Just thought i'd do a little write up for future reference of those in the market for a short shifter for their lancer. I'd first like to address the 15 dollar e-bay shifter. Some folks suggest these, however i highly suggest against any cheap knock off part.
The Fidanza short shifter is a nice piece, free of burrs and well finished. Its also notably short than stock, with a slight bend for good placement. These can easily be sourced for pretty cheap from just about any where on the net.
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...ckvsshort2.jpg
Installation was pretty simple and straight forward. How-to is already covered elsewhere, But it should be pointed out that the holes in the shifter base need a little reaming to fit the Kartboy bushings.
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...Shiftbase2.jpg
Fidanza does include a chromed knob with the shift pattern engraved in red. It appears to be pretty cool looking, however its quite light in weight and sits kind of high on the shifter. I opted for a weighted piece from twm.
The twm weighted shift knob is quality piece. it comes with a threaded insert specific to the lancers thread, a height adjustment piece, which i didnt use, and a tool to put it together. I chose the satin finish, which is a very smooth, flawless finish and doesnt reflect light. It weighs just over a pound and made a huge difference in the feel of the shifter.
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...t=Shifter1.jpg
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...t=Shifter2.jpg
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...Shifterfar.jpg
As you can see its crazy low and looks great, so hows it feel.
Placement to my body in the car is very different. i find my hand bumping into the e-brake at times. At this point i wish i had a lower sitting seat. Shifting is crisp and fast but down from 3rd to 2nd is quite tight. Heel toe down shifting has required some readjustment. This knob feels great in hand, and the added weight greatly increased shift momentum. Its very easy to out shift the car, so you almost have to slow down the transition between 1st to 2nd, and 3rd to 4th. The length between gears is aprox. 2-3 inches. Much less than stock.
In conclusion. The knob is height adjustable so i may mess with that a lil, but all in all this is a great set up. combined with the kartboy shifter bushings this is one solid feeling setup, and a huge improvement over stock, and makes for a more fun daily commute. All for well under 200 bucks.
