Feelin' mighty stupid.
So I ordered a Kartboy short-throw shifter for my new ride on Monday and it arrived today (along with a bunch of bar equipment which I ordered)! So today was Christmas all over again.
I was reading up on the internet about how easy it was to install a short-throw shifter. Watched the video... undo some bolts, pull the old shifter out of its socket, use a hammer and a block of wood to pound the new shifter in, screw everything back in. Done. Well, getting the new shifter in turned out to be a huge bitch. I have the enormous dents in several planks of wood to prove it. I tried everything, even had Kathy run to QFC for the heaviest rubber mallet she could find. She came back with an 8-ounce mallet. I was scared shitless. The car is undrivable without a shifter, and blocking the driveway. I had turned a brand new car into a 3100 pound paperweight. This is what being a complete and total dumbass feels like. It took Ken and a 2-pound rubber mallet to finally pound the fucker on home.
Thankfully in the end it was a happy ending! The throw with the new shifter is indeed nice and short. 4th to 5th doesn't feel like I'm crossing a timezone anymore. Despite some increases in stress level, it's the cheapest rice-rocket investment a guy can make for a serious ++fun-to-drive.
I was reading up on the internet about how easy it was to install a short-throw shifter. Watched the video... undo some bolts, pull the old shifter out of its socket, use a hammer and a block of wood to pound the new shifter in, screw everything back in. Done. Well, getting the new shifter in turned out to be a huge bitch. I have the enormous dents in several planks of wood to prove it. I tried everything, even had Kathy run to QFC for the heaviest rubber mallet she could find. She came back with an 8-ounce mallet. I was scared shitless. The car is undrivable without a shifter, and blocking the driveway. I had turned a brand new car into a 3100 pound paperweight. This is what being a complete and total dumbass feels like. It took Ken and a 2-pound rubber mallet to finally pound the fucker on home.
Thankfully in the end it was a happy ending! The throw with the new shifter is indeed nice and short. 4th to 5th doesn't feel like I'm crossing a timezone anymore. Despite some increases in stress level, it's the cheapest rice-rocket investment a guy can make for a serious ++fun-to-drive.