ClubRoadster.net banner

Help on a Short Throw Shifter

16K views 48 replies 18 participants last post by  iRoadster 
#1 ·
Okay, so I've been looking around for the last couple of weeks on a short throw for the car (97 base, no mods).

As I understand it the options are:

C's
KG Works
Fidanza
Cobalt
Ralco RZ

Right so:

C's seems to really lower the shifter in the car (not something I want).

Fidanza has had some complaints or at least questions about the quality of the product. Things being more torn up than they should be after XX number of miles.

I can't find much on the Ralco or Cobalt shifters, anyone have any thoughts or experience with these?

Which leaves KG Works. Now The people that have installed it seem to be very very happy with it, despite the installation instructions being in Japanese, which will make my life a living hell. Also I know that RSpeed used to carry these, but I don't currently see them on the website. Where do you find this thing?

A little help CR?
 
See less See more
#4 ·
Yeah that's why I included it on the list, but I haven't heard any feedback, in fact goodwin's forum turned up 0 hits on the Ralco.

I've had the Fidanza one in my car for more than a year with no complaints. It was only like $60 shipped. All I can say for this is have an extra pivot bushing available. I got a couple OEM ones off eBay for like $5-6 each. The one the kit comes with sucks and so I tried to reuse the old OEM one. It had cracked when I put it on and the extra movement from that chewed up the plastic part on the guide of the fulcrum ball that keeps the shifter centered. After I put a new bushing on the bottom of it the problem went away and have been problem free ever since.
I'll keep that in mind if I end up going with a Fidanza.
 
#3 ·
I've had the Fidanza one in my car for more than a year with no complaints. It was only like $60 shipped. All I can say for this is have an extra pivot bushing available. I got a couple OEM ones off eBay for like $5-6 each. The one the kit comes with sucks and so I tried to reuse the old OEM one. It had cracked when I put it on and the extra movement from that chewed up the plastic part on the guide of the fulcrum ball that keeps the shifter centered. After I put a new bushing on the bottom of it the problem went away and have been problem free ever since.
 
#5 · (Edited)
#6 ·
If you haven't already, read through these. Yes, it is m.net, but there is some good insight in some of these reviews.
http://www.miata.net/products/perform/index.html
And didn't ClubRoadster (at least at one time) have a list of "Definitive Short Throw Shift Kits?"
 
#8 ·
If you haven't already, read through these. Yes, it is m.net, but there is some good insight in some of these reviews.
http://www.miata.net/products/perform/index.html
And didn't ClubRoadster (at least at one time) have a list of "Definitive Short Throw Shift Kits?"
I read through some of them, the Moss kit is the Cobalt kit sold by goodwin that I took a look at.

I suppose I might play guinea pig on the Ralco RZ unit. For $70 if it sucks I'll just hold on to my OE kit and reinstall it if the other takes a ****.

Does anyone know where to get a KG works/have any more info on this kit? I hear rave reviews but can't find one that's not in Japan.
 
#16 ·
#20 ·
I'm pretty sure the Fidanza, Ralco Rz, and all the cheap ones on Ebay are all the same. I bought a Fidanza one and it came in a blank cardboard box with a Fidanza sticker stuck on the outside which leads me to believe they just buy the cheap Chinese ones and throw their name on it. I'm happy with the Fidanza but I did change both bushings with oem ones because the ones that do come with it look like they would last you about 2 miles.
 
#24 ·
If I may be contrary for a moment - is there really any point to a short shifter in a Miata? The throws are already much shorter than any other car a "short shift kit" is typically installed in, and they feel fantastic. I've never had any trouble getting from one gear to another in a hurry with the stock shifter.
 
#25 ·
I agree. But I really liked the extra mechanical feel of the KG I had in my 96 and 99...and if you close your eyes you can almost pretend it's like having a sequential shifter lulz. I wouldn't mind trying one out with my 6spd, but I wouldn't be expecting any performance gains...just a solid feel to the shifts.......and for when people ask if I have a short shifter, I can blow their minds with /75" gear shifts.

Seriously, does anyone else ever get "other" car owners that constantly ask if your stock shifter is a short shifter? I hear it on a regular basis when someone looks in my car....it's always the same "damn! is that a short shifter? man that thing is short!". Usually I want to laugh, but I just politely reply "no, it's stock".
 
#36 ·
No joke. It's a WWF Smackdown up in this bitch!
 
#44 · (Edited)
UPDATE:

Aaaaaaaalright, so the Ralco RZ shifter got here yesterday and I went and installed it today.
Like it was mentioned before, the unit comes in a pretty suspicious white box with the branding being a mere decal. The shifter itself looked pretty nice and shinny, and at least the bag it came in was sealed and the bolts came in a little ziploc bag.

1st issue: The instructions manual: There is no instructions manual.
This is the little tip they give you on the included black and white sheet: "Follow the manufacturer's manual" ....riiight, I hope they dont mean the OEM one cause the unit is nothing like the stock unit.
Well, since the whole thing was pretty much assembled, or so I thought, I went and tried to install the parts in the order they had arrived, just to find that this wouldn't work at all XD. Luckily miata.net redeemed itself again and I found a link to Moss' more expensive (VERY) short shifter which looked just like mine.....

....except for a few pieces issue numero 2. The shifter requires you to reuse the lower nylon bushing on the turret, and it's also missing the top cap with a mini shifter boot that covers the top of the assembly before you silde in the big boot (I couldnt take the one from the stock shifter so I had to skip this one).

Issue#3: Not plug n' play. I had to trim a few pieces for them to fit. I would've given up hadnt it been for some guy on m.net suggesting to grind off some of a pin that prevents the shifter from spinning. I also had to trim the top bushing for the ball section so it could clear the bigger pin.

The shifter now sits a bit higher, but the throws are much much shorter:


You Get What You Pay For. This is pretty much a cheap knockoff of the 250$ units thus the missing pieces and the required trimming. I'll be doing a test drive later tonight and I'll update with the results.
 
#45 ·
And I'm back from the drive. Holy jesus christ on a shifter it felt nice. Wasn't expecting the results after reading people on m.net saying this thing made the shifts worse and notchy, but my only guess is that they didnt trim the pieces right or they didnt lube the parts on the shifter.
The biggest difference in throw is to the sides, but altogether the effort for shifting has gone waaay down motion and strength wise.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top