[2018 Blue 1LE]

2018 2SS 1LE



I have read what I can find, but this does not seem to have been discussed much, if at all really.


Car is new to me and I have not driven it hard much until recently due to weather(snow and ice).


Buddy and I both had this issue last weekend, he is 10 years older and grew up street racing.


We both missed the 2nd to 3rd and went into 5th. He also missed one other shift, not getting into gear.


I know more repetition will get me, him too, more familiar with the car and shifting.


Will the Hurst sifter be that much better at making it into the right gear?
From what I have read, it is a good improvement over the regular shifter, but not much better than the 1LE.



I looked at the sequential shifter option, but since there is not much out there about it for the 6th gen specifically, I am not too comfortable going that route. It is definitely a cool factor!!


The car is a weekend driver, have a company van at this point, so daily driver comforts are of minimal concern, at least for now.
I have no intentions of much more than bolt-ons for now.


Pros


Cons


Recommendations/suggestions


Thanks

[david_acm]

I know I missed a few shifts when the car was new to me but I can't recall the last time it happened in the last 2 years or so. Perhaps you are not yet used to the relatively short throw of the 1LE shifter? I don't have a Hurst, but wouldn't an even shorter shift exacerbate the issue?

[GreyGhost702]

The OE 1LE shifter being a short throw relative to what? An IROC?

For the average Joe, I feel like if you're missing your proper gear gate, your muscle memory hasn't sync'd with your reflex speed, or how fast your arm/hand is capable of moving. Much like a gun-slinger, anybody can whip their pistol out fast, but it takes practice (and talent) to pull it out where it needs to be. Same for shifting fast. Assuming no mechanical constraints, throwing the shifter to the next gear is just knowing where the gate is. If you're going from 2nd to 5th, you're obviously not in the right place.

Also, the OE shifter is relatively light, so it does take some effort particularly when shifting quickly. A weighted shifter knob may help some. Most importantly, be mindful and deliberate when shifting fast. The 6 speeds spread the power curve further compared to an auto, so there is plenty of time between gears to mentally prepare yourself for the next gear. If you get flustered or lost while in "gun-slinger mode" you may wind up shooting yourself in the foot, or money shifting the car. Going from 2nd to 5th at WOT isn't a pleasant experience for your drivetrain any more than 3rd to 2nd.

As to whether an Aftermarket Short-Throw would be the cure, it's an unknown. I would say if your muscle memory is more in tune to a shorter throw, perhaps it would help as it would be more familiar. But if not, it could make things worse since your muscles would have to relearn your shift throws from scratch. I've watched some really talented manual drivers shift the OE shifter mind-blowingly fast, so it's completely do-able without an aftermarket replacement. Ultimately, if you're building the car for competitive use it's probably worth doing and relearning. Competitively you'll want every advantage you can get, particularly when squaring up against a modern Auto.

[david_acm]

I've no clue what car OP is coming from but I'd be willing to wager the OE 1LE throw is shorter. Going from 2nd to 5th sounds like overshooting the intended gear which is why I think this might be the case. Either that or as you mentioned, muscle memory might need tuning.

[GreyGhost702]

Originally Posted by david_acm

I've no clue what car OP is coming from but I'd be willing to wager the OE 1LE throw is shorter.

I drove a friends '89 IROC the other day, so I was just being a smartass lol. It's pretty mint, all OEM 39,xxx miles still feels like it's new for its day. Very raw torquey feeling car compared to what I'm driving. At least to the butt dyno comparison. Not sure if torque management is the holy grail for modern vehicles or not. Sure makes me want to puke when I look at tuning parameters compared to previous LS powered applications. Either way, the shifter throw in the IROC compared to mine had me grinding gears in his. I had to really slow down my left foot for the extra delay in throw. Messed me up again when I got back into my car. I couldn't live like that, LOL.

[Abubaca]

I had a 6th gen, a 3rd gen, and a BMW e46, all with manuals, all at the same time, and I was daily driving the e46. All shifted completely different, and it took a few miles on each to get used to each one after driving another. Pro 5.0 shifter in the Iroc was dead solid and precise, but long throw. The e46 was pure butter. Smoothest I ever drove, but sloppy and flexy feeling. Great trans and clutch, garbage shifter. 6th is fantastic all around, but not great at anything. Gates could be spaced out more IMHO. Love 'em all though.


As for the Hurst shifter... ....I never understood the love of the short shifter. Unless you have money on the line and you've got a lot of seat time, where every second matters, it's a much less enjoyable experience. I notice a lot of the drag guys actually run a longer lever too, sooo, I dunno. The precision shift I like, but give me a regular throw/ratio, and regular length lever please.

[GreyGhost702]

Originally Posted by Abubaca

As for the Hurst shifter... ....I never understood the love of the short shifter. Unless you have money on the line and you've got a lot of seat time, where every second matters, it's a much less enjoyable experience. I notice a lot of the drag guys actually run a longer lever too, sooo, I dunno. The precision shift I like, but give me a regular throw/ratio, and regular length lever please.

Amen. For the 99% daily driver or weekend toy 1% track duty, OE throw is where most want to be. Change your shift knob and dial in a preferred transmission fluid will be your better money spent IMO. To get through these shift gates you need good lube and leverage. A weighted shift knob will act as a leverage modifier as force is applied with momentum. A short throw will usually require more effort as leverage is given up in favor of shorter travel. Which means you'll have to be even more accurate in your throw to hit the right gate. Smashing the lever between the gates is when you throw the dice on over-throw and whether you'll face a money shift, skip shift, or just an over-rev.

[DeuceCam]

Give it time. The stock shifting experience is a little weird on this car, IMO; it's a combination of short height, moderate throw and effort. I feel like the high center console makes the experience even less ergonomic.

[JT6Speed]

I'd love to find a weighted shift knob that is in the style of an old school white cue ball. I've seen Speed Dawg makes some but not sure how heavy they actually are. I think that would help for sure.

[s346k]

i went from a 1LE shifter to a hurst. i don't remember anything spectacular. honestly i had no trouble shifting the car to start with and only recall a difference in notchiness. a lot of work for little to no gain.

[Dabjbr]

I recently went from 1le to Hurst. Definitely adds some notchiness but I would disagree with s346k above.

I bet if you were to drive another person's car and then yours back to back, you'd notice a significant difference. My gut tells me you've just become accustom the Hurst now.

All that said, OP, if you're rushing the shift, especially on the track during disruptive corners, it's not uncommon to miss 3rd. I recommend slowing a tad allowing the shifter to spring into center before forcing it forward. Once you have the muscle memory, you can speed up. My opinion is a .1 second delay is well worth it versus a money shift.

[speedyink1]

That's not an error shift I've ever made.. actually I can't really think of any times I shifted into the wrong gear, the shifter seems pretty bang on.

[Curr]

Originally Posted by JT6Speed

I'd love to find a weighted shift knob that is in the style of an old school white cue ball. I've seen Speed Dawg makes some but not sure how heavy they actually are. I think that would help for sure.

They are very light. But look and feel 'old school' which I freakin' love.

[2018 Blue 1LE]

All good info to ponder!!


I did add the Speed Dawg knob, I liked the look better and was able to get it to blend in with the car color too.


I have driven the car 1,000 miles since I bought it in mid Nov '24, 450 of that was from the dealer home. So I am still getting used to the car and to that point changing the shifter now, if it was an improvement, would be the time to do it since I would not have any muscle memory to overcome.