On his way to an install in the Waltham, MA area, the illustrious ToyGuy (a.k.a., Craig) paid a visit to Southborough today and installed one of his adjustable height short shifters.

I gotta tell you -- I'm torn as to which mod I prefer: the H-Sport anti-sway bars or the ToyGuy SS. The combination of the two (did the H-Sports last week) has given me a connection with my car that REALLY has me lamenting the current price of gas. I just don't want to get out of the car!

For those of you not familiar with the ToyGuy SS, let me give you some background... Craig is a mechanical engineer (used to work at Hasbro -- thus the name) who wanted to improve the performance and precision of the S4 shifter. Instead of merely lopping off the top of the shifter to shorten the throw, he completely relocated and reworked the pivot of the shifter. For details on how this is done, I would refer you to his website at www.toyguydesign.com. Here's a pic of the modification he's worked:



The result is a 30% reduction in throw distance at stock height. Because the height is end-user adjustable, it can further be reduced, up to 41%. At this point, I've got the height set at 3/8" below stock, reducing the throw by around 35%.

While the reduction in throw is great and makes for quicker shifts -- especially when getting on it -- it's the incresed precision that I most appreciate. The slop associated with the stock shifter is all but eliminated. The result is that shifting is made with less effort and greater confidence. If you're a cyclist and have made the transition from down-tube mounted shifters to those integrated into the brake levers, you know the result. You end up shifting more often to get yourself into just the right gear ratio you need because it's that much easier.

Downsides? IMO, none. There is what many people call an increased "notchiness" after this mod (accentuated if you lower it beyond stock height), but this is the result of some basic physics. Because your lever arm is shorter, you feel the resistance of the detents for each gear more than you would with a stock shifter. While the sensation is different and may take some getting used to, I consider the trade-off for the greatly improved precision to be a no-brainer. I'll take a little extra notchiness to pick up more precise shifting any day.

Given how much the shifter connects you to the driving experience in a manual car, I can recommend this mod without qualification. Price was $150 for the adjustable height SS. Non-adjustable height shifters (stock height & 30% throw reduction) are $110. Both prices include the return of your old shifter (add $40 if you don't). While you can get some similar ones out there for less, it's my understanding that ToyGuy developed this SS architecture and all of the other's are modeled on his work. If you're in New England, you can also have Criag do the install (he lives about 1/2 way between Boston and Providence) -- something he does NOT surcharge for. This fact, combined with owning "an original," make the price well worth it for this great mod.

Final note... I'm not in any way associated with ToyGuy and was not given any kind of break on my purchase. As such, these comments represent an unsolicited personal endorsement.