The Cal-look Lounge

I have been wondering this for a while now has anyone out there ever converted one of these AWSOME shifters over to RHD  ???

I have never got my hands on one to really check them out in detail - So does anyone think this would be possible  ???

I know some people think are gonna think I am MAD :P but I have always wanted to do it so if I can I will  ;) :)

Let me know what you think guys :)

Isn´t that just a matter of making a new "knob"? Probably super easy... hehe

The Handles are always cracked anyway the Problem is it has a slot on the push button side of the shifter shaft.  you would have to put a slot on the other side and if it could even be done it would not be very strong but if you wanted to make the handle  I guess you Could  The Thing is is the DDS Shifters look Bitchen the way they came the Handle would have to be a Copy of the Original for the shifter to not loose its Original Look

Hmmmm Interesting  :) but could you not just remove the locking screw turn the handle around and drill a hole in the other side for the screw ??? Thank for the info though Gary :)

I recently talked to someone who worked at DDS for years. And after seeing problems from the Japanese mfg, that were never fixed/addressed, Lowry bounced the order, telling them to pound sand. The container full of shifters (and other items), sitting in Long Beach, was then sold to another VW supplier, who sold them under another label... Can you guess who this supplier was? Scat.

scat sold dds shifters?  :o

No longer labeled as DDS....

i found the advertiser in hot vws it was in the 75 issue

there's nothing wich differs a dds  than a scat ??? only the stickers under the handle ???

Makes you wonder how many of the DDS shifters for sale are actually the Scat ones! :o

I guess all of them, even the Scat ones are actually DDS...

I Remember when I worked at Auto Haus in the mid 70's Race Trim had the Same Shifter but used a Chrome Plastic Handle instead of Black like the DDS and Scat heres A picture of the handle (from Lukes Add)

The Auto Haus shifter have not a chrome plastic handle. it is a chrome steel handle.

here's the advertiser from auto haus , the shifter cost only 39.95$  :o :o :o  ,at the time you can buy 10 for today's price  ::)

Fabian there showing the DDS Part# on the Add DSS-550

My Mistake it has been over 33 years since I worked for Auto Haus LOL Metal Pastic? whats the Difference? it was Chrome LOL DDS was ahead of there time using Plastic back then thats  what everything is made out of today

What is all the hoopla about these shifters? If they were pieces of shit back then why do people want them now? I sure as shit would not put one in my car. Every one I have ever seen in person has been broken at least once.

LMAO Its like a Treasure Hunt to find a Good one is like finding an NOS set of BRM's at a Pawn Shop for $25.00  It Wont Happen half of them had cracked handle's Brand New from the screw being over tightened.  I have Had Three of them in my time  I broke two of the Shafts off at the Base (Banging Gears ;D) and all three had cracked  or Broken Handles :o :o  Nothing Beats an Original Hurst I have ran them for Years

the first shifter i owned was a hurst and the reverse gear cable broke , and i 've  to throw it
i prefer my dds shifter , and if i broke one i've another to replace the first one  8).... ;)and in the future the chrome handle go to my house  ;D

just how many of these 'non' dds shifters exist? and why bother if it is such a good shifter. only the pricetag that goes up if it says dds...
i like the hurstshifters a lot and i wouldn't mind running a Johnny Speed and Chrome shifter if it is the same quality. in fact i like JSC a lot!

and that autohauscar does look jummy.  ;)

Great research on the Scat ad. You guys are serious! One of the problems DDS had with the Japanese mfg/exporter was that what they thought was suppose to be an exclusive item (92mm pistons for one), soon, and unknown to them, was sold to others. I think what you are seeing here is an example of what was going on back then.

I know a lot of old DDS shifters broke, but for me, it was the best looking, best feeling, and you could shift the crap out of them! I liked it way better than my original Wurst shifter (due to the egg-shaped rivets), and besides, I was kinda of a Deano parts guy. Go figure. (I always wanted to put a DDS bus shifter into a sedan)...

I just happen to be showing a friends around our back room at HVWs yesterday, and looked inside JW's original Manx SR2. And guess what, there is a DDS shifter in that ancient car! Forgot all about it. That one hasn't been drive since 1978.

Now is your chance Deano there one on Samba For Sale It Would look good in the Orange 67 you could change from a Cal Look to a HooRod lmao ;D ;D  http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=478618

I like Berg Shifters except for the Cave Man  Housing at the Bottom I never like the boot or casting on a Berg Shifter they work Great just dont like the look of the casting and I agree the DDS shifter is the Best Looking Shifter ever Made for VW Market.

Man, this is an amazing source of info, I have a good dds shifter (does have the usual crack) but can't find a baseplate, wonder where all the scat ones went :-\

I had this one, it was a little too far gone for my tastes, so I sold it for a slight loss :(

people, let's leave the museum parts in the display cabinet and let's play with stuff that works: berg shifter.

Dont get me wrong, I love the feel of a Berg. But those came out in about 1980 (correct me if Im wrong), and for some cars just dont fit the period correct thing. I dont think anything looks as good as a Deano!

Btw Zach, you should put your car in a display cabinet! ;D

don't agree with you roland  ;)

That is the look I'm going for! My dad had his 1.8 T4 powered Notchback from 1975 to 1984. I love the looks of the obscure late 70s early 80s cal-lookers. Not many people noticed them. Mark Voeghtly, Jeff Denham and Mike Smith built cars I would be proud to own today.

I like the look of a stock late model shifter with quick shift kit. Too bad they don't feel as robust as a Berg. I have never liked the DDS look, and wouldn't want one.

I agree. They look cheap and flimsy and they were.

I know a lot of people hate them but I really like my scat shifter. For a tall guy like me the short throw feels good and I don't have to lean forward in the seat to hit 1st or 3rd. I just wish it wasn't so ugly.

--louis

I hated all 4 of my Scat Mis-shifts. I recently started donating them to needy kids with baja bugs.

this one louis ??

yep, thats the one. I don't seem to have any problems with it missing shifts. I think it is close to a 60% throw but I am comfortable with it. I got it for free in exchange for helping a guy do some work on his bug. (He wanted a stock shifter.) I will probably end up switching it out for a Berg or CSP shifter just for the looks.

--louis

Bahhh!!! Whats the fun in that?! ;)

I have a Berg fingergrip shifter and an Hurst copper shifter in my cars.. They look great and they work even better.. I like the look of the DDS one, but I personally think they are crap.

WOW this thread has really taken off BIG TIME  :) but anyway back to the topic if you don't mind guys  ;) :)

so could I just turn the handle around and redrill the other side for the screw ??? ??? ???

C.B. also sold them back in the 70s. I had one until it broke, fixed it and broke again. I think they look great too, they are just too fragile. The real DDS shifters had the little DDS sticker on the shaft right below the handle. 

Hi Loungers,
I'd like open this topic but Monkiboy was too fast  ;D
I'd like to know if :
- you can explain me how throw off a DDS shifter to clean or repear it ?
- you have a plan (or informations) for reproducing a bottom plate which miss every time on DDS shifter. A guy explains me that it's possible to do a new one with original bug bottom plate and an earlier Type 2 shifter ?

Thanks a lot, my friends.....

PS: Speedwell, i'm still interested by your issues but i'm a little bit broke at this time. Thanks again for your offer. See u soon

I do Roland,

Why should somebody Pay loads of money for something already broken or for something that will break as soon as you use the way it was intented to be used...

Maybe these shifters or okay to be used with a Slow car when Speed or Powershifting is out of Question...

Get a Berg Shifter if you want something near Perfection or if you want something old an Original Empi Eliminator shifter, at least it won't break the first Time used hard... ;) ;D ;D

Frank

Can we PLEASE stay "on topic" guys  ;) :)

I know thay break - I know they are old - I know they always have parts missing BUT I want to know if they can be converted over to RHD :)

So once again lets stay "on topic"  :)

I think we are starting to annoy monkiboy.  ;)

Does anyone have a pic of the end of the shaft where the handle mounts? I think it would depend on how the reverse lockout mechanism works. I am guessing it is probably possible though. Looks like the fitting on the end of the shaft is a bolt on.

--louis

powershifting is out of question  ;D ;D have you seen the shifter in the super shitbox frank  ::) it's a stock vw shifter and go to the dragstrip with your BERG SHIFTER and NOS system ; dido will kick your ass with is old  stock vw shifter
 >:(

Its cool dude I was just wondering why we had nearly 3 pages of every thing BUT converting it over to RHD ;) :)

I just think they are the COOLEST shifter EVER  :)

Also someone mentioned the Empi Eliminator - I used to havel one of those and all I can say is that is the WORST SHIFTER EVER  :D

Hi Larry your Race Car had a DDS shifter in it  My Friend Larry Rick Bought it from you

Bla, Bla, Bla... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

BTW: Yes i have seen the Shifter in SSB and it's not a Stock Shifter...but a late DDS one...not the crapy one you are Using... :P

And Shifters don't make HP Fab's just in case you forgot...which does not mean Dido is slower than me, I guess he is quicker than me!!!

To bad i have to Race somebody else, would have love to race against you "SPEEDY" but I would probably need to pull 3 Sparkplug Cables out of my Motor to give you a Chance :P :P :P

Frank

[quote author=Frank LUX link=topic=3141.msg41594#msg41594 To bad i have to Race somebody else, would have love to race against you "SPEEDY" but I would probably need to pull 3 Sparkplug Cables out of my Motor to give you a Chance :P :P :P

Frank

[/quote]

DAMN!!! He's calling you out Fabs!!! You're not gonna wuss out now are you?? ;D ;D

Lee, get a shifter and send it to me, I will convert it for you. No joke 8)

WOW Thankyou dude :o - I will PM you tomorrow  :)

DAMN!!! He's calling you out Fabs!!! You're not gonna wuss out now are you?? ;D ;D
[/quote]

hmm considering none of there cars are running, they will have to be pushing there cars. so that will be interesting... right now my money is on fabs, as he has the advantage of a lighter engine and no NOS system to carry in the car. oh and no big and heavy IDA's

 ;D

just keep it fun guys

 8)

hmm considering none of there cars are running, they will have to be pushing there cars. so that will be interesting... right now my money is on fabs, as he has the advantage of a lighter engine and no NOS system to carry in the car. oh and no big and heavy IDA's

 ;D

just keep it fun guys

 8)
[/quote]

Hmmm,

Good Idea, I'm cool with this "Race" solution, don't know about Fabian... ;) ;D ;D

Frank

Hey Lee, to make your car authentic, forget converting the shifter to RHD – convert your car to LHD! That's what I did with Flashback... You KNOW it makes sense!  :D

well I am not sure about it making sence  ;) I will have a think about it :)

Nobody can help me ?
Thanks my friends

post a picture of the bottomplate as i think it is fairly easily made from a stock plate as well... i have seen it before, but never looked at it.

as requested:

as requested:

as requested:

And one (or two) free beer for Lids_2001 in Chimay next July !!!!!
Thank u very much,   

see that is a basic plate from an original shifter and a 'cup' over it to prevent the shifter from spinning. didn't remember it was notched at the top though... i thought it was a straight tube.

 ;D ;D simple like that  ;D

ive got one of thoes shifters in my 71 super that ive been driving non stop everyday for 4 yrs now. the handle is a littel tatterd thoe when i first got the shifter the thing was snaped in half so i went ahead and tiged a littel jewelry on it and its been holding up ever since. i dont dare pull back fast on the handel or it will end up on the floor. i dont think it was ever intendid to speed shift at all thats cool. its just nice to have a littel vw performance history in the palm of my hand.  UD.

hey heres a question, were the shifters by chance date coded? ???  on the underside of the chrome base on mine it says 168, i know mines a deano version cause it has stickers but never had payed attention to others out there or was this just like a part number or just a random number  ;D