TORQUE SOLUTION BILLET 3" SHIFTER EXTENSION
After watching some YouTube videos about classic cars, I was noticing how nice shifters used to look with long thin shift levers and simple spherical shift knobs. Since I already have a retro-looking shift knob, I decided to top it off with a more retro looking shift lever.
Doing so would also help with an issue that I've always had with the FR-S' transmission- notchiness. Adding a shift lever extension increases leverage which decreases effort and generally reduces the amount of notchiness that you feel in the shifter- win win.
I found the Torque Solution 3" Shifter Extension on Amazon for only $10 bucks ($20 everywhere else), so if it looked and felt terrible I could just use it as a swizzle stick instead.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As far as metal sticks go, this is a good one. The finish is excellent and seems fairly resistant to chipping. This was proven when I tightened it using a socket that left no marks whatsoever. The extender feels strong and is very lightweight... There's not much more I can say about a stick with threads on it.
THE VERDICT
Overall I'm pleased with the Torque Solution Shifter Extension. To be honest, I think it would be better if it was a 2" extension rather than 3", but there aren't a whole lot of options out there. From a visual standpoint, 2" would be perfect. The other visual aspect that I still need to address is getting a cap that will cover the little bit of white plastic that shows at the bottom of the extender from the reverse lockout. Torque Solution makes a cap to take care of that, but it costs $20 which seems like a little much for what's essentially a nut with a little skirting on it.
Driving with the shifter extension is a much much different experience compared to the stock shifter height. The effort required for shifts is almost nothing. Every shift is smooth, and there is never any feeling of notchiness that you often get with the stock shift height. Surprisingly, the throw doesn't feel that much longer than before (I was half expecting it to feel like my old Jeep). It's also really nice to have the shifter so close to your right hand from the steering wheel (literally about 8 inches from the wheel to first gear). My only gripe with the driving feel is that the significant increase in lever length makes the shift gate feel a little less precise than before due to the increased leverage. I think it would be perfect if this lever were teamed with a short-throw shifter. Even swapping out the shifter springs would probably go a long way (future purchase? Probably).
