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What's a good auto, floor shifter??

Eric M.

Eric M.

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 10, 2001
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Location
Oakland, CA
I'm doing a manual to auto (T-400) swap and am to lazy to find and install the correct column with shifter, so, I'm thinking about a cable type (B&M) floor shifter. I got one of the cheap B&Ms a while back for another truck and didn't really like it (I guess it's true ... you get what you pay for). But, I've also tried of few of the other B&Ms (can't remember which ones) and liked them.

What do you guys use and like?

It's an 80 GMC, full size with a bench seat.

Thanks,

Eric M.
 
Depending on $$ I want an Art Carr/Winters, but seeing as how things keep adding up im going to go with a B&M. i did a little reasearch (at the moment icant remember which B&M it was) but one of them was "OK" its te cable setup that suck as far as i can tell. the Art Carr is a mush better shifter all around but is pretty spendy.
 
I personally like my B&M Z-Gate shifter. First this shifter doesnt allow overshifting do to the Z patterned gates. Second it is easier to operate and go from drive to reverse than the traditional rachet shifter. Third it is very cheap compared to other shifters 120 new and on Ebay i got mine for 50 shipped. I know the Art Carr is probably better but for the price you cant beat the Z-Gate IMO.
 
Not to offend others here, but I've always hated B&M stuff... They seem chincy to me.. I'm sure they're serving many here well tho..

That being said, I absolutely love my Art Carr, rock solid..
13480console21.jpg
 
Are the Art Carr cable operated or linkage?
What's a model # of an Art Carr shifter you guys use so I can see what they run?

What is the disavantage to the cable? I thought they'd be great for twisty rigs. This is going on a 2wd work truck, so, that isn't an issue. I know when I ran a cable shifter on my Hot Rod in high school, I had to keep it away from the exhaust or it would melt, but, other than that, what are the draw backs to the cables? They've been around for years ... but I guess that doesn't really mean they're any good.

Eric M.
 
Nothing wrong with cable shifters imo.. The quality of the cable and bracketry is what matters imo.. The AC cables are beefy as he!!.. The only linkage shifters I know of are the Lokars, which I considered... But I'm glad I made the decision I did..

Take a peek around http://www.wintersperformance.com/ for AC shifters.. Not sure what the deal is these days with those 2 companies.. Winters renames em, not sure if there still available as AC's.. but I may be wrong.. Someone should chime in on that.. I paid about $200 for my 700r4 one...
 
My .02. I had B&M in the car with a shift kit (TCI) and I ran 1/8 mile which means I worked that shifter, bangin the gears. I went to the strip maybe three times, otherwise it was a DD and I didn't mind bangin it on the street sometimes too. Less than a year the cable puked and when I wanted to repair, I realized, "that's definetely socking". I replaced it with HURST. HURST has a real sloppy feel but thats not cheap design, it works. It seems like you'd have to actually bend stuff before it wouldn't work. So for the Burb, I installed the Promatic2. Its kinda stiff and notchy and my wife couldn't move that thing to save her life, and it works, and I worked it pretty good cross desert for three days/two nights of working both tranny and T-case. I'm a lifetime customer of HURST. Bench seat all the way back.

knobs.jpg

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Hurst was always my choice for years before I went AC in the truck..

Ran a V Matic and V Matic 2 in all my hotrods for years..

hurst_vmatic2.jpg
 
ryoken said:
Nothing wrong with cable shifters imo.. The quality of the cable and bracketry is what matters imo.. The AC cables are beefy as he!!.. The only linkage shifters I know of are the Lokars, which I considered... But I'm glad I made the decision I did..

Take a peek around http://www.wintersperformance.com/ for AC shifters.. Not sure what the deal is these days with those 2 companies.. Winters renames em, not sure if there still available as AC's.. but I may be wrong.. Someone should chime in on that.. I paid about $200 for my 700r4 one...
Click to expand...

Winters makes the shifter for Art Carr. Winters is 30 minutes from me and I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with them a week ago.:D
 
i thought i was gonna go out spend a little axtra and get the BM shifter . well i got it on used it a while and it SUCKED was decent at first but its the cable one i tried adjusting it several times to no avail i like my 79 dollar mr gasket shifter better than that thing :laugh:
 
Lokar that's what I had Stepside before the NV4500 swap they have one that looks like a 4-spped shifter and they mount to the tranny (so no cables) mine came up thrugh the factory 4-speed hole
 
I like my art carr. got it off ebay for $150 or so. I have the cable going down through the console now too. Nice and clean

DSC02427.JPG

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ryoken said:
Take a peek around http://www.wintersperformance.com/ for AC shifters.. Not sure what the deal is these days with those 2 companies.. Winters renames em, not sure if there still available as AC's.. but I may be wrong.. Someone should chime in on that.. I paid about $200 for my 700r4 one...
Click to expand...

That link doesn't work for me. Do you have another for Winters or a link further onto their site? Maybe there is some setting on my browser and some sort of scripting on their main page that isn't compatible with my settings ... I don't know ...

It sounds like no one has anything bad to say about the Art Car. A few goods and a few bads about the B&M stuff. I guess I'll check out the Art Carr shifters. Which models do any of you use to be floor mounted with a bench seat? I don't want to fab. a console, i just want to bolt it in.

Thanks,

Eric M.
 
OK, I can't view anything from Winters. I tried different settings on my browser ... I give up. If anyone can post a phone #, I'll call for a catalog. Also, any other sites for viewing the Art Carr or Winters shifters?


Thanks,

Eric M.
 
Eric M. said:
OK, I can't view anything from Winters. I tried different settings on my browser ... I give up. If anyone can post a phone #, I'll call for a catalog. Also, any other sites for viewing the Art Carr or Winters shifters?


Thanks,

Eric M.
Click to expand...


if that one doesn't work.. heres their contact info...

Winters Performance Products, Inc.

1830 Trolley Road

York, PA 17404

USA

(717) 764-9844

Hours: 8:30 to 5:30 EST Monday - Friday
 
Ha! I'm in!

What shifter arte you using? Is it bolted to the floor or a console?

Eric M.
 
I'm using the 177-1
stock shift pattern for 700r4 with no lockout..

I specifacally ordered mine without the console because I knew I was doing the custom console mount.. think it saved me $25, but they usually all come with the floor mounted console iirc...
 
Hmmm,

I can't really see any of the Winters shifters being tall enough to work on the floor on a truck. I'll have to look at the Art Carr site. I did find the B&M Truck Megashifter.

http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?target=/egnsearch.asp&N=400004

I like it because it has a taller base and is made for a truck. It looks to me as all the B&M cables and trans brackets are the same. The only thing that varies is the design and mechanism of the shifer. It seems like the Megashifter design is one of B&Ms most popular.

Any feedback on this? It will be for a work truck, no gear slamming, but considering the loads it'll be hauling, I'm sure it will be down shifted more often than most daily drivers.

Eric M.
 
The B&M Black Diamond shfter looked cool also with the pods for 2 guages ... but $400?? I think I'll pass.

Eric M.
 
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