GC996

^^^This

parris

I have this one https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/99742498300.html and super happy with it

997 regular shifter is only 15% shorter than regular 996

shft22

I did this as well and I am happy with it, it was cheap enough that I figured I tried and if I didn't like I would go back to the 997 shifter I had on before.

I also changed the transmission and engine mounts, can't tell if this helped with the shifting, but it sure helped with the car handling.

OlderSlower

I also love my Numeric Racing short shifter and cables. HUGE difference with a "mechanical" feel. Mine is smoother after some break in miles. YMMV.

Ben8jam

There's a ton of info on motor mounts, and choiuce from OEM to solid, to diy semi solid. I went OEM from pelican parts. About $300 i think?

I am new to wrenching and it wasn't hard. Lots of videos avail with step by step. I will note one important thing. While you CAN do the entire work without putting the car on jack stands, you must still jack up the engine far more than those who DO use jack stands. There's a long debate in a thread I posted about the experience, and some who said my theory was incorrect, but I've since validated it as true.

When you disconnect the engine mounts, you are essentially removing about 400lbs from the suspension sag, so the car will go UP even though your engine stays in one place. So putting the mounts back on will require jacking the engine UP into the chassis. And the car can whack you in the face if you're not careful as it moves upward from the force of the suspension.

So ideally use jack-stands and simply support the weight of the engine, otherwise you have to jack the engine up more than you would expect before you remove the old mounts.

The new mounts realigned my sagging exhaust tips upward about 2-3". Well worth the money on parts, and a good first time experience.

Mr.Mike111

Thanks everyone for the input! What an awesome community on here, definitely gave me a lot to look into.

Cheers.

996C438

Here is an example of an aftermarket shifter upgrades . Ben ( the manufacturer ) was a Porsche tech and started making short shifters . The business grew from grassroots to him moving to Europe . Uniwerks is the US distributor of his parts/kits . Great to deal with .

But there are several good aftermarket solutions out there . Do your homework and buy what you think is best for you .

https://www.uniwerksdesign.com/porsche-shifter-parts/

wdb

Be aware that Numeric Racing cables bring a fair amount of noise into the cabin. It was too much for me even after trying multiple sound deadening solutions. I took them out and put a fresh set of factory cables/ends in the car. That plus the Shift Right kit and I think the lever/cable action is about as good as it is going to get.

dan_189

Numeric + cables in mine as well as semi solid 964RS engine mounts + yellow transmission inserts... perfect

As for the cable noise I don't mind it however there is cable insulation you can get to resolve that.

wdb

The insulation reduced the noise but did not eliminate it.

dan_189

Can't win them all, better shifting and some noise or standard cables and no noise.

GC996

Yeah, defining what you want in a shifter is critical.

Bet there are alot of guys that think they want a short shifter, but all they really want is to tighten up the motion and make sure it's more precise. Metal internals and new shifting cables may do the trick. Others may want more so they go with a numeric or CAE. It's personal.

I still have my original shifter after 21 years with lots of track miles. Shifting is a rhythm and balancing act. Especially on the track. Never wanted to mess it up with a short shifter. The oem shifter moves plenty fast when you need it to.

But there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about a CAE which is a work of art and a numeric which is as well. Hoping to be able to test both sometime in the future. Until then, I'll probably replace my 21 year old plastic bits with metal.

c didy

how effective is it to replace shifter ends vs. replacing shifter cables?

e30rapidic

I did the FunctionFirst shifter rebuild and cable end kit. I swapped the shifter parts out first and was quite happy with the amount of slop that was removed. A few weeks later, I finished the kit and replaced the transmission cable ends. I'd venture say I have about 1-2mm of movement in the shifter now....but they are the original cables with 80K on them.

I'm totally happy with it and have no plans to change..

Atgani

997.2 GT3/RS shifter is a good (though now expensive) upgrade.
Personally I’d go with a stock 997 shifter, take the alleged 15% decrease in shifter travel, and add a Function First upgrade kit.
As others have said, motor mounts, transmission mounts, shift cables and transmission fluid all need to in tip top condition before attempting a short shift.