Musings on cable shifters and "lack of involvement"
#1
Musings on cable shifters and "lack of involvement"
I have often pondered why some cars seem numb to me and others make you feel intimately connected to the machine. Some of the cars I have driven that have great feedback would be the old early 90's Acura Integra, and E36M3. Some of the poorest would be almost any GM car, and any recent Volvo.
I have heard people complain about the 997tt and then rave on the 997Gt3. I have owned both and can say the Gt3 is more involving mainly thru the steering input, the stiff suspension, and thru the exhaust wail. It is otherwise pretty similar. I now have added a 993tt and am noticing a great deal of feedback coming from the shifter itself. The 993tt shifter is a mechanical linkage with shift forks, whereas the 997's (and 996's) all use a cable linkage. The 993 linkage transfers a fair amount of drivetrain vibration to the shift ****, which gives the driver more tactile input of the rpms, synchros and gears meshing, etc. The cable linkage feels pretty dead by comparison. I think this is no small factor in some of the isolation that some enthusiasts complain about.
I have heard people complain about the 997tt and then rave on the 997Gt3. I have owned both and can say the Gt3 is more involving mainly thru the steering input, the stiff suspension, and thru the exhaust wail. It is otherwise pretty similar. I now have added a 993tt and am noticing a great deal of feedback coming from the shifter itself. The 993tt shifter is a mechanical linkage with shift forks, whereas the 997's (and 996's) all use a cable linkage. The 993 linkage transfers a fair amount of drivetrain vibration to the shift ****, which gives the driver more tactile input of the rpms, synchros and gears meshing, etc. The cable linkage feels pretty dead by comparison. I think this is no small factor in some of the isolation that some enthusiasts complain about.
#2
short throw shifters have to be the #1 first mod, they add driver communication and well as shorter throws. I can't recall much diff between my 996tt and 993tt shifters, maybe I'm getting old....lol
#3
can anyone help me out...what would i need to do to get the short throw put in at the dealership? Just go in and say, give me the short shifter? Or do i need to order all kinds of weird parts and do it myself?
#4
I got the B&M SS, absolutely love it! Really brings out the race car feel along with a aftermarket exhaust transforms the car into a whole new beast. I just bought mine at bumperplugs and got it installed at my body shop.
#6
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BTW - no weird parts needed!
#7
To each his own, I consider the slop and vibration on my 993 as unrefined feeling more than feedback. I think the SSK on the 997 is just the right amount of throw and heft. But I will say that the direct shifter on my old S2000 was probably the best feeling stock shifter I've ever tried.
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#9
So Porsche sells a kit for after-the-fact decisions like this?
#10
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[QUOTE=StickShift964;5009732]we had a 997t for a weekend that had the Short Throw option, i enjoyed it more then the regular setup on ours.
So Porsche sells a kit for after-the-fact decisions like this?[/QUOTE]
Yes, Porsche does have one available. However, Porsche calls it a SPORT shifter rather than a SHORT shifter. It is option code XCZ, but, unfortunately, I do not have a Porsche part number for the Sport Shifter.
So Porsche sells a kit for after-the-fact decisions like this?[/QUOTE]
Yes, Porsche does have one available. However, Porsche calls it a SPORT shifter rather than a SHORT shifter. It is option code XCZ, but, unfortunately, I do not have a Porsche part number for the Sport Shifter.
#11