Short Shifters, Rennshift or Much Cheaper Weltmeister Options

[jporsche914]

I have a 1972 1.7L 914 and i want a shorter more direct throw. I have been reading a couple of posts about the rennshift. It seems to be a great shifter for the 914 but it is a bit pricey compared to the Weltmeister short shift kit. Would the cheaper Weltmeister shifter still feel better than stock with all the bushing replaced?? They say that the throw is reduced 30 percent which is the same as the rennshift. Do you guys think it is worth going with the Rennshifter or do you think i would be happier with the Weltmeister shifter.
Thanks

[nebreitling]

how does your car shift right now? slowly, i presume, but is it really tight, no slop?

if it's sloppy now, it will get worse w/ the weltmeister.

[jporsche914]

It is sloppy and hard to find the gears.

[jporsche914]

Why would the rennshift make the shifting more direct??

[campbellcj]

FWIW I hated the Weltmeister unit. They severely shortened the lever itself, and it was hard for me to reach 4th gear without lifting my shoulder off the seat and reaching forward.

The Welt product is basically just a new lever and a spacer plate to correct the geometry with the stock housing. The Rennshifter is a complete replacement with multiple throw-reduction, spring stiffness, and appearance/finish options. Apples and oranges...

[ein 6er]

i had the welt kit on my tail shifter when i bought it. i wasn't very impressed with it. even after replacing all the bushings. i went back to the stock shifter. i also replaced the 2 bushings and spring that are inside the shift housing. with that and the stronger welt springs and a new reverse lockout plate it shifts pretty good now. but i'll be getting the rennshifter soon.

really i don't think there is any comparison between the 2. the rennshifter is in a whole nother class.

[ChrisReale]

The Rennshift is like a jewel. It is engineered very well, is made very well, and is made by a club member. That makes it better. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[lapuwali]

Another vote against the Weltmeister. I had one in my tailshifting car when I bought it, and found it made just pulling it into first gear a real bear against the centering springs with a lever that was shorter and thus farther away from me. I sourced a stock lever and fit that, with new bushings front to back. I find this quite acceptable for now. I'd keep the stock shifter and replace ALL of the bushings in your linkage before spending any money on any shifter. You need to so this, anyway, even if you decided to go for the Rennshift. You may find just rebushing is enough for you.

[URY914]

If you study the way the stock shifter is designed, the pivot piece wears on the top plate which is sheet metal. It can't be rebuilt without replacing. It may have been fine for ten-fifteen years but by now that metal is paper thin and adds to the slop in the lever.

Go with the Rennshift.

Paul

(BTW, this is post #2000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) )

[airsix]

The condition of your motor/tranny mounts will also affect your shifting to a large degree. If you have old worn mounts replace them with 911 sport mounts. New tranny mounts improved my shifting more than new shift bushings did.

-Ben M.

[MattR]

I see a lot of people complaining about the tailshifter and weltmeister combo, but are there are thoughts on a side shift and weltmeister? I know personally I dont have 400 bucks to drop on a shifter. My budget is nearing its max with the engine and suspension pieces picked out.

[weird_looking_cactus]

Is there any way to help side shifters out. Its driving me crazy trying to drive my car around town hitting other gears all the time. I think all the time why the heck I buy this car. One of the reasons is not how good it shifts I have replaced the bushings and adjusted the shifter rod many many times trying to find a good spot just can't seen to do it.

[ArtechnikA]

there was no such thing as a WeltMeister the last time i drove my 914.
but there were short-shift kits, and i've used a couple. the first i put into my 914,6, which as you probably know, uses a completely different linkage. i thought it was fine, except for occasionally trying to upshift from 2nd to 3rd and getting 5th on hard (track conditions...) right hand turns. at that time, our only choices were solid (aluminum) transmission mounts, which everyone said were for race cars only, and OEM mounts. we have many other choices now...

i put that same short-shifter into a tailshift 914.4 and thought it worked fine there too; it had 'more' miles but still not a huge number.

the WeltMeister shifter is not -that- expensive, and if youve already replaced ALL the bushings and ALL the engine and transmission mounts and you still don't like the shifting, it might work for you, although i gather from the other comments in this thread that it's not -just- a travel-reducing ball and you may not like whatever else it does.

i have a RennShift in my early 911, along with all-new bushings, solid engine mounts (Club Sport transmission mounts just as soon as i can swap the transmission carrier...) and a Stomski shift coupler. the 911 shift mechanism is just about as direct as you can get - the rod from the shifter goes directly to the nose cone. the RennShift transformed the car; i think it's wonderful. transforms the car, and i still need to do a bit of fine adjustment from when i uprated to the aluminum stick.

IMO, it's a good value, but it -is- a lot of money, no question. for no money at all, you can try to learn to make the best of what you've got. for the price of a WeltMeister, you might like what it does for you and it could buy you some time, and you can always resell the WeltMeister part at a swap meet or something when you're ready to upgrade, so it won't be a total loss. the RennShift is, tho, IMHO, the untimate, right solution.

but we all make price/performance tradeoffs in our cars, i'm no exception. do what you have to now, and do what you want when you can.

[EdwardBlume]

Rennshift.

[J P Stein]

The welt short shifter works good for me (side shifter).....tho, like Chris, I hated the long reach......but I had a (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) ....so much for that problem. I like it. The rennshift is nice......but not real high on my priority list.

If your trans, linkage, bushings,yada, are shot, the short shifter will make it worser.

[anthony]

My budget is nearing its max

Then don't even bother with a short shifter? My car shifts great with the stock shifter.

[SirAndy]

i run the stock shifter (sideshift) with all new bushings and it feels tight.
i will go RennShift eventually, however ...

one thing to consider, if your car was originally a tailshifter, make sure you got the right adaptor bushing for the firewall!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) Andy

[VegasRacer]

I had a short shift kit in my car before.
I thought it was an OK improvement.

I now have the RennShift. It is FANTASTIC.
I say save your money and get a RennShift.

[airsix]

I'll say this again with slightly different wording:

Your 914 will NEVER shift well if the engine/tranny are flopping around. Replace worn old tranny/engine mounts!

-Ben M.


ps - jporsche914 - I snort a laugh every time I see your "homo" avatar. That cracks me up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[914werke]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) Looking at the responses it seems that most of the applications were on Tail-shifters and obviously the Oldest of our cars. Logically unless the owners went through and replaced ALL the suspected wear items (bushings and shifter components) the Welt. kit wont not make the dramaitic implovements that might be anticipated?
I installed one on my 73 side shifter after intalling a rebuilt 2.0. I replaced the motor and trans mounts as well as all the shifter & shift Rod bushings.
It was and is a MAJOR improvement. over the 30 yr old crap. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)
and cost $80 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)
Trust me Im not trying to disparage James product in fact I bought one (thanks James!) just trying to point out as I think others have done that it just one piece of the puzzle (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)