My american shifter experience

First I open the box to get a note to go download and print instrucions. You need to enter your email then they send you and email with a file on your instructions. They are not specific and are universal for evey shifter they make for every trans. It missing key information that I finnally found on youtube in order to realize that they had not tapped threads in some of the holes. Many of the brackets were not threaded where they were supposed to be. I had to go out and get taps to thread them. Finally after two days of trying to get the shifter together and on I am still having a bear of a time getting the brackets to line up with the shifter to get the ****on head bolts into the threads. I had to redrill holes bigger so I could line them up. I wish I spend the extra $50 and got the Lokar. This was absolute junk.

 

One or two on here may disagree but American Shifters are pure ****. I have no great love for Lokar but their product works. The easiest solution is to start putting manual transmissions in your projects. That's what I've done. Now I can complain about worn out swapmeet find Hurst shifters

 

Honestly what I wrote were almost all facts that I experienced so there isn't much you can not agree on. LOL

 

I have read a lot here and elsewhere about this company and their products.

Last year, I was at an event in Portland, OR where they had a booth. I talked with one of their reps and he didn't know much about their products. OK he was there to hawk catalogs, I get it. I p***ed and went on.

My point, if their stuff is so bad, send it back. I would not spend time re-engineering, buying tools and spending labor to make something work that was supposed to fit my application.

Maybe if their supply chain got clogged up with returns they would correct the problems. Just saying.

 

Now all we have to do is to wait for the usual Hoffman group company cheerleader to come on here and say that we are all full of ****.

Apparently his son works for Hoffman, and he just can't accept that they sell cheap garbage.

 

Poo poo Lokars all you want, but they work very well and for a long time. And the instructions are in the box...

 

too bad Gennie is gone. have one in my 37 and i really like it. oh well.

 

I am thinking that Gennie is still available.
The web site is up?

 

I'll take the swapmeet Hurst any day...(and if I have to rebuild it, that's O.K.)
Hurst products were made of good steel, and it all welds.

I had my friend get me a shifter for his '53 F100 I was re-wiring for him. The existing shifter was a worn-out Mustang, on a C-6 trans behind a 351 Cleveland.
New shifter was by B&M, a 'cheapo' at around $50...he got it from a speed shop in Lodi.
Shifter and its 'selecter box' were excellent, reminded me of Hurst pieces. Tight and direct. The action was adjustable, with a large spring for detent selection and smooth (but firm) travel.
Bracketry was terrible, lots of soft flat strap bracketry, with 'extra holes' for adaptability to different makes.

I made up some nice heavy triangulated brackets, mounted them firmly to the 'selecter-box', and tightened it all down. BONANZA! It was nice.

Went to the B&M site to see just what it was, but it wasn't listed!
Was it N.O.S.? Don't know. "The one that got away..."

 

If the metal wasnt soft and the bolts just strip out I'd be able to make this work better. Im about to just start welding things

 

I have run Lokar shifters and they fit and work well, however both the shifters and the hand brakes rattle like crazy, On long trips we always end up with about three of my wife's hair ties crammed onto different parts trying to minimize the racket.

 

The sweetness of a low price is long forgotten when the bitterness of poor quality reveals it self

 

Column shift... I know, next time...

 

It wasnt a money thing. I when with American Shifter over Lokar because a machanic said that they have a bigger selection of shifters and are just the same quality. Last time I listen to him.

 

I have said this before and no one listened maybe someone will this time, "do not cut corners on your car."

 

Again I wasn't cutting corners. I was told they were good but I learned otherwise. That's why I made this thread for others.

 

****** is right! American Shifter is Hoffman Group **** - wouldn't buy anything from those clowns....

 

You may have some bolts loose or something that needs adjusted if it rattles. Contact Lokar and tell them about it. They have a good tech support group. I have a Lokar shifter in my car and it does not rattle and I have several friends that have used them and have never heard of any of them rattling. My be it is just a defective. Either way they will help you out.

 

Best line ever! So true.

 

Man that ****s I Love my Gennie!A little tip you might consider doing before buying a product is to use the search function here with the "brand name and type of item" of the product your thinking of buying , or even google search "brand name type of item" product reviews and you can find alot of info if your gonna buy junk or a quality product and save you some head aches.....just a thought

 

I believe that the "Gennie" shifter continues to be the number one in quality, simplicity and fit.

 

I was going to get a Lokar for my 26 but was told by our local hot rod parts shop that i should wait and get an American shifter as they were better and cheaper.I got it even cheaper elsewhere but was not that happy when i unloaded the contents of the box,there are so many bits that have no use. I will use it and see how it goes and replace with a better engineered unit at some stage. Its a pitty the good guys get squeezed out by the junk makers. Bring back quality........ PLEASE !!! JW

 

Gennnie Shifter still in business. Call 303.623.5789. They will help you out with their stuff. I have one in the daily driver F-1 for 70,000+ miles and love it. Was given a beat up one for the 26 roadster and got parts from them plus tech help. It was beat up by stupid attempt at remodel by PO who messed it up bad.

 

who poo-poo's lokar? whats to poo-poo? they work fine. but it is a shame that a company named "american shifter" can't make a better product worthy of it's name. we used to make only the best.

 

Now that they have your email look out. I get 1-2 emails a day from them for a sale or some **** they are pushing.

 

If American did provide instructions they would be in Chinese.

 

Good thing I use a junk mail account for anything likt this! thanks to free accounts from Yahoo

 

Huh, got one... It works, it shifts, it was easy to install. Hate me because I bought a china **** shifter.... Oh well

 

I try not to buy chinese ****....

 

We've always had Lokar or Gennie but I bought an American Shifter at Turkey Run because I wanted to try it out. It was $20 cheaper than the Lokar but that wasn't the deciding factor, I shifted both of them and looked them over and could not see or feel any real difference, so I took the gamble.

Mine installed just like any other aftermarket shifter I have installed, and it shifts through the gears just fine. I may change my tune when I get the car on the road, but all it is is a lever with some stops to move the shift arm back and forth, so it isn't rocket science. I was able to use my Lokar adapter to put my custom shift knob on it, so that was a good thing.

Don