Shifter no longer needed

[Dsteinhorst]

Not needed anymore. Thanks.

I'm doing some experimenting and would like to obtain a shifter assembly out of an F23 transmission equipped Cobalt.

PM me with price shipped to 53913.

 

[ah.b.normal]

Do you need F23 cables as well? They are different than F35 type.

 

[Markm]

I have one in my donor I won’t be using

 

[Dsteinhorst]

I don't need the cables, just the shifter body.

Markm, shoot me a price shipped please!

 

[ah.b.normal]

I was researching F23 shifters. I had one that was damaged so I put it under the knife. My goal was to make the cables output backwards. I noted that the side to side motion on the shifter could easily output to the rear, I cut away part of the back of the base for the cable. I believed that mod would get me half way there. More noodling I realized that output would be backwards and still it would need a reverser to operate the trans properly. The side to side output being backwards I figured maybe I could put it's reverser bell crank on the trans? Do-able.
After much thinking I could not come up with a way for the front to rear throw to work in reverse, on the bottom below the pivot ball. 1 would be back, 2 forward, neutral would be unchanged, a viable fix? MAYBE? I realized the fix then was to mount that cable to a pivot point the same distance ABOVE the central shifter pivot ball as the original is below, probably just below the shifter handle. Out in the open, much like the new DF shifter.
(But because I am Building GOB-BALT and not a Goblin the ft to rear throw cable would destroy the console and probably be entangled with the parking brake.
I am resigned to use an original style Goblin shifter and cable reversers under the console. I think I will lose the cup holders and the shifter will sit up an inch or so for cable clearance. BUT it may all fit under the console; I admit, problems you do not have!)

 

[ah.b.normal]

Upon more noodling I may go with the reversed fore-aft pattern with a side to side reverser on the trans. Leaving the fore and aft cable below would result in a different pattern; Start with 1 would be left down, 2 left up; flipping the pattern top to bottom, bottom row odd, top row even.
I drove an old race car from the 60's, it had a strange pattern! And was rt hand drive/ left hand shift. That pattern had 1st down left, rise to neutral, dog leg slightly right then up for 2, down thru neutral to 3, Up to neutral dog leg right and up to 4. I think this car's trans was actually an existing 3 speed trans with an under drive to make 1st gear?
Another that was left hand drive with the shifter(left hand) by the door! It was the normal pattern 4 speed but gated. All pretty funky!
NOW! MY POINT! The "shift pattern" we know now, is an industry standardization! Shift patterns do not have to stick to this pattern but they do because most drivers now will easily use it! Making the car more saleable. Consider this: IF you are the only driver for this car what dang difference does shift pattern make? The human/machine interface is a problem in a mass market product BUT your car is not mass market! Consider doing what works VS what matches the mass market. Right hand drive cars have the gas pedal by the door! and the shifter in the middle. It is a real challenge changing back and forth between the styles in a day! Belgium is a LHD country and England is a RHD country just a 2 hour ferry ride away! Those were some messed up vacations! I can hear the Wife hollering, "Keep left, Keep LEFT!, You're OTHER LEFT!!!"
Gas pedal is always on the right because most people are right biased. A friend has a damaged right leg. He does ok in a regular car but he is aging and pushing the gas pedal is getting harder. I installed a second gas pedal on the left, on the other side of the brake pedal in his 69 Chevy(auto trans). He SWORE he'd never learn how to operate it! (It took him a day. Now he can do burn outs!) It cost me $30 for a van pedal and cable but his goofy grin is seared upon my memory!
At the dawn of the automobile there were tillers not steering wheels, throttle was a lever by or on the column, many used a long lever by the driver for the brakes and most cars had 2 fwd and 2 reverse gears and you shifted by another lever that disengaged drive and you pushed a pedal for a gear and reengaged the drive lever. (a little like a motorcycle.) The first cars were really, literally contraptions! No two brands drove alike!

 

[Markm]

I sent a PM but no response. Are you still searching or interested in the shifter I have?

I don't need the cables, just the shifter body.

Markm, shoot me a price shipped please!

 

[ah.b.normal]

Was my post of any help to you? Are you still working on this shifter project? Any research you have could help my shifter project along! No self pull yards here in Grand Junction, CO. Hoping for better luck in Tucson, AZ, we'll be there through Turkey Day!

 

[Dsteinhorst]

Sorry, I got tied up at work a lot the last few weeks. Haven't gotten a start on my project yet, but decided I'm going to dig into my current shifter because it's in rough enough shape.

 

[ah.b.normal]

That is cool! Life gets busy sometimes. Please keep us updated on what you learn in your shifter work/tinkering, it can only help others in the future!

 

[ah.b.normal]

Message me if you would like to see what I have come up with for F23 shifter. The F23 trans was used in Cavaliers from 00-05. That Cavalier shifter is mostly steel! I have already cut up a stock Cobalt F23 shifter to try to reverse it's function, but I found that plastic is not easy for me to rework. I also found a old 1980's/90's Cavalier pre F23 shifter that shares many parts with the Fiero Shifter. Showing me a shifter that would work backwards on a Goblin but would work!(Backwards shift pattern could be reversed with a bell crank system mounted on the trans, in the engine compartment. I would just have to build cable stops behind this shifter.) It is built of steel, so easily modifiable and sits low in the console.

Then I saw it! I was instantly inspired by the 1990's MR2 shifter.(the 2000 and newer MR2 shifter is mostly plastic.)It works much like the new DF Shifter. The Toyota MR2 shifter, the ball is nearly on the floor. Gear select is f/r and the cable connects in the top side of the stick, above the ball. The rail/row select is side to side with it's lever pointing up.

Modifying the Cavalier shifter, the gear select rod sticking down is removed just below the ball and a cable mount point attached/welded to the shift stick a similar height ABOVE the ball. The "rail/row" lever, I will cut the lever off below the pivot and remake it/weld above the original pivot. I'll cut away the original base to where the ball is only ~2" off the floor, then make/weld new base/feet, bits of angle steel. Then build my new cable stops behind the shifter.(I figure I can always modify it to sit higher!) I have drawn on a old Cavalier shifter I have and have taken multiple pix; though I have not "built it" yet. Message me if you want my pix/ideas. I don't have any claim on this design, if it works for you I'm pleased to have helped!