BL/SS Follow-up

["Calvin Hare" <harem3@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In response to my BL/SS post, Ben Dixon asks:

>If I read your  post correctly all I have to do is pattern my
>shift lever after the one in the Roadster?  Would that give me
>a short shifter for not much $ If I didn't mind a little harder 
>effort?  I just pulled the tranny out of my 85 318i and now would
>be a great time.  Any measurements you could send would be much 
>appreciated.  I have a friend who is great with a welder, should
>I be able to fabricate my own?  Any advice will be great.


Ben,

Hopefully, I haven't mislead anyone with my previous post.  Getting a 
short shift solution is not quite as easy as simply sticking an M 
Roadster lever in your car.  The M Roadster lever fits relatively easily 
into the E36 M3 and provides about a 28% reduction without any clearance 
problems, however, even in this installation there are many little 
nuances/adjustments that need to made to get a proper solution such as 
getting the correct bend in the lever (M Roadster lever is straight), 
having the proper tools, avoiding damage to the bushing, correcting 
angle of selector rod attack with ERK, etc.  When you get into other 
models it gets even more complicated as the throw reduction and 
clearance with the driveshaft and selector rod vary by model.  Sometimes 
you need a Roadster lever, sometimes an E36 M3 lever, and sometimes a Z3 
lever... all depends on the model.

This is why Ben decided to offer commercial kits with specific fitment 
for each model.  I can't speak for him but it seems he was spending all 
his time fielding questions about different solutions, bending levers, 
and researching specifics of each different BMW model free of charge for 
3,000 plus digest members.  Through 100's of installs and countless 
hours of research, he has done the homework for you and packaged a kit 
that will fit right the first time and includes all the necessary BMW 
factory parts, customized tools, and well detailed instructions to get 
the job done right.
  
Unless you want to go through what some of us original ShifterFest folks 
did and swap your lever in and out multiple times, get UUC's kit and 
learn from what we all went though.  You'll probably spend a bunch more 
than the kit price before your done doing it right yourself.  I know I 
have.  I think at this point I've had my lever in and out of my car at 
least 5 times.  I've bought 3 Roadster levers ($60 each), tried 2 
different bends, ripped a rubber gromment, wrecked a nylon bushing, 
etc... you get the picture.

Bottom line is yes, you can put something together yourself and maybe 
save a buck or two, however, the more likely scenario is that you'll 
spend a lot more time under your car and probably more $$'s before your 
satisfied with the result.

Hope this helps,

Calvin Hare
Orlando, FL
'96 M3



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