Help me "pimp my auto"...

[garyk/nm]

In the cast vs forged debate, forged is considered the better due to light weight AND strength. With cast it is one or the other.  Lightweight cast wheels are more prone to breakage; the only way to lighten a casting is to put in less material. Most factory alloys fall far from the lightweight end of the spectrum.

[K Frame]

"The gold trim package is a factory offering.  The plates are my wife's fault.  The spittle, cheerios, nooks, and cups are the result of "you know who..."."

Can you BELIEVE this clown?

EVERYTHING is someone else's fault!

Toyota did it, my wife did it, my miggit did it...

Be a man, Homer! Stand up and take responsibility!

Ok, you don't have to stand up right now. I know how much you ate this evening, and I, too, am having trouble standing up...

OOF.... I may sleep at my desk tonight...

[mtnbkr]

That is weird that no one makes a short shift for the '03. I'll ask around and see if I can find one.

Found one and found a way to make the factory shifter a "short" shifter.

TWM Performance's shifter for the 4th Gen and 2005 Camry (5th Gen like mine) should work in my Camry.  They've told me I'm welcome to try it and return it if it doesn't work.  Apparently Toyota hasn't made many changes to the Camry 5spd shifter.  They don't list it as a "Gen5" shifter because they haven't personally tested it themselves.  

That said...

I've learned that the pivot ball on the shift rod isn't welded into place.  I can, with appropriate motivation and a BFH, move it up or down.  Moving it up will decrease the distance the shifter has to move in order to change gears.  I'm going to try that first since it's free.  

Also, I replaced the shift cable bushings (rubber and squishy) with brass replacements.  The shifter now feels much more "assertive".  IOW, it's not mushy.  The throw is still long though.

Chris

[K Frame]

Face it, Chris, anything over 1.5" of shift throw is WAY too long.

[mtnbkr]

lol.  The shift throw on my Beetle wasn't too far from that.  

Back then, I used a Scat Dragfast shifter: http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C15%2D80500

Chris