Ok, I have a tailshifter '72 with a stock shifter. I replaced all the bearings and got the tailshift as good as I could get it. I can hit each gear most of the time, but shifting is still mush and I am afraid of overexuberant shifts and inexperienced friends.

I want to improve my shifting but which route should I go? Install a Rennshift, or convert my system to a sideshifter? Money is very tight, I have just enough money to buy a Rennshifter right now, although I can save up a few hundred more dollars over the next year if needed. I won't be able to really pour money into the 914 until after college, at least 6 years from now.

Which will give me the best bang for my buck?

some one on this forum stated that the tail shifter was better than the side shifter with the Rennshifter assy. somebody on this forum should speak up if they have had this experiance. I put the rennshifter on my sideshifter and I like the results, but if you can get better results with the tail shifter with the Rennshifter save your money on the side shifter

Bernie

I don't have any experience with the Rennshift, but I don't think the two are mutally exclusive. In other words, you could put a Rennshift shifter on a tail shift tranny or side shift tranny.

So you could look at it in stages. Rennshift shifter now, then upgrade to side shift tranny and linkage later (when you can "pour money into it")

I think you said you replaced all the bushing (true?). But there isn't much you can do about wear on the metal "ball" at the end. I will give way to the experts here, but say that the bulk of your "shifting mush" is a product of your tail shift tranny and associated tail shift linkage.

I also own a 72 tailshifter. Last week I pickup a side shift tranny and linkage and am in the process of installation. If you are interested, PM me and I will let you know what kind of improvement I experience. Should take me another week or two (wife, kids, etc).

good luck

It's highly subjective, but I find a fresh tailshifter to be perfectly acceptable. I can hit any gear I want 99.99% of the time. However, I've driven a lot of cars with really bad shifters, and I'm slow and gentle when shifting.

The one side-shifter I've owned had shot bushings, and was much worse than my tailshifter is right now. The chief problem with the tailshifter, as I see it, is that there are many more wear points in the linkage, so it wears out faster than the side-shifter and so requires bushing replacement more often. The Rennshift isn't going to do anything about that problem, as wonderful as it may be (haven't tried one, yet).

Switching to a side-shifter by itself very probably won't improve your shifting much, but it will reduce the amount of maintenance you'll have to do to the linkage to keep it at its best. The Rennshift will very probably improve shifting (again, haven't tried it), but it won't do anything for the maintenance issue, and I suspect that once the tailshifter bushings are shot, even the Rennshift will provide poor feel.

Again, I've never tried either a Rennshift or a fresh side-shifter, so I'm guessing here. I like to think it's a scientific guess, though.

i know you're on a budget so i tell you now so you can start saving ...

BOTH

Andy

In my experience, putting a renn shifter in with out addressing all of the tranny issues first is like putting lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig and only marginally prettier. I have helped rebuild a few trannys now and my first thought is that when I switched to a side shifter it was great. When I re-did my tranny's internals, it was phenomenal! A renn shifter would be great on the latter, but would only serve to ware out your tranny faster if it is not up to the task.

I think it was Brad who mentioned that, but he was referring to the /6 tailshifter which has different linkage as the /4 tailshifter

Bongo, you could get a RennShifter now and a sideshifter later.
You'd have to get a new/different RennShifter once you convert to a sideshifter
Talk to James, I *think* he can convert your RennShifter for a sideshift later down the road...

cheers,

Jeroen

I don't like /4 tail-shifters. The RennShift will be a waste on anything but a highly tuned-up tail-shift. Just getting the 30 years of wear out is not all it needs. Remember, the tail-shift was the biggest complaint by the press about these cars when they were brand new, and that was much eased when the side-shift was introduced.

An original /6 tail-shift with a RennShift is much better.

How about a side-shift conversion and a RennShift Junior? That should be about the same cost as just the RennShift on what you have now, and will give you a huge improvement.

Jeroen is correct, and I can change the shifter later for a small cost, but you have to send it to me.

hopefully by next summer, ill be setting up my sideshifter, and i also want a rennshift,

when i rebuild my engine, i wanna rebuild the trans also, how much is a decent rebuild going to cost me?

so if i have a rennshifter sideshifter, and fresh rebuild...how good will my shifting be?

When my tailshifter stopped shifting, I shopped here locally for rebuild quotes. I was consistently quoted "between $800 and $1500 depending upon what we find once we open it up". If you remove the tranny yourself you can save a few hours labor.

I got lucky and found a rebuilt sideshifter with 5000 miles and someone looking to make some quick money.

good luck and work the phones

I went from a /6 tail shift to a sideshift years ago and I remember the difference being dramatic. I don't remember the condition of the tail linkage, but I think it was pretty good. I still have all the parts if I ever need to sell the car with all the original stuff.

I am still using the stock sideshift shifter and have been debating changing it to one of the newer types, but I don't see the advantage yet. I have driven early 911s with 'short' shifter and think they sucked. Not enough feel due to decreased mechanical advantage.

My '73 has the side shift conversion and the shifting experience, as you say is "mush" too.

Shifting mechanism have improved over the years and I don't think replacing one 30 year old technology for another would be the best bang for your buck.

My 100K+ mile side shifter shifts pretty well. I always think of it as part of the charm of the car. My VW Jetta with a $30 short shift kit shifts 100X better but I still like the driving the Porsches with the long throw and funky shifting.

If you decide to go with a side shift, I have one sitting in my garage I would probably sell.