The Cal-look Lounge

Shifters  Which One Do You Perfer and Why? With All the Shifters out there these Days Which Shifter Do You Perfer? I Know Gene Berg Is Going to Come Up Alot But There Are Others that Are Just As Good and Look Better What Is Your Input and Share Pictures If You Have Any  This Relates to All Shifter's both New And Old  Share your Driving Experience on Why You Like a certain Shifter.

I'll kick this off with a curveball-

EMPI hurst copy- this stupid little shifter can be had for under $50, and just plain kicks ass.  I thought I would hate the spring loaded gate in it, but every car I have driven with one just feels natural, even hammering through the gears.  That said, my car lives outside so it has a Berg locker.

I was really surprised the first time I got my GTV driving and had a run through the gears with the E-Z-R, very natural, solid, and precise. Not too fancy looking, very simple design, reverse lockout, sturdy...

Berg is very nice, but I hate the design of the new handles, not to mention the price! And Ive personally never met anyone who could get the locker to function correctly.

The Berg in my 56 rag is perfect.

The original Hurst in the Notch is perfect.

the copy Hurst in the ghia,...pretty darn nice.

If I have to choose, i would pick the original Hurst. soft shifting, positive in gear feel, quiet and comfy grip.
Berg is better with linelock though in my setup,..although, linelock will be on the steering wheel next time.

I Have Never Liked the Feel Of A Tee Handle on a  Shifter The Ball on a Hurst has always been More Comfortible to  I like the Looks of the Original Deano Shifter  But I Perfer An Original Hurst ...

Me either.  It works alright, but not as good as a normal Berg- price of piece of mind?

Same here, never used to be able to grab second, then that switched to third after some careful adjustment and after some further adjustment none of them so it's now fitted to the inside of a cardboard box somewhere upstairs in the garage.

The standard Bergs are great though in my experience.  :)

i was really impressed with the hurst shifter when i got it. very nice and solid. i also have a EZR shifter in the square, but that allways pops out in reverse... so that needs adjustment, but it is OK for a nearstock car. AND i have a CSP shifter, not mentioned yet, but i think it is very good and a quite nice design as well...

Shubee, check out the CSP shifters. Nice design and you can get them with a ball handle.

--louis

I have a Hurst in my car, and have driven others' cars with Hurst sifters.  My car has a crunchy gearbox, but it is still enjoyable to drive with the Hurst.

I've never driven a Berg, would like to try one but would probably stick with my Hursts in the long run.

i've got a locking berg shifter in the ghia he is perfect
but I ve found an EMPI eliminator to change

Hey Shubee
Louis is right
thanks also Nicolas on the comments
Shubee, the CIP1 container with our parts should be arriving shortly
so contact steve@cip1.com for CSP parts (with my regards)
and those shifters have  been added onto the order
thanks all

Gunter

I think a CSP shifter is first in quality, and they are stylish too!

Ive never tried the CSP, they look too modern for an old car.

I have only used an EZR shifter, just got myself a berg one for the new year.

I want to get one for my buse they look great

EZR shifter with T handle from empi elimantor shifter  8)
very cool to drive  ;)

had my Berg locker for many years now....never had a prob shifting

The Berg is great, but the Hurst/Empi copy is just as good for me.

I have a Gene Berg Finger Grip 40% Shifter and a Gene Berg Finger Grip 60% Shifter and absolutly love both of them!!!

Super Smooth and Quick Shifting!!!

And I recently bought a super Early Berg Shifter aswell... ;D ;D ;D

Frank

LOL Gunter I Want A CSP Shifter with # EBI logo on it LOL

Has anyone ever been able to modify a non-Berg shifter to work with a Berg 5 speed? I eventually plan to have a Berg 5 for the '67. Just wondering what the handle options are.

Thanks,

--louis

Yes.

Ive seen stock shifters and Hurst shifters modified for a Berg 5. I plan to do the same someday when my GTV gets a 5 box ;D

Here in Poland, the concept of modifying Bugs or any non-stock parts did not exist before mid-1990’s. So I suppose I’m more objective and I don’t ad value to parts because of “nostalgia”.
Berg – I got a little tired reading “only Berg”, “Berg will be your last shifter”, “others are crap” etc. Well – it is a very good shifter. It works smoothly and feels very solid. In this area – it is the best. I like the looks very much too (this is subjective of course). But its handle is designed for aliens. Certainly not for human hands. The price is ridiculous IMO and can only be justified by it’s (and the brand’s) fame, not technical advantages.
Scat – very good shifter, fast and solid, price is decent. I would recommend it, but I don’t like the way it looks.
Empi (Hurst copy) – mixed feelings. Really good shifter and the best when compared to its price. But the trigger cable brakes to often. I don’t like to buy things that can brake at any time.
Flat 4 (Empi Eliminator copy) – nice shape, the most handy IMO, but the mechanism preventing you from engaging reverse instead of second is primitive. This probably can be adjusted, but why bother when there are other, better shifters? I wouldn’t trust it if I was racing or rallying a Bug, when you have to downshift from time to time and you have to be sure that you will engage the right gear.
Short shift set – (the one used to modify the original shifter) – costs nothing and works really great if your shifting mechanism is OK ( the bushing in the tunnel etc). Best value for the money.

I never tried any of the old stuff.

My favourite was an Empi/Mr Bug T-handle that I had in my Ghia. It was shaped like an early Berg (just a copy I think) with the finger grips, but shifted beautifully. Unfortunately only available in LHD, but cheap at £35 show price! Still cheap at £65 shop price though.
My brother put a Scat in his car and although I've got used to it now, I wouldn't buy one. In my race car I used a stock early shifter (with the cranked shaft) on a quickshift plate and it was great.

I've tried many shifters in my bug, Empi/hurst trigger was ok till the cable broke, scat was nice but too short for everyday use, I now run a Berg ;D

Nothing but Berg for me! I've got a locking Berg-5 in the car a new 40% shifter with the signature handle on a shelf in my VW room.  I also have a spare 40% 4 speed shifter in the cabinet in my garage.  The handles may not be the coolest, but the function is the best.

Louis does the Jedi mind trick on Donny B. "You want to sell Louis that spare 40% throw shifter for cheap."  ;D

--louis

gpt an empi trigger shift
going to replace it with a shiftomatic from monkiboy
hope they are as good as the empi!

Don't you wish....

lol

Actually I think my wife is getting me a 12" curved 60% Berg 4 speed for Christmas. I will just keep my eyes open on the Samba for an early style handle.

--louis

I had a Bugpack T-handle shifter for a few years and it was ok; but then swapped it for a Berg and wow - what a difference - great shifting!

Actually, Bugpack is the only shifter I would never recommend. It’s the only shifter I know that is just…. bad. Maybe some of them work, but all I tried didn’t. Inaccurate, don’t give you the “feeling” and it’s too often difficult to find the right gear. And also the handle that get loose all the time.

The same thing for me, but the shifter was a new Scat Drag Fast swapped for a Hurst copper. Moreover the Hurst ball handle is much more comfortable than the T handle.






Ciao
Mauro

Hi Louis you have to Watch I was talking to Tim at Bergs and He told me The Early Shifters have a Different Shaft Size and some of the Handles wont fit just something to think about. I was going to Buy a New shifter and I have an old Handle but it wont fit >:( >:(

Bigger or smaller???

Frank

Yeah, couldn't you just drill and tap it if it was smaller?

--louis

BTW, I just got off the phone with CIP1 and they will have all the CSP items, including shifters, for sale on their website on Monday of next week.

--louis

how early is early?

mine were purchased in 1999 and 2000....both came with straight, ugly looking handles with GENE BERG engraved on them.

I Dont Know The Years  on the Shifters But if you are Planning whiching handles Check with Tim at Berg he can Tell you if it will work or not  I Know the Early berg handle I have  Wont fit the New Shifters,   and Louis the Handles have Set Screws the bore of the handles are Different the set screws hold them on

Ok Shubee,

So YOU have an Early GENE BERG Handle and you are telling us that it might not fit Later Berg Shifters, but when we ask if the Bore of the early Handle is to Small or to Big you can't answer...?!?

Sounds strange to me!!!

For you Information, the fixing screws on the Berg Handles are at a 5 o'clock Position on the Early ones and at 7 o'clock for the Later ones...

Thank You,

Frank

  Hey Frank I Dont Have A Shifter to Tell You! >:(  I am Going By What Tim at Berg Told Me I told him the handle I have and he said it would not Fit the new shifter  If I had it in my Hand I could tell you one way or the other  ;D

Shubee: I was going to Buy a New shifter and I have an old Handle but it wont fit 

Me No comprende...Sorry

Frank

I Guess it Depends on the Handle you Have?  why Cant they leave things alone  LOL I was Planning on Doing the Same Thing New Shifter Old Handle Oh Well  ;D

Edit: I am going to end up with a Berg handle it looks like. They are having them machined now so I was able to get one with a polished handle at no extra charge. I ended up with a 40% throw, 12 inch with extra curve. (The extra curve is so I don't have to sit forward to reach first and third with the seat all the way back.)

Oh, and on another note unrelated to this, the Berg deep sumps will finally be back in stock next Monday. But they are still out of their glandnuts.

--louis

I first modified a Hurst shifter to work with my B5. 
Then I made this Chevelle/Hurst shifter for the car.  I did this by welding the Chevelle stick to a Hurst mechanism.  The original Chevelle shifter's two post trigger works exactly the same as the round trigger of a Hurst.  The bottom rectangular hole of the Hurst needed to be made wider.

Just checked on the Handle Shifter Thing and it turned out that the Early Handle has a larger Inside Diameter than the later ones... ::)

Will have my Early Berg Handle sleeved to fit the Later Shifter... ;) ;D ;D

BTW, Looks like the Reverse Push Button was indead anodized Golden Back then...

Frank

mmm..... i know i will be impopular, but i definitely dislike quickshift...that i found absolutely no reason to exist on a street car. i dislike having to kick shifter to enter different gears. i just have to move shifter by one finger. and with a quickshift, that move dimension of leverism, paying force to reduce movement, this is simply impossible. on my buggy i had an old empi shifter that worked no fails, but i simply hated it, on my old mini cooper1,3. i had a KAD quickshift.....the best you could buy for the cooper....result??? in both cases i returned to stock shifter (in the buggy i put 67 deluxe backcurved lever that is wonderful and very similar to 356 lever).
quickshift, just to end with my opinion, are nonsense on a streeet car, and could even take away a little driving pleasure, i think tht people use them more as a style thing, than a driving help.
other thing is a race car, obviously..

My early square Berg shifter (circa 1990) handle fit on my new (2007) 6770 shifter.

My preference is the Berg 60% rapid travel shifters.