Lowering Your Gear-Shifter

I read some posts a while back about people trying to saw down and re-thread the gear shift because it seemed uncomforitable in it's stock position. In my 84 Alfa Romeo, the shifter seemed to be positioned much lower and easier to operate, so I know where people were coming from on this complaint. After installing my SECOND gear shift knob from Moss, my car came back from the paint shop with the knob broken off. The design of the knob is rather poor, with a splined aluminum sleeve glued into the wooden knob. Rather than simply buying yet another shifter knob, I removed the sleeve and pushed out the "MG" emblem from underneath. Using the existing nut on the gear selector shaft, I added a flat washer and put the shift knob on. I then added another flat washer and nut on top of the knob and "sandwiched" the wooden knob with the top nut recessed in the knob and tightened the bottom nut up to it. I then simply glued the "MG" emblem over the top nut. The end result is a much more positive feeling shifter which is approx. 2 inches lower than stock and the knob looks completely unaltered. Shifter is much easier and I've done nothing to alter the original shift lever.
As always, thank you everyone for all your help - just thought I'd give a little something back to the group.
Rob

I have been considering making up a knob from aluminum that would feel lower without altering the shifter length. Seems like this could be done by making a knob that has the threads in the top of the knob rather than the bottom like the stock knobs. Any thoughts?

Good idea - I may do that with my wooden knob. How noticable is the change in the throw?

Joe, I really think it made for quicker shifting. Also the leather boot seems to look better, I used to see part of the shaft and the bottom nut with the old set up.

Gerry, I was considering a new nob also, I only did this as a quick fix, and now I see no reason to change it.

I think you guys need to re-think this, you might have a marginally shorter throw, but you also have less leverage. It might feel quicker, but you're working harder to shift.

Gerry: Have you ever seen the shift knob from an old (1960's) Morgan? It is about 4 inches long, tapers from bottom to top (about 1" to 1-1/2"), has four "finger grooves" in it and - made of aluminium! It would be easy to make one on a lathe and if you bored most of the length to slip over the shift lever, with just threads near the top it would look and feel great. Let me know if you decide to try it - I might get you to make one for me!

Marty,

I have a shortened shift lever (about 1.5 inches) in my 1970 roadster. I love it. I have tried a stock length shifter and hated it. The short lever may be marginally harder to shift, but it is not even remotely too difficult. My shifter was already shortened when I got the car. If your transmission is in good shape, the increased leverage of the longer stock shifter is unneccessary.

I can shift from 1st-2nd or from 3rd-4th with just a flick of my wrist, or even by just moving my fingertips from straight out to folded under my hand.

I don't really care about the speed of my shifts. I seldom engage in speed-shifting anyway. I just think it is more comfortable and less work than the stock shifter.

Well, Paul, that is very interesting. I don't indulge in speed-shifting either, I just question if shortening the shift lever is worth the trouble.

If it makes the car more pleasurable to drive - do it.