Well you are both right. of course I am trying to cater to as many as possible and capture as much of the market as possible and I am sure you all know I am going way above and beyond what most mfgs. do when creating new products.I actually listen and look at what's going on in the market and try to get new stuff in where I can, which I feel will be beneficial to the consumer and of course us here @ B&M. I must say though that after driving many auto cars with O/D switches on them , (I have 2 now) with the switch either on all the time or the occasion (probably not all that often) to turn it off selectively It does not require much effort to move your hand a few inches to push the button. On the other hand for those guys who are going to use it as a 12V source, with the switch right on the **** (if hooked up) this activates the nitrous, line lock, Radar detector, or whatever else which is essential for this crowd.To have to find a button while on the starting line would prove useless for those guys...You are correct in stating that sure, we will sell alot more of these to the mass consumers who have no need for the (optional) *****, But I know personally I wouldn't have any major complaints if I actually had to activate a button to switch O/D on and off from the console bezel.Because really I wouldn't use the ratchet action anyways unless I chose to deactivate the O/D button knowing I was looking for a little excitement...Hopefully this makes sense.

 

Very cool!
I want one of those for sure.
Please polish that one up and send it to me to test!

 

Leave it like it is I love it and I have the line lock already installed in my car.

I need the switch on the handle, right now its just the wire and switch laying loose and it’s a pain to use but it’s a must have at the track and really cool at a stop light just being able to light it up and smoke the tires while waiting on the light to turn green.

How many people here actually turn on and off their overdrive on a daily basis as their driving around?

 

I will use the 12v (chaff canon or electric super soaker), but for most users I guess it will sit idle.
Couple of other Qs/thoughts for the future:
I wonder if there's a true 4th gear possible in the computer interface. Then it could go 1,2,3,4,D - with D being the true Automatic. It would be nice to seperate manual from automatic operation.
I love the steering wheel shifting on the BMW M6. For road racing it's an advantage to not drop the hand.
There's a significant lag in the Mustang manual shifting. I wonder if this can be fixed programatically.

If you're only ordering parts to build a couple hundred of these shifters, I believe you will run out in about the first 10 minutes.

 

The car keeps the revs up better with the overdrive off. But it's 5th gear on the highway. So for me I touch it every day. If I could tell the car that I want to keep the engine at 2000rpm or above, I wouldn't touch it at all.

But I pretty much always drive like a nut. Altough I don't smoke my tires at stoplights - so perhaps I'm not crazy after all

 

This may sound trivial but......you say no B&M logo on the bezel.I like others here have been true to B&M for 30+ years and when I look at my chifter I wanna see B&M on it lol....It's a mental thing I guess .
Maybe you can offer a clear optional sticker to put on it?

Either way I'm excited about it and cant wait to get one.I like the way it's progressing.

-John

 

Actually for most users it wont even be an option since the **** that will come with the unit will likely be a black B&M round or teardrop type **** with no button or anything on it. It will be an OPTION for those customers who would like to have the ability to hook up a 12V source to the button on the ****, either a ball or T-handle that they would purchase separately.

 

funny you mention that..if you go back through this thread the OVERWHELMING response to the logo being on the shifter was NO.It will be on the **** however though!..We may include a small raised decal for it or something as well...not sure yet

 

Guess I can dig threw my old B&M shifters and peel off oneof the stickers .

 

+1! I think Don (Dzzzz) is right on the mark. Chris is going in the wrong direction with the switch. To me, making it "modular" so that the end user can make the switch perform any function he or she wants it to is the way to go. That way, the switch on the T-handle or ball can be the O/D switch, line lock, 12V for "other" accessories or whatever the end user wants it to be, and vice-versa for the switch on the bezel. It can't be that difficult or expensive at this stage of development to build in that flexibility. Then you truely have a product that works for the masses!

 

Ditto. I hit mine multiple times a day. You get greater performance through the gears when the O/D is disengaged. Once I hit the open road, O/D gets reengaged for cruising. I hit this button at a minimum of 10 times a day. More if I am playing around.

 

This is true if you do not use the cup holders for anything. But if you place a beverage or some other type of item in the holders, I believe your statement would no longer apply. Based off the pic you provided, when the gear selector is in D, you would have to either reach over the item(s) in the cup holder or be a contortionist to fit your hand between the gear selector and the item(s) in the holders to reach the button. Not very convenient for "daily use" in my opinion. I may be a lone ranger on this one, but I actually use my cup holders daily. Just a thought.

 

The button that is going to be on the t-handle or ball is just a "dead" button unless it is hooked up to something. Any 12V source will allow to user to access this option so in essence it is modular.The ball or t-handle has the button with the wire connected to it and then the user needs to run whatever wiring he wants to hook it up. If we put the O.D. button on the handle then I am forced to include a T-handle with the shifter when purchased since that is the only way this would work, Couldn't use a ball **** on there because you would no longer have an O/D switch so nobody could change it out if they wanted. This then limits what we are able to offer the consumer...You all would be stuck with a T-handle with a Button on it for the O/D and another button for a 12V on the bezel.I too use my cup holders all the time in my car and it has never been that much of an issue for me even when I am shifting in my manual..So what's the fix for this then if I/ we went that way like you guys think?

 

this might be a silly question, but could we just hook up the 12V button to the O/D wires? Or will that not work? I use my O/D quite often (usually when I'm in the mountains), but I don't see a problem with having the button on the platform. Would be nice on the ball, but you can't please everyone :-) I can't wait for the shifter, I go from 3rd to 4th alot while I'm going down the mountains, I'm always worred that I might accidentaly slip it into 2nd instead of 3rd.

 

Even though I made an argument for the OD on the handle, my suggestion is that you make your first product with the 12v up top. These units will sell immediately to an understanding buyer, and the market will then give you further feed back for derivative products.
If the first product sells as well as some of us think it will, you will want to fill related niches anyways (because competitors will be glad to do this).
I also suggest you get your first build units to the tuners who have demonstrated skill with automatics - Brent at Brenspeed, JDM guys, and several other with a good rep. I see a bundle with your product and a "custom" canned automatic tune.
Also, I suggest you not underestimate every guys love for switches - especially switches with a red guard that needs to be flipped up to activate. (Like one would use to launch nuclear missiles). Guys will want to add switches to the console. I would like to add some buttons (I would drill) that were either a matching brushed aluminum or the important red buttons.
I'm not suggesting you do the button thing now, but as soon as your product is out in the market it's going to be customized. Smart companies look at these customization for future products.

 

well sub zero I see what your saying for the people on here that are specifically racing. But as you state yourself, most of these are not going to be sold to daily racers. So why would you do your company a disservice buy eliminating the biggest buying market which would be to have the o/d on the handle. You yourself are stating this. So in essence you are letting a big market disappear. I myself will not buy it if I have to reach around to find the o/d button cause as some state, we use it an awful lot in daily driving. If I want line locs, you only use them for seconds and easy to do with button down low. So I would reconsider that as an option for those that want it. Otherwise you maybe losing quite a few sales if your statement is correct. Thanks for considering it. I really think you should have the two seperate choices, to open up the buying market to a lot not just a few. Thanks.

 

Same here, I hit the OD button on and off numerous times each day. I would guess at least 10 times myself. The main reason I use it is to take advantage of tranny braking, but also the acceleration is better in slow down/ speed up traffic conditions.

I was arguing for the OD button being on the handle early on in this thread, but it's not a deal killer for me. Frankly I don't want the wire running from the handle down to the console anyway. I'm fine with the button being on the console as long as it's not a long reach from the handle. Preferably it's something I could reach with my hand resting on the handle.

I was a bit surprised at the negative reaction to the B&M logo being on the faceplate. I guess those of us that were hopping up cars in the 70's and 80's remember Hurst and B&M logos as being a badge of pride on our shifters. I would love to see the B&M logo engraved into the shifter arm.

 

Well if all of you want a T-handle offering in the shifter then Yes I could have the O/D button on the ****, but with NO other choices for *****.I can then request the button on the bezel be a dead button that those who want to hook something up to it can..

 

Chris, keep the O/D on the console and leave the options open for different handles, just as you are doing now. Remember, anyone that takes the time to remove and install a shifter is customizing the car and will want options. SO, you are on the right path for the custom crowd.

IMO.

-Bryan

 

+1. I can live with the OD button on the plate.

Kris