Stock Shifter has got to go

[Fbird98]

I just purchased a 98 Firebird with a 5 Spd and I am very hapy with the looks and overall performance of the car, but the stock shifter is terrible. The throws are extremely long and it has a rubbery feel to it, kind of like a lot of the FWD manuals I hav driven. I have searched this and some other forums and it appears that any aftermarket shifter you install is going to 100% better than stock. I am leaning toward the Hurst billet and was wondering if anyone out there has this shifter and what they think of it.

[Harrison]

Re: Stock Shifter has got to go

i have a b&m ripper, and i love it. probably the best thing ive put on the car honestly. like u said though any shifter is better. a lot of people go with the hurst billet plus and get a short stick for it (Lou's). there is another shifter, called the pro 5.0. really good shifter as well. i guess what it would come down to is how short you want the stick to be. i know you cant shorten up the stick on the b&m, but in my opinion it is short enough. the way the center console is setup, it would feel akward if it was much shorter, my elbow and the console would be gettin into it.....anyhow, with any shifter you wont go wrong

[Fbird98]

Re: Stock Shifter has got to go

Thanks for the input Harrison. I was looking at what you have done to your ride as far as adding performance parts and I would like to go a similar route. Are you pleased with the result so far?

[Phate]

Re: Stock Shifter has got to go

Im curious about this also, what do you guys recommend for an aftermarket shifter? Ive got a ****ton of mods but never did get around to replacing my shifter. Ive been looking at the B&M Ripper, but I dunno. This is my setup atm

96 3.8 camaro with

75 wet shot
zzp comp cams gt2 cam
K&N Fipk intake
Flowmaster catback exhaust
4.10 gears
pcm reflash and tune

thats all as per performance upgrades I would think, what do you all think would be the best shifter for my car? Stock one is just getting on my nerves.

[Harrison]

Re: Stock Shifter has got to go

fbird98- yeah im pleased with my mods. i was big on driveability and didnt want to get too wild with it. however......ive reached the point where i am running out of bolt ons, and i've been tempted to start dipping into cams and nitrous. All my mods have added up nice for me though and i havnt killed my pocket. In my opinion, i cant get the car to sound any better either. The different piping/highflow cat/headers make it louder, while the flowmaster adds some tone to it. Overall, i have seen a decent power gain and i feel like i havn't just thrown my money away.

phate..... man... replace ur shifter. the difference is night and day. no joke. I got my b&m after i drove my friends firebird that had a b&m. I liked the way it felt, the shifts were very positive, and the stick was just right. Shorter than stock, but not too short. Next time you have 170-200$ to spend, get one. you will be pissed you didnt get one sooner.

[Phate]

Re: Stock Shifter has got to go

The ripper sounds good, but what are the comparisons vs Hurst and such? Im just trying to find the best shifter for my car

[ReodDai]

Re: Stock Shifter has got to go

Just put on a Pro 5.0, best mod I've done.