Does your 996 exhibit rubbery and vague shifter feel?

The factory shift **** is often overlooked as a source of this sloppiness, but it shouldn�t be - comprised of mainly rubber and plastic, the OEM **** separates and numbs the driver from the mechanicals. FUNCTION-FIRST Performance strives to reconnect drivers to their vehicles with the new SLOTTED SHIFT **** Our Slotted Shift **** is machined from solid billet 6061-T6 aluminum to ensure that all shifting effort is transferred to the shifter, not lost to a flexing shift ****. The 2-inch diameter fits firmly in the palm, and is spaced high up to keep the shifting hand clear of the shift boot. The **** is designed specifically to fit Porsche�s rectangular shifter shaft, and attaches securely via high-hold cone point set screws. Mounting height is customizable, ranging between 0.25-inches lower and 1-inch higher than stock. The distinct slotted design reduces weight and delivers a no-slip grip, all while effectively shedding away the heat that commonly plagues standard billet shift *****. Shift boot integration is not an after-thought. Our unique collar affixes the shift boot cleanly under the base of the **** - it does not �puke� out the top, as with other aftermarket and early OEM shift *****. The silver brushed finish complements the interior trim and is anodized to preserve and protect the surface. Get the most out of your Porsche experience with the Slotted Shift ****! Please click here to check out the product page for additional pics and details.

OMG anything to make a dollar. I never heard such ****.

That ought to be real nice on a hot summer day in South town. What's that burning smell? Just the skin on my hand going to 3rd gear................

Given the slotted cutout design, the shift **** equalizes with ambient temperature very quickly, so burning (or freezing) your hand off won't be an issue. That was specifically a problem with other metal shift ***** that I tackled in this design.

An air cooled shift ****

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My gas grill has a similar design for the handle. I've never been burned while handling it so I imagine this shift **** should be about the same as well.

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that may be the case, but IHMO it is still fugly. I can think of lots of things that $110 would be better spent on

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Honestly, does not look like something I want in my car and are you including no ex gloves with purchase. Because trust me. Slots or no slots use that during summer in Miami and you will lose skin.

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Does anyone find the factory **** to be sloppy? My **** is nice and hard

Actually, I like it. The previous owner of my car tried to dress up the stock shift **** with some red nail polish. I ended up replacing it with the factory upgraded shift ****, which was waaayyy more expensive than this one.

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Doesn't look bad at all IMO. I hate my standard ****. Last car had the carbon ****, which was significantly nicer.

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What have you never heard? That the factory 996 shift **** isn't the greatest thing in the world or that changing a shift **** can greatly improve shifter feel?

Maybe folks can refrain crapping in sponsor threads. The **** may not be everyone's fav, but F1 helps keep the lights on, so maybe we could tone the harshness down to something below 11? Some one's schlepping, my lord...kum ba yah...

+1 5CHN3LL F1 makes quality products at the fraction cost of the others. If you dont like it then dont buy it. I will be ordering thier motor mounts in the next few weeks. You cant beat the price or quality on those.

[QUOTE=5CHN3LL;12014798]Maybe folks can refrain crapping in sponsor threads. The **** may not be everyone's fav, but F1 helps keep the lights on, so maybe we could tone the harshness down to something below 11? What he said........

I think it looks good. Nice design.

Does it / will it come in black?

I met Function First at Hershey last year. He took the time to explain his products and show me around his 996. He's not just out to make a buck; he's an enthusiast like the rest of us, and he's got the guts and resources to make them marketable. Cheers fella!

"He's not just out to make a buck; he's an enthusiast like the rest of us, and he's got the guts and resources to make them marketable. Cheers fella!" +1

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I really do appreciate that, thank you. I gave up a career to work in Motorsports and start my own business, so my motivations go way beyond just making a buck. Although the Internet does afford me the opportunity to serve a large community, it generally eliminates any face time, and so the community rarely gets a glimpse into these aftermarket businesses. In my case, despite using "we" and "our" in my postings, I am a one man show. Every facet of the business is completed solely by me, from conceptualization to manufacturing to packaging and driving to the post office to ship parts out. (Actually the shift ***** are the first part I'm outsourcing manufacturing, since I unfortunately don't have a CNC lathe in my basement...) My 996 is my only car. I drive it everyday, all year round, and often in various states of disassemblment while parts are under development. And it's not uncommon for the passenger seat to be removed for the all too frequent Home Depot run. I love my Porsche, but that doesn't mean I think it's perfect. I enjoy the process of bringing to life the vision of my optimal car, and I jump at the opportunity to share that vision with the rest of the Porsche community. Thanks for all your support!

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My current inventory is all clear anodized. I'm considering getting the next batch done partially in black satin anodize, depending on demand. I'm also entertaining the idea of a classic shift **** (slot-less) with the option for a black Delrin version, for temperature reasons, as that's definitely a primary concern of mine. Both these options will be at least a few months away from production, though.

I don't have too much of an issue with my shift ****... But it does have just a hint of sponginess now and then... Overall I don't mind this design... Looks good... If I was in the market for a new shift **** I would consider this an option...

Derlin would be a great option. Had a white **** in my C5 and thought it really offset the interior (in a good way).

The "white cue-ball" look is classic in a, old-school American Muscle sort of way

Some issues with Delrin is it scratches easily, and although "high tech", it's ultimately still plastic. So the finish would have to be made such that it didn't look like plastic, IMO. But it's something that I'll definitely explore further.

I wanted to address the performance aspect of the shift **** in a little more detail, since this was the primary factor driving the development. There are several reasons why the factory shifting setup is sloppy. Ignoring the transmission itself, here is my opinion of what can be improved upon to deliver tighter and more direct shifter action: 1. Stiffer shifter linkage 2. Upgraded shifter with tighter pivot points 3. Stiffened engine mounts 4. Stiffened transmission mounts 5. Harder shift **** bolted directly to shifter shaft In the interest of keeping this thread relevant to the topic at hand, I'll focus on suggestion #5 above. Next time you're in your car, grab the shift **** firmly, and twist it clockwise and counterclockwise. For most setups out there, you'll find that the **** will flex, and in some cases quite a significant amount. Bolting a billet shift **** directly to the shifter shaft will eliminate that play and flex. From here, I'll speak from a personal point of view, which should give you a better glimpse into why and how I tackled designing this upgrade. Early on, I purchased a solid billet **** for my 996. Immediately after installing it (and changing nothing else), I experienced much more direct and confident shifts. It reduced the flex and play originating in the plastic/rubber OEM shift ****. However, I ran into a few problems with that billet **** that I wanted to solve in my own design. Problems experienced: 1) Slippery - with some aggressive 1-2 and 3-4 shifts, the **** would slip out of my hand 2) Temperature sensitivity - the **** would get very hot in summer, and very cold in winter; worse yet, it would take an extremely long time for it to equalize with ambient temperature 3) Shifting hand would contact the shift boot - the shift boot interfered with the base of my shifting hand 4) Poor shift boot fitment - the mechanism by which the boot attached to the **** caused the boot to extend upwards before folding down, which exacerbated Problem #3 above, and it looked very unfinished Solutions implemented: 1) Slotted cutouts - provides a no-slip grip 2) Slotted cutouts - less material mass at the ****-to-hand contact points retain less heat, and "fins" speed up temperature equalization 3) Raised shift ball higher - along with the thinner shaft below it, raising the ball higher up the shift **** ensures the shifting hand is fully seated on only the ball itself 4) Shift boot collar design - the separate collar design, along with the flared out base of the shift ****, ensures the shift boot sits below the entire shift ****, also delivering a much cleaner look With everything I design, my intention is to deliver the best driving experience possible. That's not to say that every upgrade I develop indicates that the original part is horrible - but I certainly believe there's room for improvement, otherwise I wouldn't spend so much time and effort. After all, most things are "just fine" until you've experienced something better. And in my eyes, upgrading to the Slotted Shift **** is an improvement over stock that's well worth making.

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Great write up for the design. Derlin required frequent cleaning compared to any other **** I've owned. Not sure how long it would look clean with your current design compared to a solid ****. Still was an enjoyable experience alongside metal or leather.

+996 for a Porschephile Entrepreneur

Sort of reminds me of the old 917 shift ***** a bit, nice looking IMHO.

I will agree that the stock shift **** s-cks. I had the cheap one in my TT and replaced it with a weighted Turbo upgraded **** and love the feel. I don't know if it improves performance, but I definitely like the feel. So I can see this being I worthwhile upgrade if you don't mine the non-factory look.

Hey guys, there's been interest in the Slotted Shift **** finished in a Satin Black anodize. I need at least 4 more pre-orders to make this happen, as my anodizer has a minimum qty for running the bath. Who's in for Satin Black??? Please shoot me a PM if interested. Thanks!

Just placed my order Thank you!

Thanks for all the feedback, guys! The black Slotted Shift ***** just came back from the anodizer and are now in stock. They did a real nice job with them and I think they turned out awesome! It's a stealthy and subtle look for your interior.

that looks great!

Received mine last week in the mail and today I dropped by the shop to install it. Thanks again ! Can't wait to get it out the shop and take it for a spin.

Announcing version 2 of the SLOTTED SHIFT **** ... We've moved to a 2-piece design (like the CLASSIC SHIFT **** ), and Shift Pattern engraving is now available! Choose your pattern and whether you want paint-fill or a bare engraving. The base shafts are now also available in either standard or extended heights.

my sister used to have one of those under her bed -

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I'm glad I could help evoke some good memories for you??? And to clarify, the slotted ***** mount onto the same base as the Classic Shift ****. I'll soon be offering the **** tops available for individual purchase (so you can mix and match different combos on a single base, get a Delrin **** for the winter/summer months, etc).

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Could this be the nuclear peace deal between the 996 & the 993?