One thing I could not work out was getting my cable shifter to work well. I bought the unit sold by ****** at a substantial cost. It just never worked correctly. May have been my install, anyway I saw a MR2 shifter in the bone yard and for 17 dollars I thought I would give it a try. I just through it in and it works perfect. The trans now shifts like it should. I could shift it with one finger if I had to. I don't have my camera today but I post some pictures later. Here is a link of one on the net. Simple and direct with less joints than my other shifter.

MR2 shifter

u using a 930 transaxle?

Yes,
I am using a 930

Looks sick!

Where did you get the wires for the shifter? its on my to do list for next year...

Andrew

Andrew,
I started with a Renegade set-up, it came with everything. Really the key is a direct shift. Renegade's had 4 basic pivot points and it may work for others. This uses 1 heim for each cable. Its just works! Master-Carr has the cables.

Glad to hear your shifting is much improved. It sure makes for a better overall experience! I had a terrible hard linkage for a while and once I set up my cable shifter...it was a night and day difference.

details details...I want details!

I will post details about the shifter for those interested along with some pictures of the process.

I wonder if the Boxster shifter would work? They all operate by push/pull (duh)

The Boxtser setup is nice. You could mount the base on the dash if you wanted.

B

Do you have pics? I don't like my 930 box shifter set-up. A change would do me good.

I bought a Boxter shift tower and cables from a junk yard. The cables were too short to make it to the rear of the transaxle in the 914. So I used the tower, hung the Boxter cables on the wall and bought McMaster-Carr cables that were the correct length and adapted them. It worked nicely before, but for the tube car, I am going to make a new rear pivot that should work really well (hopefully).

Here is the shift tower with an aluminum angle attached to it that I then attached the cables to. Makes for a ton of adjustment to get the shifter where I want it in neutral left right sweep.
Click to view attachment

The problem with these towers is that without reversing the direction of the fore/aft motion, the pattern would be upside down (the cable attachment is below the pivot point of the shift handle). So, you have to add a link in somewhere to reverse that direction, which is what I am going to redo for the new car.

It looks to me like the one driveability used has the attachment fore/aft ABOVE the pivot point. This would mean you wouldn't have to reverse the direction before going to the trans.

I like that I reverse the direction as it gives me an interface to change that ratio, therefore I can "choose" how tight I want the pattern to be simply by moving one cable closer/further from the pivot axis. Mucho nice frankly.

This is the shifter, its a 85 to 88 or so MR2, simple as heck but works better for me. I welded in some posts and from here I can set the hight as I drive it a while. The linkage has a shorter throw yet it takes less effort. Real basic, steel construction no plastic housing here. I had a Renegade shifter and it didn't work well for me. I may have just installed the unit incorrectly and I am not knocking Renegade they make some great stuff and Scott is the best I had some trouble with some parts out of Renegades control and Scott went out of his way to make it right. I will always go to Renegade first.
http://members.cox.net/stdotjohn/Mr2%20Shifter

I have had time to drive the car and the shifter is still working great. I raised the shifter up off the floor about 4 inches to a level that feels comfortable, now to build a console. Here are some early picks.

I picked up a couple of shifters from the junkyard awhile back. I got an MR2 shifter and an Accord shifter. Both are well made. The Accord shifter has a longer throw so it may have to continue life on the shelf. I also scored some Boxster cables from a secret Porsche installation. Since I am using a different tranny than most Porsche trannies I may be able to use them. They are heavier than McMaster Carr cables though.

Why don't you guys move the shifter up closer to the steering wheel. That is one of the benefits of the cable shifters. You can put the shifter anywhere you want.

I guess it depends on how long your arms are, my seat is all the way back against the fire wall and the shifter is set just right for me. I have a steering wheel extension of about 2 1/2 inches as well.

has anyone drawn up dimensioned plans for a cable shift for a side 901? I'm talking about the bracket to mount to the transaxle that holds the cables. This part is like black magic to me, I'm just not seeing what has to happen.

I meant right up in line with the 3 o'clock position on the wheel. SO when your hands are sitting at 9 and 3 you just move your hand over about 6 inches and there is the shifter. Look at many professional race cars that aren't paddle shifted, the shifter is right up next to the steering wheel.

I also bought an MR2 shifter form a junkyard. I replaced the metal plate with a much thicker aluminum plate that I machined. One of my projects for this week is to get the shifter mounted in the car. I am probably going to locate it forward and just a little higher than your installation. I've been trying to think of good ways to make a pedestal to mount the shifter, but haven't come up with anything really simple to fabricate. I'm curious how you actually bolted it to the car.

-Tony

I agree with Brett
Get your shifter as close to the wheel as you can
Less travel for you hand from the wheel

Build a tower from thin sheetmetal then weld the tower to the tunnel. Weld some nuts to the underside of the tower and bolt the shifter to the top of it. If I remember correctly there are four bolt holes on my shifter base.

I welded 4, pedestals to the tunnel and then welded some 1/4 inch plate as a base. My shifter is higher than it looks in the pictures, but this is a street car and I drive it with one hand 90% of the time, remember this is a 930 transmission, it has some wide ratios and is quite notchey shifting.

I spent a couple hours tonight making up a pedestal for the shifter. I used 1/8 inch aluminum plate, held together with a bunch of screws. Its just sitting in place for the moment, as I need to bolt some kind of base plate to the center tunnel. I don't have access to a welder so I can't really weld anything in place. The pedestal I built is very strong, so it should work okay. Its not visible here, but inside the pedestal there is a wall to keep the thing from flexing side-to-side.

I will probably build some console around it, as well as the ECU and wiring, but until I get the car running I'm goig to leave it all exposed.

In the second pictuer you can see the mechanical parts of the shifter. The plate is not an MR2 part. This plate I made makes it easier to mount the shifter, and has room at the back for mounting the cable ends.

-Tony

Nice work Tony

I'm fitting fabric to the sides of the console, it will have the same fabric in the center as the dash face plate.

About finished




Another of some more progress,

Gages ,