DVD3500 Posted May 30, 2021 Report Share Posted May 30, 2021 If memory serves the gear lever in 4th gear is very close to the hand brake when it's activated. As we plan on letting the dog go in and out of the car I am thinking of shortening the gear lever by 2-3 inches. A guy is selling a shortened one but he wants 50€ for it and I am not sure why I can't just lop mine off and re-thread it... I don't remember the Spitfire being particularly hard to shift so I am not worried about leverage... Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 30, 2021 Report Share Posted May 30, 2021 Ive considered it on my Vitesse purely for the looks but worry that it might make the gear changes more difficult as they have to be done just right to be smooth and being shorter there'd probably be less control... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 30, 2021 Report Share Posted May 30, 2021 Assuming this is non-od gearstick? The stick is thinned a little for the threaded section (I think) but in principle no reason why you cannot cut and rethread though you may need to file it slightly smaller diameter? I have shortened gearsticks several times, always by cutting/welding, that is effective. Had my first one break, but that was in the early days of welding, a good lesson learnt. On my T9 gearbox I have a stick that is less than 1/2 the length of the sierra one. It works fine but can fee stiff when cold. I did try a quickshift too, but that was just difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 30, 2021 Report Share Posted May 30, 2021 Spitfire lever is quite a bit longer than the GT6 lever. GT6 one is nicer. I’ve significantly shortened/altered the levers on my Herald 1500 (single rail Spitfire box), my Dolly 1850 and my 2.5PI. The Vitesse lever is a combination of Herald 948 (complete with grey knob) and Toyota Supra activating a Supra gearbox. My GT6 lever is a heavily modified MX5 one operating an MX5 box...... It’s not rocket science, but does need to be robust...... driving round using mole grips as a gear lever isn’t ideal..... Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 30, 2021 Report Share Posted May 30, 2021 I take it that its a single rail gear lever ('72 Spit) so cant be changed with a GT6 item but will be easier to cut and rethread as the stem isnt tapered. The only problem might be the thermal/vibes block half way up that will limit how much can be cut off.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 30, 2021 Report Share Posted May 30, 2021 72 Spit would be 1300 and 3 rail from the factory, so you could fit a GT6 lever. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 31, 2021 Report Share Posted May 31, 2021 I believe you are correct and fitting a GT6 lever would certainly be a lot easier than trying to reduce the diameter of his. Would a Vitesse one also be shorter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 31, 2021 Report Share Posted May 31, 2021 Is there not an issue with the spitfire stick and clearance to the dash/H frame? I am working from memory, but I think the spitfire stick is more angled, to bring it away from the dash. The GT6 one is straighter, as the stick emerges from the tunnel a bit further back. (all worth checking) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 31, 2021 Report Share Posted May 31, 2021 clives right there angled and more angled curvature or you change radio channels when engaging 3rd spit https://www.canleyclassics.com/?catalogue=triumph-spitfire-mkiv/1500&diagram=triumph-spitfire-mkiv/1500-top-cover-extension-and-hand-lever-assembly gt6 https://www.canleyclassics.com/?catalogue=triumph-gt6-mkiii&diagram=triumph-gt6-mkiii-top-cover-extension-and-hand-lever-assembly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 31, 2021 Report Share Posted May 31, 2021 Right and the Vitesse one is even straighter as theres no H frame to worry about.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted May 31, 2021 Report Share Posted May 31, 2021 ...and the bent Spit one with overdrive is very rare and very expensive even in its worst, grotty, rusty state!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted May 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2021 Thanks for all the info. While the car is a '72 I had Mark Field build me as robust a 1500 box as he could and send it over just before 31 Dec. In my old '72 you couldn't access the radio in 3rd or 1st gear but that was because the "bend" didn't start until much farther up (again if memory serves..) I had assumed GT6 levers were the same. I can't really tell from the Canley pictures but I guess the GT6i s just shorter with the same bend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted May 31, 2021 Report Share Posted May 31, 2021 so does the box use a 1500 single rail gear change or has it been built into an original 3 rail set up? The two types of gear levers are definitely not interchangeable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted June 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2021 It is all 1500 single rail… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 1, 2021 Report Share Posted June 1, 2021 My usual approach to the single rail gear sticks is to chop out the insulating lump in the middle and weld the two ends together. Not tried it with the Spitty 1500 version (cut down a Dolomite one for my Herald) but looks like it could work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 1, 2021 Report Share Posted June 1, 2021 well I think theres good and bad news then: Your lever isnt tapered so you can just cut off a bit and re-thread the end. However the thermal/vibration barrier tube is not far below so you wont be able to shorten the lever a lot.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted June 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2021 Hmmm … ok . I don’t have a lever at all… or maybe Mark gave me a used one…. Been a while… i am hoping to get maybe 1 to 1.5 /2 inches cut off … should give more space between the hand brake and the gear lever . i reckon the dog will perch herself on the hand brake cushion/ arm rest and I don’t want her hitting the gear lever with her nose… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 1, 2021 Report Share Posted June 1, 2021 looking at the levers on ebay it makes a difference if its for OD or not with the former being much more difficult to shorten... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted June 2, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2021 No OD. I didn’t want the added complexity. We have the care tweaked to nearly 100 bhp and 110 lb/ft of torque so reckoned getting a 3.27 Diff would be close enough to OD. i plan more on cruising and not accelerating like a rocket… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted June 2, 2021 Report Share Posted June 2, 2021 10 hours ago, DVD3500 said: i reckon the dog will perch herself on the hand brake cushion/ arm rest and I don’t want her hitting the gear lever with her nose… Not a dog lover, but wouldn't see one hurt, presumably you use a seat belt so why not the dog. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 2, 2021 Report Share Posted June 2, 2021 I was wrong this lever would need reducing in diameter before tapping and think you could only take off an inch before your fingers came up against the isolating tube corners☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 2, 2021 Report Share Posted June 2, 2021 Best bet is to cut the rubber isolator bit out and weld together. Of course, that requires a welder, but a 10 minute job. When I have cut/welded sticks, the isolator is removed. Doesn't seem to make any difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted June 2, 2021 Report Share Posted June 2, 2021 Maybe thats why the one offered to DVD was 50€... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DVD3500 Posted June 4, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2021 OH she gets a seat belt... she can jump a good meter in the air from a stand still so I don't want her jumping out of the car. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 4, 2021 Report Share Posted June 4, 2021 You could always shorten the entire gearbox.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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