[Westwood's Guinea Pig]

Hello <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />



Well, first post, I've just put a deposit on a nice 968 Sport and collect it from the specialist dealer after it has had a thorough spannering by them. I'm in the UK, write for a few car mags, and this will be my first 968.



The car I've bought is spotless, previously enthusiast owned, with a stack of bills. My only observation is that the gearchange is slightly baggy. I've driven a 944 previously, and that was the same, but I'm wondering if there's any way to get it as 'snickety' as my MX-5 (Thats a Miata/Eunos to you colonial types) ?



Also; the car will live mostly outside and will get plenty of use on wet and muddy roads - the brake pipes have all been replaced but I'm considering getting the underside treated to keep tinworm at bay. Anyone else done this ?



Cheers,



Westwood's Guinea Pig.

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[94SilverCab]

Welcome.



Look for Design 1 Racing and get your credit card out...he's going out of business, so buy everything on his site that's not sold out.



Jay

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[tamathumper]

Welcome! I've never treated my P-cars as they're marvelously impervious to rust, even here in New England where the roads are salted heavily. Not that my car ever gets to meet that salt directly, mind you, but it's still on the roads late into the spring/summer season and cars here tend to rot out much more quickly than in America's warmer climes.

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[DaveN]

Welcome. You have definitely nailed a weak point in the trans. It has always shifted a bit dodgy compared to anything foreign (Japanese) or even post 968 in the Porsche family. It is not a precise, 2 fingered shift like other cars. Sometimes I wonder if a shiftgate might be a good thing. If your tranny is in tiptop repair then the best you can do is add a short shift. I doubt Flash (Design1Racing.com) has any left but he may do batch runs in the future; best ask him.

Cheers.

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[flash]

i'm not "going out of business". i will be doing a run of stuff. i just don't know when it will be yet. i'm condensing things to 1 or 2 runs a year of pre-ordered products. i'll make an announcement when i think there is enough level of interest in things to justify the time it takes to do it all.



there is a whole thread about this though, and we don't need to detract from the new member's thread.



back on topic - welcome!!! i look forward to seeing pics.

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[Westwood's Guinea Pig]

Thanks all.



Pictures to follow when I've collected the car (probably in a week or two). Roads here are wet and muddy most of the year so I think I'll have to invest in some rust-protection. I've seen 944s rot to nothing here and I'm guessing the 968 isn't any better protected.



Short shift ? I'll see if I can find a car that's had that mod and compare. I'd like to get it a bit tighter, if possible.

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[Rap]

I have many of Flash's products on my cars and an sc to soon be installed but I suspect with all due respect to Flash that there are other short shifters out there! By the way welcome and enjoy your ride!

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[hot968]

Welcome you'll find any info u may want here on this forum, I don't know what a short shift is but I do have trouble shifting from 2nd to 3rd alot of times I miss and end up in 5th.

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[flash]

lol - actually, there is only one other, and it requires a different knob, and it buzzes. mine is the only one that uses the OEM knob, and does not buzz.

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[Rap]

I stand corrected! Lol

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[Westwood's Guinea Pig]

"baggy gearbox", defined:



"shifting from 2nd to 3rd alot of times I miss and end up in 5th."

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[tamathumper]

You know, now that you mention it, I'm not all that good at shifting this car. I miss about 5% of the time, whereas I don't generally miss at all on any other stick,... I was blaming the "baggy driver" all this time, but now I think that's pebbledash. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[flash]

the key to shifting accurately is to never use your fingers. do not grab it like a pistol.



rest the cup of the palm of your hand lightly on the top of the knob, and let your hand fall down over the knob..

in a rocking motion, allowing the top of the knob to glide in the cup of your palm, and move the knob fore and aft from gear to gear.



our knob rests in the 3-4 slot when properly adjusted, and will find its way there all by itself if you let it. the most common mistake is to go from 2 to 3 and apply sideways pressure, which often puts it into 5th. if you just "pop" it out of 2, let it naturally fall into the 3-4 slot, and then forward into 3, you'll never miss the shift.



you should only be applying pressure to the side when you want to go to the 1-2 slot, reverse, or the 5-6 slot. no sideways pressure should ever be used to go to the 3-4 slot.



it is very difficult to control things if you "pistol grip" the shifter. it is very easy if you get the fingers out of the game. any kinesiologist will tell you that the key to accuracy in any sport is the reduction and limitation of the number of body parts involved in the motion.



the lighter the touch the better. as you get better at it, you will find that the motion is not 3 short independent ones, but 1 smooth one. you'll never get there though if you manhandle the shifter.

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[KRAG50]

One other spot in the shift linkage that can cause slop, is back on the top of the transmission. Last summer doing a track day 5th to 3rd short shift, I missed, resulting in a blown 1st /2nd syncro hub. I dropped the tyranny out for replacement and "while in there" discovered a Polymer bushing that is used for directional change of the shift linkage. The two holes that the linkage shafts travel though were worn-out, egg shaped by as much a .42mm larger than the linkage rods. These car are old and this is one place a new piece will provide a much crisper shift.

BTY I was running the DIR short shift, a good kit.

Oh, someone sells an aluminium version, and I think it has a problem with heat, swelling and binding, so watch it with this replacement. I think it would also increase the shifter buzz, ok for racing but not street cars.

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[Chris Vais]

When these cars were first introduced there was some chatter in the automotive press about sloppy or balky shifting. The first time I drove a 968, I was impressed with how nice the gearbox was to shift so I think as Flash stated in his post, there is a proper way to shift these cars. He is absolutely right about resting ones hand on the shifter ball and using a light touch.

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[flash]

yes - that's why i said "properly adjusted". if the rear bushing is worn, you never really get that adjustment right. there are adjustable points in the rear, and in the front. everything has to be right for it to work like it should. if it isn't, you get the kinds of things you experienced. not fun.



re the aluminum version: i think you are referring to the stuttgart shift block. early versions had a very real binding issue. later ones got better, but it's still aluminum and when it gets really hot, can definitely create problems.

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[bombfactory]

I'm pretty sure I have the metal version of the rear shift block in my car - installed by a previous owner. Shifting has a very metallic clunky feel and sound, which I don't like. I'll be going back to the stock piece at some point, and probably add a D1R short shifter if there happens to be another run of them.

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[flash]

i'm think you have the 944 Racing shift kit (not available for years now), and not the stuttgart shift block.



did we not install a D1R short shifter in your car? i thought we did. not sure how we missed that.



i'm quite sure there will be another run of them. i just don't know yet how long it will be before i do that.

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[hot968]

WOW thanks so much for the insight into the shift problem I am having. I am also experiencing putting it in reverse instead of first which I find odd. I drove a Toyaota for years and never had any problem hitting the right shift. I am going to practice what you wrote Flash and see if it is me or a problem which I didn't know about. Thanks

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[flash]

no worries.



i came from british crash boxes, so i am all too familiar with the problems of man-handling the shifter. i learned to be gentle, just to avoid the vibration in the shifter from beating the snot out of my hand when i missed the gear and it went "grrrrunch"



i still mess up when i get the adrenaline pumping though.



take your time and go slow at first to get the feel of the positions and how the shifter falls into place. you'll quickly find the "sweet spot" and then be able to shift a lot more smoothly and quickly.

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