SHort Shifter ?

[proto2.0]

I own a 2003 lx..i am lookin to install a short shift but not sure which one to get....what is the best system out there...also can u out headers on a stock exhasut system until i get the money to buy a catback exhaust...thanx

[uclap5]

b&m, twm, kartboy are all good. im partial to my kartboy though.

yes a header will work on the stock exhaust.

[Boston5761]

what about the kartboy shifter with factory boot? and ive heard some knobs want fit aftermarket shifters but will stock one.

[Rosshole]

this is the difference between some of your options.

[proto2.0]

Does ur B&M perform well..and problems with it

[JCell]

i've had nothin but problems with my b&m, get a kartboy or a twl

[Rosshole]

Does ur B&M perform well..and problems with it

I have never had any issues with my b & m. I like it a lot.

Some people have nothing but problems with the Kartboys, and the TWM.


It seem that no matter what you go with, there is always going to be someone who has a complaint. My opinion is that all of these companies make a quality product.

[Caedmon7777]

I have been wodering if you can fit a Skunk 2 Weighted shift knob on a B&M Short Shifter?

[Velocifero]

I have installed and driven all three of them. Here is my breakdown of them and this is my opinion. The kartboy is the shortest height-wise, the TWM is the shortest throw distance, and B&M is the hardest to install and the tallest. what's missing in the picture that somebody threw up there to compare them is that is the first generation TWM, now they use a ball bearing bushing that is really kick ass. Here is my set up and other local pro owners love the way my car feels. I have the TWM shifter with the ball bearing bushings, bronze oil bushings on the front, and Kartboy polyurathane bushings, and TWM weighted knob. what I got out of it was a real short, firm, positive shift. Honestly one of my favorite mods.

[rwvault15]

I installed the B&M this fall and love it, but I can't offer anything about the other products for comparison. I've loved it so far, and haven't had any problems with it. I personally didn't want a short (height-wise) shifter because I'm so tall, so in that regard it was perfect for me. At first I thought it was amazingly short, but then I got used to it until I drove someone elses manual car and remembered how great it really is. The other reason I picked B&M is the thread pattern is the same as the mazdaspeed, so I have the 03.5 speed shift knob on it!

[Moonman8]

I have the TWM with the newer bushings as well as the Kartboy urethane linkage bushings. I like the throw distance and the height reduction (short enough but not grabbing my ankle to get to the shifter). Mine is a bit too notchy for my taste, but I'm going to put Redline MT-90 in the tranny soon to try and smooth out the shifts. Not sure about Kartboy and B&M, never tried them.

Not to threadjack but...does the fact that the point where the linkage meets the rod becomes lower with short shifters (i.e. reason why the heat shield must be lowered, bent, cut, etc.) have anything to do with notchiness and increased difficulty in getting the shifter into gear? I'm talking about the increased distance between the pivot ball on the rod and the bottom of the shift rod if that makes it any clearer.

[SinCityMP5]

Just wondering if anyone has tried the fidanza shifter? Is it any good?

[02 flice]

Hey I like the b&m shifter. I need some help on the speed part of things though. Anyone have any ideas

[Bartron8000]

so what should i get for my 99 ES? a TWM short shifter or a KartBoy?

[Boston5761]

Hey I like the b&m shifter. I need some help on the speed part of things though. Anyone have any ideas

obx header is a nice start and a aem short ram intake......check on ebay

[Velocifero]

so what should i get for my 99 ES? a TWM short shifter or a KartBoy?
TWM all day, ball bearing bushings and the shortest throw distance

[Caedmon7777]

obx header is a nice start and a aem short ram intake......check on ebay
Honestly I would go ahead and get the Injen CAI witht he OBX headers

[TheBryGuy]

What exactly do the kartboy bushings do? Do they make the shift smoother?

[Velocifero]

What exactly do the kartboy bushings do? Do they make the shift smoother?
they take some of the play out of the shifter, stock it kinda feels mushy, the polyurathane bushings (Kartboy or TWM) give you a more solid feel, you can really tell a difference.

[mzdalvr]

I own a 2003 lx..i am lookin to install a short shift but not sure which one to get....what is the best system out there...also can u out headers on a stock exhasut system until i get the money to buy a catback exhaust...thanx


For the short shifter - check this out: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123656281

[mzdalvr]

Just wondering if anyone has tried the fidanza shifter? Is it any good?

check the above link

[Adam02es]

I have the TWM with the weighted knob. Can't compare to kartboy or b&m, but I like it. It makes it a little harder to get it into 1st or 2nd, but it just takes some getting used to. 5th gear seems really far away now. I used to basically slide the stock shifter between 4th and 5th, the TWM short shifter forces you to concentrate and make an accurate shift. If nothing else, I promise you that you will never wonder what gear you are in or whether or not the gear is actually engaged ever again.

I realize this might sound like a lukewarm review, but to give it some perspective, I was horrified by driving my sister's '99 Corolla. And I only had to move it out of the driveway. Everything just felt wrong. Part of this might be driving a car I'm not used to. Since I don't have extensive experience with it, I don't want to go nuts trashing it. I can definitively say that the contrast with the TWM shifter in my '02 ES Protege and the '99 Corolla was ridiculous. In the Corolla I had absolute no idea what gear I was in or whether or not it was engaged. I just had to hit the gas and keep my fingers crossed.

Bottom line: I definitely recommend the TWM, especiall if you are installing it yourself.