Made my own T5 shift stick

Yep a VF-6 from 2000. Hands down the most reliable piece of equipment I have ever used. We had Selway (our local distributor) do a PM on it a couple years ago and he was amazed at the condition. It had never had a factory PM done since new, yet it held all it's tram and level and with the exception of a minor tool changer arm adjustment it was as good as the day it was installed, nearly 13 years ago. Plus it's nice to pick up the phone and speak to a tech in unbroken English if I need to get some advice.
 
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Cool....so if I don't want to spend the $100 on an aftermarket stick for my car, all I need to do is go out and buy a $20,000 CNC machine and punch out one of my own. Makes perfect sense. :shrug:
















....just kidding. Nice work. :nice:
 
Cool....so if I don't want to spend the $100 on an aftermarket stick for my car, all I need to do is go out and buy a $20,000 CNC machine and punch out one of my own. Makes perfect sense. :shrug:
















....just kidding. Nice work. :nice:
$20,000 wouldn't buy the tooling we use. The machine was $101,000 12 years ago, plus the software was $12,000 if I remember right. Now you know why companies charge so much for trick parts...
 
Sorry it's taken so long, but the first batch of shifters are finished except for threading the ends. Hopefully they will be done by the weekend, then start polishing and I'll start PM'ing the people who have already spoken up. The shifters have been changed a slight amount to make them look a little better. I'll post some pics as soon as I have them completely finished. Jim
 
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If you could keep the price in the $70-$80 range, I think they sell like HOT CAKES!

They would sell like hotcakes, but zookeeper would be selling them for less than cost. $70-80 for a finished product like this is Chinese sweatshop rate. An hour of shop time is worth more than that.

I work in the business of machining myself. I have also made my own shift handle. Little different design though. I like yours very much as it looks like it belongs in a classic. Nice work! One suggestion that may not be applicable for you but if you are looking at making a bunch of these it may save you a bunch of time. I used a water jet machine to cut out the shifter blank. No fixture needed and you cut all you can from a sheet of material. You will still need to vise them in the mill if you want the nice radius you have on your design. But still no fixture and only a vise and 2 operations to finish. I worked as a toolmaker for years before I moved into sales. I now sell Haas along with a bunch of other equipment (water jet). Anyway I recognize the great American made machine you used to cut on!

I think that's a very viable option considering the fixture for finish machining probably won't have to change.
 
EDIT: In hopes of better pics, I got a better camera so you can actually see what's in them. Here's the basics:
2_10shifterpics002_zpse51907e6.jpg

Plain polished

2_10shifterpics006_zpsa44d9016.jpg


Engraved polished (your choice of whatever you want)
2_10shifterpics007_zpsf417cb33.jpg


Machined pockets. This one is satin-finished, but I can have them polished as well


Again, hope this doesn't violate any forum rules, and I will not mention prices in this thread, so PM me with any questions at all, Jim
 
I got the shift handle.IT IS AWESOME!!!! What size is the threaded end. Im going to get a new shift knob and my old "5.0" knob is too big.Also had a TPS go out on the fuel injection.

Havent had a chance to put it on. Hhad a TPS go out on the fuel injection and spent the weekend doing my duaghters room. Put it off for about for a LONG time, but i think her 5th b-day is time.