(An article in progress)     UPDATED!!

    These pictures are a little crude, but you'll get the idea. I'll try to neaten things up later. When I first decided to change the position of the RS Shifter to a more natural/realistic position, I was a little worried that it would impair my lap times and make shifting and driving harder. I'm sure you can think of the reasons why this should be.  However, in the spirit of realism, I decided to give it a try anyway. As it turns out, all my fears were laid to rest. My whole driving experience improved. Shifting was easier and more natural, and driving was actually more fun. This is one tweak that I recommend everyone should try.

    As usual, the modification had to be easy to do with materials that are readily available, and has to be truly worth the effort. I bought 1/ 1/2" X 1 1/2" angle aluminum stock, 1/16" thick. The shortest piece the hardware store had was 4' and it  cost about $8. I also needed a couple angle brackets, a few screws and nuts (I used finish nuts, but you don't have to), and 2 #6 X 5/8 screws to replace the 1/2" ones that were used to mount the shifter to the stock bracket. Although I have the top angle bracket run under the wheel as the original one did, the unit is sturdy on it's own and won't slip off the desk if you glue a piece of thin rubber to the bottom side of the bracket so that it rests between the bracket and the desktop. I got the rubber in my kitchen (although it's available at hardware stores). Before I cut it, it was a disk about 6" in diameter and my wife used it to open stubborn pickle jars and such. Still, I run the bracket under the wheel because I like the way it looks that way, and I don't use the rubber strip with this configuration.

    I'll put more  pictures up later that will show more detail of the desk clamp system. It's a pretty simple mod and these pictures will probably get you started.

The shifter is now 4 1/4" lower than stock, 

and 4" closer to the driver. The distance     

from the wheel is about like stock.             

When seated, my forearm is vertical to the   

top of the gearshift knob. The knob lines up

with the outside of my shoulder, so my         

forearm is at a slight angle.                           

There's one aluminum bracket on top, and one   

screwed to it upside down on the bottom. Then  

2 screw go up through the bottom and when      

tightened, they push up under the desk to clamp

it securely.                                                        

When testing, I used the heaviest gearshift knob 

that I had. The mounting is very rigid.                

       Once again, the lowered RS Shifter is a real pleasure to use. It really enhances the driving experience and it's position is very intuitive.

UPDATE:

I've changed computer tables and this design no longer fits my desk. The new table is a counter top with 290 wrap, so the edges aren't square. I need something that will mount from under the table and still be removable. 

The following is a quick diagram of the design. Pictures will follow as the project progresses.

I'm using a 1/2"  piece of MDF that I had left over from my Shiva sub-woofer article. It's got to be at least 6" x 6", but the larger the foot print, the better. The Z brackets are made up of 2  L  brackets to form the Z. On the MDF, I'll mark the location of the holes in the upper part of the Z bracket and drill them to accept T-nuts. If you don't know what T-nuts are, see the Shiva article. The screws that go through the Z brackets and into the T-nuts will probably have knurled heads so I can screw them in and out without a screw driver.

A logical order of steps will be like this:

1. Make up 2 Z brackets and mount them to the Shifter.

2. Check under desk and determine the largest piece of MDF that will fit, then cut the MDF.

3. Hold MDF and Shifter in place to get an idea of the mounting position.

4 . Mark the MDF where the holes for the Z brackets should go.

5. Drill holes in MDF and  pound in the T-nuts.

6. Use a generous amount of carpenter's glue on the MDF, glue to the bottom of the desk.

7. Use 6 or 8 3/4" sheetrock screws to screw the MDF to the bottom of the desk.

The sheetrock screws and carpenter's glue should make the mount very secure. Since there are 2 mounting holes in each Z bracket, the whole assembly should be tight and sturdy. Since I plan to remove and reinstall the Shifter often, I'll use screws with large, plastic knurled heads. 

Regards,

Slot

(Gary DeRoy)

May 5,2000

Updated Dec. 3, 2001