Skip to main content

Reply to "Beck shifter and ebrake"

I've long been pondering what you're pondering, and I agree with @DannyP: the original style long shaft shifter would be a step backward from the cable shifter.

By the way, what brand of cable shifter is that?

I ask because, looking at it, I can see several possible ways to make it more like what you want it to be. The first way is to replace the stick with something that looks more like what 550s had. You want an 11-inch tall stick, skinny as possible, with like a 10mm thread pitch on top, Bonus points if its tapered or swaged.

I just replaced my Brandwood stick with an old VW lever and a proper Spyderish shift knob. Looks the part and still works like the nice cable shifter it is.

IMG_E9459

Since the stock cable shifter is a sleeved device with a pull-up handle & etc, the thing to do at when replacing it is make a flip-over reverse lock-out. It's just a thumb-shaped bit of flat steel welded to a hinge. I welded mine to the box but could have stopped at screws. That reverse flip-over thing also makes it look more right.

The big problem with the Brandwood box is it's too high. I did considerable surgery to lower it, but it's still about 1.5 inches taller than an original Spyder shift box. And it has to be, because the pickup for the fore/aft cable attaches about 3 inches above the pivot point on the shaft, in order to get the necessary "pull" on the cable to move the shift rod at the back of the transaxle.

That height is important to this project. Because to put the E-brake on the shifter's left, you first have to move the shifter to the right, and adjust the position of the passenger seat to accommodate it.

I think this can be done with the shifter on your car. Because the second thing I see in your rig is a bit of room under the bottom of the shift lever. If I were doing what you're pondering, I would look at modifying that bracketry to lower the stick so its pivot point is on the floor. Given how your shifter and cables appear to be integrated with the car, this is going to be a little bit involved. But very doable and still a lot less work and trouble than trying to swap in a different type of shifter.

Once the shifter is slid over about 3 inches you'll have the space for the Fibersteel or Vintage Speed 550-style hand brake. It comes with a plate with the right sized tubing nubbed on.

But you can't just weld that plate in and strap in the new handle if you want it in the correct spot.

Because the part is not a perfect replica of an original 550 handle (it's better, functionally) and was made to be installed basically upright in front of the passenger seat, to make it work in the proper 550 position you need to mod the handle bracket to get it to lay down low enough that your right leg won't be bothered by it. That means nipping the last hole off the bottom of the lever where the cables attach, and then bending the front "foot" about 3/4 of an inch at a right angle, and drilling that new tab for another bolt to secure it to the floor. 

That takes it from this

to this:

Which is where it needs to be to look and work right in the "correct" position.

Hope this helps.

Attachments

Images (1)
  • IMG_E9459
×
×
×
×
×