Soon to be a VG - "E" Progress Report

[SandyI]

Larry--
Thanks for the info. I'm sure your Viper Green E will be a great ride when its done. And shift bushings are key. After I had mine replaced, my car shifts like a dream. Good luck with your project.

[fuegos100]

I too had my short shift removed removed from my 911e targa. it was near impossible to find the correct gears, especially 1st (901 5 speed)

my wrench said it was the first thing that NEEDED to be done. he said he's got a box of old short shifters he's removed.

paul schuster
santa cruz

[Homemade 911]

Guys,

First off, Congratulations to Larry for taking the plunge on this Targa...Larry, once you start driving it, nothing else will matter - meaning don't sweat how much MORE $$ the damn thing cost over what you originally thought...trust me, you'll forget about the dough once you're behind the wheel. These are great cars: from the biggest oil-burning beater, bondo-bucket, to the most pristine Carrera RS, to these R-Gruppe big-motor monster cars...they're all great. Besides, a Viper Green Targa will be the very essence of cool...can't wait to see the finished product.

Secondly, on this Short shift conversation: The ORIGINAL short shift , both in concept and execution was terrible. I certainly understand why people are ripping them out of 901 equipped cars...However, there's a solution to this now.

If you really want a CRISP, no BS, FIRM hookup..get a WEVO. WEVO's are totally re-engineered, with two (interchangable) springs vs the one, wimp spring the factory fitted to the 901 linkage (can't speak for 915s)... the WEVO unit is fitted to the 915 shifter housing, which then bolts into the same location on the floor.

Last year, I put a WEVO "classic" - complete with a oem rubber boot - in the Homemade 911 vintage racer... I then topped it off with an oem, 901-pattern, shift knob, Whole setup looks so factory it's not funny. Driving the car became a totally different experience. The spring-loading is tight, and so is the throw...So far, I haven't changed the rear coupler. I've been keeping the oem coupler fresh, and up to date. I plan on sticking the WEVO coupler back there sometime this race season.

At any rate, the WEVO is great for that extra "peace of mind" needed on the race track...not having to second-guess your shifting is a godsend! In addition, the unit isn't so "harsh" that it would be uncomfortable for the street...I think most of you guys would readily take to it with no issues...

At $600/unit it ain't cheap...but, when you start thinking about how much that blown engine's going to cost after you inadvertantly crammed it into 2nd @ 7000rpm with that bowl-of-oatmeal oem linkage...that $600 will translate into cheap insurance...Real Fast. trust me.

Email me offline (thomkuby@verizon.net) if you'd like to kick this one around further - I'd be happy to share my general experiences with this product...

Cheers
Thom Kuby

'68 "homemade 911" vintage racer.
Back on course soon...about another month of sweat equity to go.

[larry47us]

Thom:

If I remember correctly, the Wevo unit is like the Seine unit, but the Seine kit is about $125. These are not "short shift" kits, they are "gated" shifters. The short shift kit is designed to reduce the length of the throw from 1st to 2nd (or from 2nd to 3rd depending on 915 or 901). The gated shifters increase the force going from right to left, so that you know the gear your going into.

I have heard over and over again that the key to clean shifting on these cars is solid bushings. My wrench told me about a customer actually sold him a car because he thought it needed a transmission rebuild when in actuallity, all it needed was a couple of transmission bushings.

The short shift kit increases the leverage needed to shift, because even though it is a shorter throw, it does require more power to shift it. (you know, the fulcrum - lever thing)

I have heard that the gated shifters are a very desirable thing if you are racing. I don't expect that I will take a heavy, high RPM down shift heading into my neighborhood, so I am less concerned about that aspect of it. Also, I have this "thing" about the original nature of the car. The shifting was the way it was. Those idiosyncracies are among the things that make us love these cars. For fun in the sun driving, I think that I'll pass on the gated shifters, but I will withhold judgement on the short shift kits till I get my hands on that shift lever on April 23rd.



larry

[Homemade 911]

Larry (et al)

I beg to differ...the WEVO is NOT a gated shifter...
The following text is aproduct description, lifted directly from WEVO's website: (wevo.com)
BTW - I know absolutely nothing about the seine shifter you mentioned...so I can't "go there"...
Now, please bear in mind - I don't work for WEVO (although I've personally met Hayden Burvill, and he seems like a stand-up guy.) I'm just really impressed with the difference this linkage made in my "general level of confidence" as a vintage race driver.

Keep us all posted on your Targa...it's a lotta fun seeing a project car come together.
Cheers
Thom Kuby

------------------------------------------------

The WEVO Shifter is a precision short shift / spring centered / reverse blocked shift mechanisms for the 901, 915 equipped 911's and 930's.

The WEVO Shifter kit is intended for street cars, club event cars and full competition race cars.

This kit can be installed in any version 915 shifter base from cars 1973 - 1986. Part # 911.424.019.05 or 911.424.019.06 (.06 preferred ~ '76 >)

The WEVO Shifter kit is an alternative to the factory short shift kit. The reduction in lever travel from the stock 915 shifter is 30% - giving the WEVO Shifter lever a neutral to in-gear movement of 2". The additional precision of the mechanism offers what feels like further reduction in shift lever travel by eliminating the free play that exists in the stock 915 shifter unit.

The WEVO Shifter lever is spring loaded from both sides and the lever will stand in the 3rd - 4th gear plane in neutral - this has a similar feel to the spring resistance of the stock shifter that is only acting on the 5th - Rev gears. This feature helps with smooth 2nd - 3rd gear upshifts and clean 5th to 4th downshifts.

The WEVO Shift has a reverse selection blocker that is only operational when moving the lever out of 5th gear (1st on the 901 version). If you are engaging 4th gear, from 5th gear, this blocker will help prevent you from pulling the lever back and clipping reverse gear. The blocker is overridden when deliberately selecting reverse from the neutral position- such as when the car is stationary.

The use of specially designed components in the WEVO Shifter achieves a high degree of mechanical precision and almost eliminates the sloppy feeling of the volume production compromised factory parts.

Your WEVO Shifter kit comes complete and partially assembled with all hardware and instructions to install the kit. No irreversible modifications are performed to any original components and the kit will take about two hours to install including removal and re-fitting of the shifter assembly to your chassis. No special tools or skills are required.

The installation of a WEVO Shifter will be one of the most positive tactile upgrades you can perform to a 911 with a 915 transmission.

The WEVO Shifter comes in Classic look for the 901, black or silver anodized finish and Classic for the 915 and black anodized finish for the 930. Other colors are available by special order.

[ttweed]

Originally posted by Homemade 911
I beg to differ...the WEVO is NOT a gated shifter...

In the sense that a gated shifter has an actual "gate plate" on top of the console which does not allow moving the shift lever anywhere except between the gates, this is true. But what Larry was referring to was the spring loading for the centering of the lever in the 3-4 plane, which is described here:

The WEVO Shifter lever is spring loaded from both sides and the lever will stand in the 3rd - 4th gear plane in neutral

This is the same function that Sherwood's Seine Systems Gate Shift kit performs, and in that sense, they are both "gated" systems.

I think the rest of the description pretty firmly establishes that the Wevo unit is definitely a "short shift" kit as well. I have seen them and felt the action and they are everything Thom says. I just couldn't justify the $600 price compared to $125 for Sherwood's kit, but I am a notoriously poor and cheap bastard.

TT

[SandyI]

After that much appreciated education on the shift kits, I'll keep my 911E with a perfectly adjusted stock 901. That being said, I'm entering my first Drivers Ed @ Willow Springs this Saturday. After that, who knows...

And my $.02 for Larry is that for normal street driving, dump whatever short shift kit the previous owner left you with and take it back to stock. You won't be sorry.

[ttweed]

Originally posted by SandyI
I'm entering my first Drivers Ed @ Willow Springs this Saturday. After that, who knows...

Who knows, indeed! You are heading down a slippery slope now, Sandy. Once you get a taste of the track and start trying to improve your lap times, you are sunk. Might as well just leave your checkbook with Otto. He may not put a short shift kit in, but there's lots more places to buy speed, and most of them cost even more. Just resist the urge and keep buying more DEs. That'll do the most good.

TT- still delusional enough to think it's the car's fault that I'm not fast enough sometimes...

[larry47us]

I went to my first PCA Chicago meeting this weekend. Visited with the Region's driving instructor, who suggested that I take their Autocross course this spring. He said that with a couple of those under my belt, that a DE and some track time is the only way to go.

And I want to go there. I am just a bit nervous about trashing the baby I don't even have yet. But I am sure that this too will pass.

Sandy. I look forward to hearing about your exploits.

BTW, I was surprised at the reaction when I told people that I was buying a 73E Targa, in Viper Green nonetheless. Everyone was just as excited as I am. They can't wait to see it!!

I have spent so much time on this BBS, I just assumed that "everyone" has an early car, so I was just becoming one of the crowd. Looks like it is a very very special crowd.

larry

[ttweed]

Originally posted by larry47us
I have spent so much time on this BBS, I just assumed that "everyone" has an early car, so I was just becoming one of the crowd.

At our PCA region's last performance driving school, out of all 60 or 70 students, there were only a half-dozen that were even driving air-cooled cars! Of those, only two were '73 and earlier, a 911 and a 914. The great majority were all new 996s and Boxsters with new owners eager to learn how to handle their new steeds. We are in a time warp here. It's a rarified strata, but I like it.

It's enlightening to get to sample the modern goods when instructing, but I wouldn't trade my early car for any of them except a GT-2, GT-3, or a Cup car, and I can't afford any of those.

TT- (OK, maybe I'd take a 993RS 3.8, too...)