MK1b gear lever modification

[MegatronUK]

I don't know what other people have found, but in my mk1b I found that when shifting into 1st, 3rd and 5th, the shifter would hit both the front of the plastic surround and the actual metal base of the shift plate that the lever bolts to.

It wasn't a real problem, only get on my nerves when changing up less than smoothly, but I reckon it would annoy after a time.

Problem 1 was solved with a different gear knob (alloy Momo Competizione) which is both shorter and slimmer than the standard leather one.

Problem 2 required the shifter assembly to be unbolted from the tunnel and the gear lever parts unbolted from the bottom plate. We then just used a round file to make a nice 'D' shape at the front of the base of the gear lever so that when you shift all the way forwards, the front of the lever doesn't hit the base plate.

We also decided to do something about the lever sitting too far forward, which I know is something some people have mentioned, but not others. This was easy - cut a small 'V' in the back of the gear lever and bend the upper part of the lever backwards, then weld over the cut.

Result is much better shifting and a nicer looking gear lever... I also coupled it with a new leather mk1 gear gaitor from RhonsMR2.

Unfortunately my camera batteries died, so I'll have to get pics tonight.

[superchargedsam]

sounds good fella and look forward to some pics of this as it sounds like a very neat mod !

[Paul Woods]

yep this is pretty much what ive had to do too...nik welded a neat triangle into his linkage to make the throw right,theres a thread on here somewhere with the different mods.

[lodgeman]

do you still have to do this mod with a short shifter kit?

[Paul Woods]

im not sure....ive always had to shorten the left cable to get all the gears and cut the stick and bend it back a bit to centre it.