87transam5.7tpi

I'm going to buy a rachet shifter, and searched the boards and read but I haven't heard anything as far as comparisions go, just good and bads about both. any help would be great. thanks!

CraZ-28

My personal opinion is that I don't like the V-matic.

1. as far as I know, it will not fit the console.
2. to use it as a ratchet shifter you have to put it in nuetral , push down and pull back.
3. if your in normal mode, all you have to do is pull back and and you can go from drive to first.

Unless they've changed the design this is how it was as of 7 years ago. Like I said though, this is my personal opinion.

Mark A Shields

I've had my Megashifter for over a yr and love it.

laiky

i installed a megashifter a while back for a friend, i thought it was a clumsy piece of crap. While that might have changed, i would reccomend a hurst quarter stick, its a great piece.

GarageToys

iTrader: (6)

I bought a used megashifter (which might be the problem), and it is a real pain. Since my console is not in my car yet, and the indicator lens is missing (and I don't think they have one for the 3-spd auto in my car anyway), it's difficult to find the gears. On the plus side, my wife has no idea how to even get it out of park, so I know the car will always be sitting right where I left it.

mat89RS

I have the V-Matic, it works very well, Ratchet is much much better then my firend B&M megashifter. Mine came with a heavy duty transmission cable which is like 4 feets. I had to make my own console plate out of aluminum.

The installation was hard since I had to use 2 1/2 inch spacer.

87transam5.7tpi

that plate looks good, do you have a mold or something that you could make another one? I'd pay for it, just wondering cause that looks good. also if you have any more pics I'd like em if you get time. thanks

Josh

TomP

I've had the B&M shifter on my car since '97. Only problems? I had to replace my reverse light microswitch in 2000, and I just replaced the shifter cable a few weeks ago. I had no problem installing it, no problem hooking up the wires (yes I used the relay), no problem aligning the shift cable to the transmission. It's a sturdy shifter, how is it flimsy?

I think the people who had problems with the shifter probably didn't read/follow the instructions, and installed it wrong. Hell, B&M even has a tech line you can call! The shifter installation isn't rocket science.

Know one problem that nobody can solve? Aligning the shift cable to the trans. It's not technically hard at all, but it involves a lot of "get in the car, shift, get under the car, adjust cable". You do that for every gear. It's better to do it twice for every gear. But I guess it's too hard for people to do... too annoying, maybe? Beats me.

Oh and 383, they do make a 3-speed indicator plate. It comes with the shifter; I'm sure if you visit their website or call them, you can buy a replacement... probably get a part #, then buy it from Summit Racing.

mat89RS

I can take more pictures, I'll reply tommorow with it.

As for the plate my dad made it with a sheet metal slicer. I couldn't really get another one altought I can take mesurement and make a draft.

Ratstix

forgive my ignorance, but whats the point of putting a shifter on an automatic? what does it change?

TomP

You can shift an automatic car manually, usually to keep the engine in it's powerband. Plus with the 700r4, line pressure (internal fluid pressure) is nearly doubled if the stick is in 1st or 2nd, so it gives a bit of a firmer shift.

The ratchet shifter prevents someone who's shifting from missing a gear, or worse, going into neutral or reverse, or going into 1st gear at 50 mph when they really wanted 2nd. You don't really get any bonus performance from the shifter, just accurancy. The shifter has it's own mechanism, but with the stock shifter, most of the "clicks" you feel are coming from the tranny's shift mechanism. The stock shifter has detents that the shift button operates, and that's it. The Megashifter (and I assume the Hurst) has internal stops for each gear. Know what I mean? There's no stops on the stock shifter- the stops you feel are from the stops inside the trans.

That's why you need to align the Megashifter's shift cable to the trans. Both pieces have stops inside them. If you ever swap shifters, unhook the shift cable from your stock shifter, and the handle will flop around very loosely.

Ratstix

coo, i understand now. thanx man.

larsulrik1

I noticed Summit sells a specific BM Megashifter for 82-92 Camaros. Is it meant to fit exactly where you remove the shifter plate and oem shifter without fabrication?

chevyguy1969

iTrader: (7)

Hey Lars, the specific shifter for our cars still requires you to cut the ash tray off your stock shifter plate. A friend of mine has one on his car and the shifter comes with a replacement shifter plate but it is not colored or textured the same as what the stock console it. My friend is taking his out and putting the stock one back in. His is complete with everything ready to install and he will be selling it. He is asking $125 for it. Plus, you would get to keep your stock shifter plate in case you ever wanted to go back to it.

TomP

Chevyguy, he had to cut the ashtray? My shifter fit perfectly between the top of my power window switches, and the bottom of the ashtray button. I cut the console lid with a cutting tip on a gun-style electric soldering iron, and stunk up the basement for a week.

SpeedCat86

Tom and Chevyguy: I think the clearance issues are with the earlier Camaros. Firebirds have a slightly different console top plate.

Ratstix: you get one of these shifters because they look and feel bad-a$$ to use. Besides, of course, the accuracy stuff.

TomP

Makes sense, speedcat. I have the Firebird plate, that's why I had to cut mine. But 82-84 Firebird consoles are exactly like the Camaro consoles, with the hex screws...

jocww

get a stick and learn how to drive like real men and boyz dont be a ***** and drive a auto unless u drag race it then its a good choice but for street use get a manual and race da **** out of it :nono: :nono: to the auto :hail: :hail: the manual

Fast3rdGen

i have a full manual th400 turbo does that count? i drag race it all the time be it at the track or at the next stop light by another muscle car. granted i know you have to be really skilled with a stick...but it's just too much room for errors and broken parts. i know guys that can't drive my car as fast as i can. so obviously there has to be some skill required to shift an automatic when you want to....i know my car very well but so do my buddies because they have helped me build it and have driven it quite a bit. so much for being a real man and goin with a stick

Blackroc86

Why did he have to cut the ashtray. I put a Megashifter in my 86 Iroc and it doesn't go anywhere near the ashtray. It wasn't hard to install and looks like it belongs there.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I had a megashifter. I hated that worthless piece of crap. If I didn't switch to a 5 speed I would have put the stock shifter back in. The shifter itself isn't bad, but their adaptation to the thirdgen platform was a sad attempt at engineering.

There's no reason why the shifter couldn't bolt in directly to the stock shifter's mounts.

There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to use the stock cable instead of their piece of crap that was cracked right out of the box.

There's no reason why they can't supply a new console insert instead of requiring you to hack your stock one.

There's no reason why they couldn't remove the metal tab off the shifter linkage that made my whole center console bounce every time I downshifted.

There's no reason why they can't use a rubber boot that doesn't crack within 3,000 miles dispite being garaged all day long.

There's no reason why they can't include a harness adapter instead of requiring you to either fab one like I did, or chop up your stock wiring.

There's no reason why they can't include the relays and pre wire them into the harness adapter that they didn't provide. Hell... at least include the relays!

There's no reason why they can't make a handle that doesn't come loose constantly.

Junk.

Fast3rdGen

my cable wasn't and still isn't cracked 2 years later, my console doesn't bounce when i shift, i needed no relays to wire anything just make 2 splices and my **** has NEVER come loose a single time.....maybe you got one that was built on a friday

Blackroc86

I am with Fast3rdGen on this one. I have had my Megashifter for a couple of years and don't have any of the problems mentioned in the earlier post. Not saying it is the best but it works for me.

SpeedCat86

Jim85Iroc: I'm sure B&M could market a Mega shifter that has everything included to be a 'plug&play fit in to your car. The problem is two-fold: It would cost more money to manufacture all the Third-gen Specific parts. Right now, the console model we all use costs the same as the Universal model. Would you be willing to spend, say $200 for the direct-fit, or pay 50 bucks less and do some 7-th Grade Shop Class -level fabrication on your own? I agree it's silly to have to drill some holes a couple inches away from the stock ones, but it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Also, I'm willing to wager that the console plate in your Iroc is quite different from the one in my T/A. It doesn't make sense to make top plates for every Thirdgen console, there's too many. I dunno about the Camaro console, but the plate in the T/A is one piece, from the armrest to the ashtray. It includes the ashtray, and my window and mirror controls. that's a big, expensive piece for B&M to come up with, hence, we just get the small shift boot plate.

Like I said, they could make a 'plug-&-Play' model, but how much would you be willing to pay for it?

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I'd pay extra if it overcame the shortcomings I addressed. I agree that it would cost a fortune to make an entirely new firebird console, but the camaro console is a small piece that Hurst includes with their shifter.

Right after I bought mine I found a ton of people that had the same complaints as me. Now everybody seems to love the shifter. Maybe they made changes, I don't know.