American Muscle Short Throw Shifter
12/28/11, 06:52 AM
#1
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American Muscle Short Throw Shifter
Hello everyone. I have a 2011 5.0 with 6 speed. Not a huge fan of it, shifting from 1 to 2 is a chore sometimes (regardless of the shift solenoid). Sometimes in the morning it pops out second, this only happens when the car is cold.
So like a lot of others I started looking at short throw shifters, I am not into racing too much, this is my daily driver. I just want a good shift and like the reverse lock out mecahnism. This puts the Hurst out of the running.
I looked at Steeda and they are a little pricey, not too much but just a little. The third one I looked at is an American Muscle Shifter for $149, seems more of my price range. Does anyone here have experience with it. AM's website reviews are good but wanted to check with some more people.
Thanks for your input.
So like a lot of others I started looking at short throw shifters, I am not into racing too much, this is my daily driver. I just want a good shift and like the reverse lock out mecahnism. This puts the Hurst out of the running.
I looked at Steeda and they are a little pricey, not too much but just a little. The third one I looked at is an American Muscle Shifter for $149, seems more of my price range. Does anyone here have experience with it. AM's website reviews are good but wanted to check with some more people.
Thanks for your input.
12/28/11, 10:24 AM
#3
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The MGW is not in his price range, besides, if he wants to greatly improve the shift quality you don't have to re engineer the whole shifter to do that.
If price is an issue PM me and we can discuss getting things within your budget. Our shifter wont have any significant noise issues that need to be covered up by dynomat either.
Here is a testimonial for you from a guy who switched to our shifter and rear support bushing from a competitor in order not to have NVH he had previously from another forum.
I had the shifter and bracket removed and my OEM shifter reinstalled. A month later, I decided to try the Steeda shifter and took a ride to their Pompano Beach facility. I had Steeda install their shifter with the "red" hard rubber insert in their back bracket, as opposed to their "black" very hard rubber insert(which would have slightly more nvh due to increased rigidity). I have driven the past 3 weeks with the Steeda and here are my observations: NVH is barely increased over the stock shifter and is significantly less than the previous shifter.
If price is an issue PM me and we can discuss getting things within your budget. Our shifter wont have any significant noise issues that need to be covered up by dynomat either.
Here is a testimonial for you from a guy who switched to our shifter and rear support bushing from a competitor in order not to have NVH he had previously from another forum.
I had the shifter and bracket removed and my OEM shifter reinstalled. A month later, I decided to try the Steeda shifter and took a ride to their Pompano Beach facility. I had Steeda install their shifter with the "red" hard rubber insert in their back bracket, as opposed to their "black" very hard rubber insert(which would have slightly more nvh due to increased rigidity). I have driven the past 3 weeks with the Steeda and here are my observations: NVH is barely increased over the stock shifter and is significantly less than the previous shifter.
12/28/11, 10:42 AM
#4
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2011BlackStang5.0, Once you see what they actually replace with the MGW, you understand why it is so much of a better design. All the others on the market do not get rid of the awful factory bushings, and the singular mounting point in the rear which allows the shifter to twist in its mount. The MGW replaces the complete assembly and adds a second rear mounting point to remove the twist of the shifter, and also replaces the stock bushings.
I know your budget is a bit low, and the MGW is expensive, but after trying the others and the MGW, there is no better shifter on the market. I am not a racer, and it is my daily as well, but I think a good shifter is the most important piece of the driving experience along with a good clutch feel.
12/28/11, 11:02 AM
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Sorry, but I disagree completely. I had the Barton and bracket, tried the Steeda and bracket with both inserts, and then tried the MGW. I immediately sold my Barton, and ordered an MGW. There is no comparison in performance and feel of the shifter.
2011BlackStang5.0, Once you see what they actually replace with the MGW, you understand why it is so much of a better design. All the others on the market do not get rid of the awful factory bushings, and the singular mounting point in the rear which allows the shifter to twist in its mount. The MGW replaces the complete assembly and adds a second rear mounting point to remove the twist of the shifter, and also replaces the stock bushings.
I know your budget is a bit low, and the MGW is expensive, but after trying the others and the MGW, there is no better shifter on the market. I am not a racer, and it is my daily as well, but I think a good shifter is the most important piece of the driving experience along with a good clutch feel.
2011BlackStang5.0, Once you see what they actually replace with the MGW, you understand why it is so much of a better design. All the others on the market do not get rid of the awful factory bushings, and the singular mounting point in the rear which allows the shifter to twist in its mount. The MGW replaces the complete assembly and adds a second rear mounting point to remove the twist of the shifter, and also replaces the stock bushings.
I know your budget is a bit low, and the MGW is expensive, but after trying the others and the MGW, there is no better shifter on the market. I am not a racer, and it is my daily as well, but I think a good shifter is the most important piece of the driving experience along with a good clutch feel.
He's got choices no matter what his budget, we'll let him decide from there.
12/28/11, 12:32 PM
#6
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Let me just throw something in here...
Any of these options listed above is going to be better than the oem.
I personally have the am short shifter on my 2000 gt, i know different car, but the thing is awful, it grinds and wont let me get in gear sometimes, and dosent have very good quality.
The fact that Steeda is willing to work with you on price is pretty cool, and i personally would take advantage of that. I would go with well know brand like steeda, mgw ect. I took the cheap road and got the am, totally regret not saving up a little more money for a mgw or steeda.
Any of these options listed above is going to be better than the oem.
I personally have the am short shifter on my 2000 gt, i know different car, but the thing is awful, it grinds and wont let me get in gear sometimes, and dosent have very good quality.
The fact that Steeda is willing to work with you on price is pretty cool, and i personally would take advantage of that. I would go with well know brand like steeda, mgw ect. I took the cheap road and got the am, totally regret not saving up a little more money for a mgw or steeda.
12/28/11, 02:45 PM
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My girlfriend gave me an american muscle short throw for christmas and I installed it yesterday. I definitely think it os worth the money. Its a good product and fixed my 2nd to 3rd shifting issue. I would say that it probably reduced the throw anywheres from 25-35 % . And install was a breeze.
12/28/11, 03:15 PM
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OK all the set ups are impressive to me. The quality issue is one that may be discovered only after I (or any one) gets and uses the product. Steedagus I have PMed you. My thing is that Steeds specifically works with Mustangs and develops products for them. So I believe it would be a good product. I am not saying that MGW or Barton or anyone else does not make a good product. Anyway sounds there are good results with the AM also.
12/28/11, 03:58 PM
#9
Bullitt Member
Avi, I would take a look at the Customer Reviews that we have on our site and see what feedback we have been getting on the product. The reviews have been extremely positive, and I think you'll see that the quality of the shifter is VERY good, especially being at such a low price point. It still retains the factory reverse lockout, and we've yet to receive negative feedback on this shifter.
MT82 Short Throw Shifter (11-12 GT, V6) - Free Shipping at AmericanMuscle.com!
If you're looking for something that is bullet-proof, aircraft billet aluminum or full adjustability, we also sell those - but at a higher pricepoint. We recently installed both the Hurst Billet Plus 2 short throw and the Barton short throw shifter and bracket on our 2012 Mustang GT, Project Blackout. We ran them both at the track for a few weeks at a time, and honestly - other than the reverse lockout difference - they both held up to abuse, shifted smooth and firm and I couldn't find a clear-cut "better" shifter.
We have customer submitted images and reviews on the product pages for all 3 of those products, as well as video. Spend some time looking through them and see what you think!
Hope this helps, hit me up for the forum discount before you place any orders, so I can save you a few bucks!
Chris
MT82 Short Throw Shifter (11-12 GT, V6) - Free Shipping at AmericanMuscle.com!
If you're looking for something that is bullet-proof, aircraft billet aluminum or full adjustability, we also sell those - but at a higher pricepoint. We recently installed both the Hurst Billet Plus 2 short throw and the Barton short throw shifter and bracket on our 2012 Mustang GT, Project Blackout. We ran them both at the track for a few weeks at a time, and honestly - other than the reverse lockout difference - they both held up to abuse, shifted smooth and firm and I couldn't find a clear-cut "better" shifter.
We have customer submitted images and reviews on the product pages for all 3 of those products, as well as video. Spend some time looking through them and see what you think!
Hope this helps, hit me up for the forum discount before you place any orders, so I can save you a few bucks!
Chris
Last edited by AMChrisRose; 12/30/11 at 12:32 PM.
12/28/11, 04:02 PM
#10
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My girlfriend gave me an american muscle short throw for christmas and I installed it yesterday. I definitely think it os worth the money. Its a good product and fixed my 2nd to 3rd shifting issue. I would say that it probably reduced the throw anywheres from 25-35 % . And install was a breeze.
Chris
12/28/11, 06:30 PM
#11
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Chris that looks like a great piece. I just got a 5.0 and wanted to improve my shifting. I have been looking at a couple brands but your shifter looks like the cheapest one!! I looked at the web page and didn't see where it was made. Is that piece made in the USA? I would like to stick to American products on the Mustang. Can you let me know?
Thanks
Sparks
Thanks
Sparks
12/29/11, 11:42 AM
#13
Bullitt Member
Chris that looks like a great piece. I just got a 5.0 and wanted to improve my shifting. I have been looking at a couple brands but your shifter looks like the cheapest one!! I looked at the web page and didn't see where it was made. Is that piece made in the USA? I would like to stick to American products on the Mustang. Can you let me know?
Thanks
Sparks
Thanks
Sparks
We could very easily offer a billet aluminum, fully adjustable shifter at a higher price point, but we already offer shifters in that price point that leave nothing left to be desired! How can you beat a dual pivot trunnion and aircraft aluminum? Our own product would just fall in line with everyone else...
No matter what you decide, make sure to post back here and give an honest review. Give me a shout and let me know if you have absolutely any questions, need install or tech help, etc.! We've installed our shifter, Hurst, Barton and many other in our own 2012 GT, 2012 Boss, customer vehicles, etc. and have put them all to the test!
Last edited by AMChrisRose; 12/29/11 at 11:45 AM.
12/29/11, 12:50 PM
#16
Bullitt Member
Hurst was the original shifter on our black 2012 GT Project Blackout - granted our private label shifter wasn't done yet. The Hurst has been great for us! I kind of like the removal of the reverse lockout, but some customers want to retain it. Either way, solid shifter, solid construction - good price!
We then had our shifter on it and went to the track with it, as well. We also installed our shifter on a few cars we sourced from local customers, all during the last stage of production with the private label. It's perfect for the spirited-driven street car that is going to see the weekend track use a few times a year. We're back with the Hurst again, so we can pick up the video series where we left off in early spring!
The 2012 Boss, we were (and still are) using that as a Road Course car, so we've been beating the crap out of it here at NJMP with the Barton shifter/bracket combo. We wanted bullet-proof, adjustable and solid as a rock. We're up/downshifting more times at the track for an hour or two than the typical Mustang shifts in a month! LOL This is why if I said if you're looking for something that can't be broken, the Barton is amazing at its job.
We then had our shifter on it and went to the track with it, as well. We also installed our shifter on a few cars we sourced from local customers, all during the last stage of production with the private label. It's perfect for the spirited-driven street car that is going to see the weekend track use a few times a year. We're back with the Hurst again, so we can pick up the video series where we left off in early spring!
The 2012 Boss, we were (and still are) using that as a Road Course car, so we've been beating the crap out of it here at NJMP with the Barton shifter/bracket combo. We wanted bullet-proof, adjustable and solid as a rock. We're up/downshifting more times at the track for an hour or two than the typical Mustang shifts in a month! LOL This is why if I said if you're looking for something that can't be broken, the Barton is amazing at its job.
Last edited by AMChrisRose; 12/29/11 at 01:55 PM.
12/29/11, 04:22 PM
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This is good information. BTW, I was leaving for work this AM and it was 25 Deg. F out side. Backed out of drive way OK, went in first ok. Moved to about 10 MPH and did not trigger skip shift, tried going to second but nope, it would not go there. So I went into third and carried on. At the end of my street about 1500 feet away I came to a full stop, went into neutral, when it was time to go, car went in 1, 2, 3 ...4 and 5 no problems like butter. I am a bit baffled with this build quality, does not happen to our Volvo S40 T5 or my previous Honda or BMW before that.
Did some research and found a TSB about fluid, which being a mechanical engineer I see how it can be a problem, but I also question, why does the fluid viscosity affect 1 to 2 but not 1 to 3. I mean come on to me that TSB sounds like it was written by an intern. And it also mentioned that the fluid with the heavier viscosity is synthetic, is synthetic the whole point is Not to be affected by temperature, hmmm not quite sure what the problem is but feels more mechanical that a simple thicker fluid issue. Thicker fluid would be mushy not feel like there is no gear 2. Anyway I like the car other than the whole reason that I bought manual to actually enjoy driving again and it seems that a minivan will blow me away while I sit there try to look for gears hahaha...
Did some research and found a TSB about fluid, which being a mechanical engineer I see how it can be a problem, but I also question, why does the fluid viscosity affect 1 to 2 but not 1 to 3. I mean come on to me that TSB sounds like it was written by an intern. And it also mentioned that the fluid with the heavier viscosity is synthetic, is synthetic the whole point is Not to be affected by temperature, hmmm not quite sure what the problem is but feels more mechanical that a simple thicker fluid issue. Thicker fluid would be mushy not feel like there is no gear 2. Anyway I like the car other than the whole reason that I bought manual to actually enjoy driving again and it seems that a minivan will blow me away while I sit there try to look for gears hahaha...
12/29/11, 04:29 PM
#19
Shelby GT350 Member
Originally Posted by 2011BlackStang5.0
This is good information. BTW, I was leaving for work this AM and it was 25 Deg. F out side. Backed out of drive way OK, went in first ok. Moved to about 10 MPH and did not trigger skip shift, tried going to second but nope, it would not go there. So I went into third and carried on. At the end of my street about 1500 feet away I came to a full stop, went into neutral, when it was time to go, car went in 1, 2, 3 ...4 and 5 no problems like butter. I am a bit baffled with this build quality, does not happen to our Volvo S40 T5 or my previous Honda or BMW before that.
Did some research and found a TSB about fluid, which being a mechanical engineer I see how it can be a problem, but I also question, why does the fluid viscosity affect 1 to 2 but not 1 to 3. I mean come on to me that TSB sounds like it was written by an intern. And it also mentioned that the fluid with the heavier viscosity is synthetic, is synthetic the whole point is Not to be affected by temperature, hmmm not quite sure what the problem is but feels more mechanical that a simple thicker fluid issue. Thicker fluid would be mushy not feel like there is no gear 2. Anyway I like the car other than the whole reason that I bought manual to actually enjoy driving again and it seems that a minivan will blow me away while I sit there try to look for gears hahaha...
Did some research and found a TSB about fluid, which being a mechanical engineer I see how it can be a problem, but I also question, why does the fluid viscosity affect 1 to 2 but not 1 to 3. I mean come on to me that TSB sounds like it was written by an intern. And it also mentioned that the fluid with the heavier viscosity is synthetic, is synthetic the whole point is Not to be affected by temperature, hmmm not quite sure what the problem is but feels more mechanical that a simple thicker fluid issue. Thicker fluid would be mushy not feel like there is no gear 2. Anyway I like the car other than the whole reason that I bought manual to actually enjoy driving again and it seems that a minivan will blow me away while I sit there try to look for gears hahaha...
12/30/11, 06:50 AM
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Well this morning I took the car to the dealership. As usual on my drive there no going into second gear for the first 1000 or 1500 feet. After two stop lights second gear engages. They have to replicate the problem to put in corrective action. So I have an appointment to drop the car off on Thursday evening. I will go for test drive with them next Friday, hoping the problem is recreated. It does it every morning for, so the dealer should not be spared.
They said if I change to Royal Purple etc fluids it does not void the warranty as they meet or exceed the recommended specs.
They said if I change to Royal Purple etc fluids it does not void the warranty as they meet or exceed the recommended specs.