1987GN
New Member
What aftermarket shifter are people installing in their cars? I’d like to retain a stock appearance.
I wouldn't go to a race track without installing an MGW first. You can reuse the stock knob so it looks stock, although the lift-ring for reverse isn't used - you push the MGW down to get reverse.What aftermarket shifter are people installing in their cars? I’d like to retain a stock appearance.
I have not driven the 350 with the mgw just sat in one and shifted. It felt real nice and am sure is an upgrade from stock. I just don’t see the value in the instal. Dropping the trans seems ridiculous to me lol. Maybe if I have my trans out for clutch or any other trans work I might make the switch. But to me the stock shifter is great! I actually love the way it feels and the throw of it! If it were as easy as a s197 change I might have done it already just for fun. For now I’ll keep the stock one in. I love it and have had no issues with lockout or not shifting in or out of gear at any rpm
There is no comparison. I've posted plenty of information here regarding the MGW unit.
Value? If you're happy eating Spam you'll never eat a steak. Once you do, you'll never go back and your perspective will change, drastically. The more you push the car the more you appreciate it.
This mischaracterizes the issue a little bit. There isn't a disparity between the OEM unit and the MGW equivalent from Spam to Steak. As I pointed out, if the stock unit WERE as bad as some of the others Ford has fielded, the value would be more pronounced.
The shifter itself is $475 plus S&H. That was your decision to bump it to $600 just as it was to install it. If you are questioning the time you spent in terms of value I'd say you learned nothing from the install (a first) as the education in doing it yourself is priceless. Some prefer to sit by the pool sipping their favorite cocktail while others prefer to wrench. I don't associate value with either.ANGREY said:Is the MGW better? No one argues that. It's how much and is it worth nearly $600 and 3 hours of install better. THAT is the question.
A TON of modifications with BETTER value? Such as 2k for having plastic film applied to the front end of your car (a rather common mod these days)? A 2k+ Borla exhaust system? There's two that the GT350 crowd finds favorable, what other ones comprise a "TON" and at what cost? Your hands allow you to feel as much as anything and a shifter is (aside from the steering wheel) a direct link to the car it attaches to. What other mods directly impact what you feel with your hands as you drive and at what cost or value as you like to say?ANGREY said:Obviously value is subjective to each person. My only point is that there's a ton of other modifications with BETTER value (as in effect for resources applied) prior to the swapping out the shifter.
ANGREY said:...we're comparing the MGW to the OEM unit, which isn't complete garbage (like they used to be).
You can't be more thorough than this.So you're saying you like Spam then. I get it. The disparity is huge. But your perception is your reality and you'll do what it takes to stand your ground here.
The shifter itself is $475 plus S&H. That was your decision to bump it to $600 just as it was to install it. If you are questioning the time you spent in terms of value I'd say you learned nothing from the install (a first) as the education in doing it yourself is priceless. Some prefer to sit by the pool sipping their favorite cocktail while others prefer to wrench. I don't associate value with either.
A TON of modifications with BETTER value? Such as 2k for having plastic film applied to the front end of your car (a rather common mod these days)? A 2k+ Borla exhaust system? There's two that the GT350 crowd finds favorable, what other ones comprise a "TON" and at what cost? Your hands allow you to feel as much as anything and a shifter is (aside from the steering wheel) a direct link to the car it attaches to. What other mods directly impact what you feel with your hands as you drive and at what cost or value as you like to say?
I'm sorry but there is no comparison...but I'll do that for you. The factory unit is garbage. Ford has successfully snookered you and appealed to your subjective side. But what stands behind the curtain? A turd.
You may have been missing it elsewhere but since inception there have been complaints regarding the reverse lockout mechanism (sticking) as well as being locked out of gear (the most recent has to do with Ford holding the car at the factory until the latest lockout issue is addressed). Rattling has also been a common complaint. This root cause of this was pointed out some time ago but Ford remains steadfast in continuing to pump out GT350's with a low-dollar, off shore manufactured, rehashed Camaro design, that was drummed up by former GM engineers.
To wit...
Implying there isn't much difference in feel between the factory GT350 shifter and that of the MGW is akin to saying you just learned that it was Jimmy, and not Jenny, behind the glory hole wall but that it doesn't matter because it felt almost as good to you. Nonsense. Feel starts with what lurks beneath - it is either genuine or it isn't. And in this case, you're being hoodwinked. Some history as to where it came from and what it is comprised of...
https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/gt350-oem-shifter.1095456/
Trash. And it only degrades from there.