Was wondering about the B&M shifters I've seen in pics of cars on the boards. Other than look cool, what do they do for the tranny? Will the shifter and the TransGo kit make a real difference on performance. Anyone with another brand of Auto shifter? I've seen the B&M "Ripper" in auto parts stores and the box claims its not a ratchet shifter but performs like one. What's the difference?

My stock shifter is worn and becoming difficult to distinguish what gear I'm in (i.e. easily slips fore and aft depending on how fast you want to shift).

Also, if i were to install an aftermarket shifter, do I have to get the manual console, or cut my auto console or neither? How easy are they to install?

I haven't found a definitive thread on this topic so if I'm mistaken, point me to the thread I am searching for.

 

The shifter has no real operation to the tranny. If the tranny is in poor condition then a shifter isn't going to fix it.

The stock shifter is very sloppy. There's no real firm detent between the shifts. With an aftermarket shifter you know exactly what gear it's in by the feel of the shifter. Ratchet shifters like the B&M Megashifter allow you to manually shift through the gears without having to worry about moving the shifter too far or between gears. Or you can just ratchet it to D and drive around like normal letting the tranny do the shifting.

The B&M Megashifter has a model specific for third gen consoles. It fits right where the stock shifter is mounted and when installed it will look like a factory installation.

 

Well, my transmission is not bad. I bought the car about 2 months ago and it has 128,000 miles on it. Looking under the car, I'd say that is actual for all components. I was looking for better performance from my tranny. As I've said before, I've seen them in stores before and wondered if they did anything performance-wise. I heartily agree that the stock shifter, while nicely leather-wrapped (or is it vinyl in an 88 T/A?) is very sloppy and hard to discern whether I'm in OD, D, or N when I shift from P.

So with a ratchet shifter I can semi-manual shift the car? Well at least there is one that fits the stock opening in the console.

Does anyone use another brand of shifter (auto only, please), or is there any other brands on the market that offer aftermarket shifters?

 

The b&m does not fit the stock opening. you still have to cut a bigger hole. There is a plate that looks like the molding in out third gens that you have to put over the new hole. It has the star bit screws and looks pretty sweet.

I did a lot of research, and the b&m is the best shifter. I installed it with no problems, and I have had it 6 or 7 months with no complaints.

It is a necessity if you are going to race.

oh yeah, only get the megashifter, not star or the ripper.

 

the best shifter i've ever had or used is the quarter stick, not sure if the make it for a 700r4. i have one in my 85 and it's fool proof, soemthing i need.

 

The shifter itself is awesome, but the installation was a PITA. My mechanic who installed it for me had a heck of a time with the installation, he had to do all kinds of modifications to the base plate. There were other issues as well like missing screws & the illustration for the instructions was missing. Other than that, the shifter is great.