different than using the ball.

Thanks for the link 7t2vette, I'll contact motorhead and ask him my questions.

Milo30, if you have the height of the factory Corvette shifter that would be a help. I'm buying a Keisler trans so I have to replace the factory shifter anyway. Keisler sells a reproduction Corvette shift handle that will bolt on the RS400, but it has the steel ball so I'm looking for something different. If the pistol grip shifter is problematic they've got a 7.5" hurst straight stick I might go with, but I think its a bit shorter than the Corvette shifter and I'm not sure I'd like that either.

I've looked at the keisler pistol grip shifter carefully and it looks like it would be in a comfortable position with a straight wrist when its in 2nd, 4th, and reverse, I just wonder about how it will feel feel when I shift to 1st, 3rd, or 5th when I have to lever it forward and cock my wrist downwards.

I'll try and remember to get the measurement for you tomorrow when I get home.:thumbs:

My buddies had them back in the day, 1 was a 73 340 cuda, the other a 71 superbee. I would not put it in a corvette. I actually like the stock leather ball shifter knob in my 92. I bought a hurst pro comp shifter and am using a white plastic ball on it in the 72 with the M20. Summer heat would make that metal ball about 200 degrees.

Much appreciated Milo30.

And why is that?

I'd leave the pistol grip for the mopar guys.

I wouldn't ;)

Corvettes seats are way low and the shift lever is already high in comparison to the "muscle cars" that used the pistol grip. I've had a lot of manual transmission cars. I find I palm my shifters. The corvette and especially the tranny you are considering dropping in is designed to be palmed not "grabbed". Look it up, many guys complained of missing shifts because they gripped there shifter. I don't, I open hand push the shifter forward from 2nd to 3rd. But hey its your car, do what you want.

The Corvette is designed to be palmed? I can entertain the idea that a trans might be better palmed, but I can't see how the car would matter to that in any way. I've always gripped my shifter and never had any problem with missing shifts. How would you suggest I "look it up"?

The way that you sit in relation to shifter height. I find myself grabbing the shifter ball in my other car that has a much higher seating position. I would also find it awkward to "grab" the shifter in the vette, especially if it was taller.
This is just personal preference, do what you think is most comfortable. You could also just get a leather shifter knob to keep the temps down.

PLEASE POST PHOTOS if you do actually use a straight period mopar shifter here as I was thinking of going for one myself down the line once I aquire a vette as I've always wanted to have a car with Kowalskis pistol grip WOOD shifter in it after seeing it in action in vanishing point on the 440 car in the begining.


and also if height becomes an issue they used the pistol grip shifter in the B body dodge charger as well and well its a tall sucker so it should be possibile to use that as a basis and cut it down to the proper height and angle it to match the angle of the vette shifter

at 5:19
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5uEGLWcj_E

and it looks like its already at an angle that looks somewhat similar to the vette shifter so I would imagine that it wouldnt be impossible to pull this off