The Cal-look Lounge

I need to change my trusty GB6770 for a 40%(or less) shifter.

What´s your preferred high quality shifter today? Berg and CSP seems like the obvious choice?

You cant go worng with a Berg,Bugpack are real good as well,many interchangerble parts with the bergs ;) so same quality,CSP seem real good,only recently starting using one and happy with it so far,and we have some nice LTD edition LHD Gasser garage CSP shifter for sale ;D


See here


http://www.rjvolksperformance.com/performance-parts.html

 ;D

cheers Richie

You´re a snake in the grass Richie!  :D

I dont know what you mean :D

Somebody got experience on the flat 4 (eliminator) shifter, I never got around adjusting it the right way...
there is allways one gear that isn t shifting right. :'(

So far I only had; stock, stock w/short throw adaptor, generic old Bugpack, Scat angled, Berg 40% and Berg 60% throw shifters.  As of now I only have the Berg Shifters installed.  I have a few more Berg shifters and a couple of Scat shifters on the shelf.  I never experienced any problems with the Berg or Scat shifters.  But read about the mod for the Scat shifters, I plan on doing this sometime whenever I get motivated.

http://bug-tech.de/
I have one and it's got a really short throw!  62% shorter.     The other thing I like about it is how tall it is.   It sits just in the right place for your hand.
Also, there is no faffing about trying to situate it correctly.  You just bolt it down and it works!. 
You can get them in the UK from Hayburner.    I cannot reccomend it enough.   

(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/stevepugh4277/VW/Bug-Tech/IMG_1622.jpg)

What I can reccomend is to never get a Scat...

X2

thats beautiful!

interesting. always wanted a taller shifter since i am not that tall.  ;D

how do you get into reverse? i read from the page, it says "counter pressure"?

X3

(http://www.abload.de/img/img_8947smallgua4h.jpg) (http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=img_8947smallgua4h.jpg)

I agree I have one and must say the quality is spot on. To shift into reverse you apply more pressure to overcome the spring loaded bar that you can see. A cool shifter, but otherwise the Berg shifters are great, CSP ones look good too, but I haven't ever tested one so cannot really comment.

yeah the Bug-Tech is super simple.  The bar along the side is sprung.  and so you just press the gear lever left and that's it.  No more accidently going into reverse instead of second.
I got nothing but "Get a berg" but I had a scat T and it was dog poo. And whilst I know the Berg is the tried and tested, it just looked too similar and I was "been there done that style".  Plus they are all too short.
This is just that little bit different and it shifts like a dream.
It's beautifully built and you can have it in almost any colour you like.  I went for the mix of polished Ali adn Black Powdercoat.   
It's nice to see others have done the same.
I think JagerBug rocked a Bug-Tech too.  (Where is this car? )

Anyone at Big Bang is welcome to come and have a look at mine and shift away.     
This is it next to a stock shifter.   
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q62/stevepugh4277/VW/Bug-Tech/IMG_1621.jpg)

I've got a Scat in my street car and it's not great, certainly no better than the stock GT Beetle jobbie with plastic quick-shift kit that it replaced. Who knows, it might be better if it had a RHD handle...
I had a stock curved shifter with a lovely old walnut knob in the old race car and people who saw the in-car video couldn't believe how fast it shifted - just a metal quick-shift kit and that was it. The knob fell perfectly to hand when I was sat in the car, it just worked for me.
I've got a Berg for the new race car but haven't used it yet - bought the shifter off one Lounger and the handle off another and still need to order a new button and set screws from Bergs as they're missing.
I did have an Empi/Mr Bug shifter in my Ghia and it was basically a rip off of the Berg, it looked so similar it was scary. Nicely made and beautiful action too, not like the square shaft ones you get now - they're clunky and not that comfortable.
If I had one of the Bug-Tech ones I'd have to have a leather boot for it - I'd keep catching my fingers or dropping stuff inside the tunnel...

I used scat, berg and bugpack ones. Out of the box berg is better, scat shifter needs some adjusting and bending of one of those inner tabs (1st and 2nd bump stop/slider tab). If done correctly it shifts nicely (I instaled them on 5 different cars, it allways worked ok after some fettling with it). And scats price is good...
Bugpack shifter works great, quality is ok but in order for it to work right everything needs to be in good condition - rubber bushing inside the tunnel, rubber coupling on the gearbox).

This depends on your criteria for a good shifter Johnny.
We all know its just a pivot point placed on a short steel tube.
Is it how little resistance is needed to move 45° thru a full sweep... like 2. to 3.? That can be tested.
Is it about the force deliverance to the syncros? In other words how much force is lost in bending the shifter or mounts? In that case the Bug-Tech is fantastic, I have driven a car with this shifter for some hours, I can only compare it with the feeling you get when you are trying to loosen a fencepost. Solid. This stiffness can also be measured scientifically I guess.

But if you are looking for the shifter with the best mojo... which heals broken parts and adjusts itself you are on your own... ;)

may not be as "strong" as Bug-tech, Berg or CSP, but my personal fav would be either Berg or rebuilt Hurst with new blocks and Bruce's racer plate. these are the only 2 shifters i have ever used.

i just received this back 2 days ago.

(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/shifters%20and%20such/P1080718_zps95d101be.jpg)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/shifters%20and%20such/image2_zps5b965cd0.jpeg)

(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee440/pupjoint4/shifters%20and%20such/shifterA_zps53aa5011.jpg)

From an engineering standpoint the Bug-Tech shifter looks fantastic. For a race car where form follows function, it is probably perfect. It definitely wouldn't fit into most cal lookers from the visual standpoint though.
In my opinion, Berg shifters are terrific, especially with the more ergonomic finger grip handle. I've used the knock offs, but I wouldn't have one in my own car. DDS is good, but a bit dainty. Original Hurst trigger shifters are close behind Berg (the plastic "boot" is rubbish but I came up with a fix for that :)). I was pleasantly surprised by how easy to use and how positive the feel was on my old GTV with the E-Z-R, basically a stock late model shifter with a shift kit. Very solid feel, very easy to use reverse, but you'd probably want something with a bit beefier feel for a racer. The Hurst Indy in my old Fastback was awful, but to be fair I'm sure the shift rod bushing and coupler had seen much better days. EMPI Eliminator isn't any better. Scat Drag Fasts are junk! The black mamba (I think it was called??) had a great feel, but my lord is it hideous.

These are my issues.  They work great IF you can get them set up...  I'd dread to set one up on a Bus...  The SCAT DRAG FAST should be called the DRAG YOU DOWN... 
the tab issue only works if the tab is long enough.  Otherwise you bend it and it is then effectively shorter and misses the stop all together.  
2nd, I have had the little ball/tab that slides against the stop plate, wear off so many times and had to weld in a new one.   Yes it is priced cheap, but then it's made cheap.  The rivets come loose and the square nylon portion moves about and you could fix it with nut/bolts.  You could extend/weld the tab.  Then you end up filing out the holes for more adjustment...  the list goes on, and it's not one fix for all.  it's different for each one.  Like it was made my children.   the empi is just the same (with a different badge.. probably from the same factory...)     Why is there a thread on most forums on "How to fix your scat".    

i don't like the fact i have to spend £80 on a product that looks really nice only to find that if I'm not a welder/fabricator, I need to pay one to fix it.  And by the time I've got that frustrated, I wish I'd just bought a decent one.     "step 1. Buy a brand new product.. Then fix the thing that should be fixed by the factory because it's a well known issue...".  No thanks....

For the middle part of last season I actually sold the Scat and fitted a stock shifter with a Crappy short shift plate and it shifted 1000 times better than the Korean Scat..
(I recon the early USA ones were probably ok...)
Then I fitted the Bug-Tech and scored my Personal Best.  

For cost, I think if you can't stretch to a Bug-Tech, or a Berg, then the CSP stuff gets pretty good reviews.   kinda half way there.  

I just wanted something different.   Less Cliche than the Berg.   Had the Bug-Tech not been about, I'd have a Berg.  It's proven.  
But there are no slotted holes in the base of the Bug-Tech.   you just bolt it down and go...   Awesome.    
Also the factory will take it back and rebuild it if it was to wear out.  
you can customise every tiny bit of it from one cross bar to the spring colours and make it your own.

I just wish it had a hole up the shaft so a wire could be run from a button on the shift knob.   running a wire down the shaft would ruin it's looks.

My son and I both use the BUGPACK Shift Right Shifters in both of our cars, best bang for the buck.

Old hurst falls to hand just right for me. I have a first gen berg in the cabinet to restore that was the right price (I love the way they look), but I really like the way the hurst feels (for me).

x2  ;D

The Hurst would be my second choice, they do work very well.

It is where my hand wants to be. I also prefer a ball handle(laugh it up!)

 ;D

Yup - we have one of the first Bug Tech shifters - I also have a custom 'shorty' for my buggy

The Jagerbug is 'resting' in my workshop at the moment - however I will be out in it at EBI  ;D

Jon, you crack me up...  ;D

I need a 40% or less shifter because of the clutchless gears in my new box. I was recommended to use a stock shifter with it like they do in the Finnish Rallye series. I would not change my 60% Berg unless I needed to, as I just love it.

I might go for a Berg 6710EB as it looks now.

what do they do to it? or literly just run a stock shifter?

Perhaps Jussi can comment, but I do believe they run it without any mods.

a snake is leggless meat... grass is vegetarian meat.


anyway i have to say that the hurst shifter feels very solid and shifts really good. i always thought the berg one (60%) was too 'tight' and therefore went with the hurst and never regretted that. it sits higher as well, what i found better for finding it when racing.