Really quick vid of me at the track
12-23-2011, 10:22 AM
#11
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 786
13.4 isn't horrible for your first time at the track with the car. As you do more & more passes, you will start to see your driving improve & your times drop. Something I started doing in my vette is just practice shifting through the gears 1-4 every time after I drive it. And I've also found that keeping your thumb off the shifter and on top of your index finger will help prevent miss shifts. I think they do run in the high 12s stock but 12.4 sounds too fast for stock. Maybe with DRs and some simple bolt ons.
After his run we went over to check out his car. Stock as can be. Stock wheel/tire setup, full interior. I asked him how he was running such great times and all he said was that he had over 20's years banging gears on the track.
Honestly the best times I've seen coming out of manual 5.0's are like 12.9's, and were talking a complete half second faster here. Hey, he could have had some gearing, and a tune. But under that hood was stock. I can assure you because I saw it myself.
12-23-2011, 10:26 AM
#12
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,302
Short throws are awesome. A lot of people don't realize how much ET is lost between shifts, and that a good STS can seriously knock 2-3 tenths off depending on how much trouble a driver is having with the stock oar. A good STS will also center itself and ensure that 3rd gear shift makes it in everytime IF you let the shifter do it. Basically, with a good STS, all you have to do is place your hand behind the shifter (not around it) on the 2-3 shift, and as you push it forward it will pop out of 2nd, center itself and line up perfectly with 3rd, as you continue to push it into 3rd. If you try to guide it into 3rd you'll usually over do it and grind it.
12-23-2011, 10:34 AM
#13
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,302
I agree, as a matter of fact when they annouced his time the first thing that I sad to my friends was "yea theres no way that car is stock"
After his run we went over to check out his car. Stock as can be. Stock wheel/tire setup, full interior. I asked him how he was running such great times and all he said was that he had over 20's years banging gears on the track.
Honestly the best times I've seen coming out of manual 5.0's are like 12.9's, and were talking a complete half second faster here. Hey, he could have had some gearing, and a tune. But under that hood was stock. I can assure you because I saw it myself.
After his run we went over to check out his car. Stock as can be. Stock wheel/tire setup, full interior. I asked him how he was running such great times and all he said was that he had over 20's years banging gears on the track.
Honestly the best times I've seen coming out of manual 5.0's are like 12.9's, and were talking a complete half second faster here. Hey, he could have had some gearing, and a tune. But under that hood was stock. I can assure you because I saw it myself.
12-23-2011, 11:10 AM
#15
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Posts: 1,898
I dont have any personal experience yet with a sts, but My dad and brother does! They really are the way to go to clean up the sloppiness of the stocker shifter.
My dad is running sts's in both his 11 v6 and 11 gt, different brands on each, and he says he would go with the Hurst our uncle is running in his 11 gt anyday over the 2 he has. I'll have to find out exactly what he's running for you, but I think it comes down to personal preference when it comes to brands. They do basically the same thing, just some do certain things better then others.... (ie. feel better when shifting, shorter shift, better 2-3shift, etc.)
My dad is running sts's in both his 11 v6 and 11 gt, different brands on each, and he says he would go with the Hurst our uncle is running in his 11 gt anyday over the 2 he has. I'll have to find out exactly what he's running for you, but I think it comes down to personal preference when it comes to brands. They do basically the same thing, just some do certain things better then others.... (ie. feel better when shifting, shorter shift, better 2-3shift, etc.)
12-23-2011, 04:06 PM
#17
I recomend not to get anything silly when buying a STS. I had one that offered a 30% reduction in travel over stock and loved it. Some of the neon kids went as far as an 80% reduction and it was like a video game joystick. Actually made the shifts harder to hit than stock.
12-23-2011, 09:24 PM
#19
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: VA
Posts: 426
I dont have any personal experience yet with a sts, but My dad and brother does! They really are the way to go to clean up the sloppiness of the stocker shifter.
My dad is running sts's in both his 11 v6 and 11 gt, different brands on each, and he says he would go with the Hurst our uncle is running in his 11 gt anyday over the 2 he has. I'll have to find out exactly what he's running for you, but I think it comes down to personal preference when it comes to brands. They do basically the same thing, just some do certain things better then others.... (ie. feel better when shifting, shorter shift, better 2-3shift, etc.)
My dad is running sts's in both his 11 v6 and 11 gt, different brands on each, and he says he would go with the Hurst our uncle is running in his 11 gt anyday over the 2 he has. I'll have to find out exactly what he's running for you, but I think it comes down to personal preference when it comes to brands. They do basically the same thing, just some do certain things better then others.... (ie. feel better when shifting, shorter shift, better 2-3shift, etc.)
I have the Barton shifter and bracket in my '11 GT and the Steeda shifter and Barton bracket in my '11 V6.
The Barton shifter is VERY notchy and VERY mechnical feeling. I wouldn't want this at all in anything that I daily drove.
The Steeda is a definite improvement over stock but isn't nearly as notchy as the Barton, much more tolerable in my V6 with is my DD.
IIRC the Barton has a 40% reduction in throws and the Steeda has a 20% reduction.
The Hurst shifter with the Barton bracket that we put in my uncle's '11 GT is the best feeling and looking of the 3 IMO. I would trade my Barton in a heartbeat for the Hurst.
I could be a little bias though as I have rocked a chrome flat stick Hurst shifter in all of my Foxbodies over the years and have had excellent results with them.
It all comes down to personal preference and what I like you might hate and vise versa. My best advise is to talk to some local 5.0 owners and see what they are using and if possible see if they would let you drive their car up the road to see what you think.
