Great Gearboxes - what do you rate

I've driven quite a few jap performance cars and gearboxes vary greatly.

Which cars have impressed you with their feel and operation, and which others were shithouse.

I'm really asking about feel as opposed to the internal stregth and glass vs tough as nails gearboxes.

Never driven a Vr4 or Evo.. so what do they feel like, is it snickety snick goodness or poor feeling long throws?

Anyone driven an RZ Supra 6 speed, whats she like?

I've found that GTiR boxes are horrible, it seems like you can snap the stick off at any stage and it's really springy.

WRX's boxes were alright.. though I prefer the throw of a skyline better.

S4 rx7's are crap too.. and everyone who I've let have a fang of my car mis shifts and speaks poorly of it.

Quite a few people say nothing comes close to a Honda S2000 for shift heaven.

 

MX-5 gearbox would be my number one and I know a few car manufacturers have used it as their benchmark to aim for
Skylines is ok but like a lot of Nissans 2nd gear can sometimes be a bit notchy when cold
Supra 6 speed I quite like, good feel and short throw.
VR-4 is ok, not great but nothing wrong with it either.

 

I had a AE92 Corolla with a AE101 silver top 20 valve motor and box. It was a great gearbox for a FWD, some FWD gearboxes feel like you are stiring porridge, but the Toyota one was excellent.

 

+1 for the MX-5 box - makes love to your hand while you drive...

Actually I'll cheat and say Hollinger dog box

Worst is the 6 speed they use in V8 Commodores...

 

Evo 6.5 TME - Great 5 Speed - Smooth and Not too short - just right
Focus Zetec - Great smooth shift for a fwd, really easy box to navigate.
AE82 Corolla with 20v also a good box (pretty much the same as ae92 as hawks said (hawks yours a 5 speed or 6 speed?)
R33 Skyline with HKS Short Shifter - Great
Subaru Liberty B4 - Smooth Shift but too long...

 

I gotta say I like the notchy short shift of a R32 GTR or even then R32 GTS4
Worst ever I am with Kris, VY SS 6spd aswell as the '95 MX6

 

Mine was a 5 speed.

I agree on the GEN 3 gearbox too. My brother had a VU SS Ute and the shift was terrible, it felt like you where driving a truck.

 

This will sound so wussy, but i found the Toyota Paeo's pretty smooth (a lil long) but easy to direct, same with the nissan pulsar n14's (still a lil long).
I haven't really driven to many cars like some of you guys but nothing else has really stood out so much.
Theres one gearbox i'd love to try and that is a ferrari's, just to say i've done it, lol.

 

The Evo gearbox is the same as ours remember. I quite like the feel of it, very easy to get into the right gear, you can change gears very quickly, especially 1st-2nd and 3rd-4th, I can do it in about 0.3 seconds. I've recorded videos in the past and the time that the blow off valve goes for is about 0.3 seconds which is great because normally it goes for about 1 second, and when I hit the throttle again I still have some boost left over

 

Yes it sounds very wussy, but you redeemed yourself by mentioning Ferrari in the same post...

 

I really like the feel of the Mazda 3 6 speed box. Really nice notchy feel, you really know you're in gear. I also rate Mitsi manuals for strength and reliability, just need to make short throw shifters for most of them.

 

Did someone mention a Hollinger dog-box? *drools* Now, if only to spend $15k-$20k I am seriously running out of organs to sell.

Seriously, +1 to the MX-5 gearbox. You don't realise what it's like until you actually use one. Like a rifle-bolt is the only way to describe it.

 

I can only really compare the legnum to the r31's box and the legnum shits all over it (well derrrrrr).

Ill bash the holden 5 speed box on the vz v6, the reverse is only just to the left of first, so you're never too sure which one you have selected until you creep off the line (in case you are in reverse). Stupidest idea ever.

 

Only MX-5 I ever drove had a freaken tiptronic that I HATED

You'll be hard-pressed to find a new Ferrari with a truely manual box these days - all the current models have the stupid flappy-paddle semi-tiptronic-auto system. Older models are hit and miss - anything pre-90's was awful... and don't even THINK about Lamborghinis - before the Diablo they were horrendous! I've heard the Gallardo and Murcielago are vast improvements, although once again you're talking flappy-paddles for semi-manual operation.

 

Doesn't it have a collar to prevent you doing that? I know Opels (part of the GM brand) also traditionally have R on the left side of 1 but one needs to pull up the underneath part to engage R.

Like some Golfs you have to push down on the gearshift to make it go into R.

 

My mate's '97 Honda Civic VTEC was good to drive, I enjoyed the lightness of the clutch and firmness of the gearbox.

Hondas were assembled by Mercedes Benz in South Africa up till 1999 (Honda no longer made in SA) and have a reputation as being well built and reliable cars.


random fact for the day. I really should not be at work on a Sunday *seethe*

 

On the MX5 front I rate the whole car really, just SLOW.

Gotta throw the V35 6spd into the mix, they are spot on. (same box as the 350Z)

I have never driven a stock S2000, but the race car I drove was just brilliant

 

I have driven a few, some good and some bad. I will start with the standard ones.

MR2 GT Turbo JDM - Loved the position of the stick in the cabin, short throw and nice gate.

MX5 1992 - Loved the throw and the stiff gate, not off the chart, but for a std car, very nice.

RX2 with Series IV box - Loved this, thought it was perfect for the application, nice feel, but a little on the large side for throw. (Back then it was small)

RX7 Series 1 - For it's age it was great, nice and tight, short throw, good feel. If it were strong enough, perfect for a track car.

930 Porsche 1980 model - 4 spd sloppy throw, but TOUGH as fuk, it took heaps of abuse and great ratios.

S14 Series II 1998 model - Nice feel, good throw and like the MR2 a great position for the stick.

WRX and STD Forester - Average, weak box, with a long stick. not as bad as a Mitsubishi Colt, but not great either!

AFTERMARKET

S14 with short shift kit - Sensational, felt strong and tight, and the throw was tiny, took a while to get used to.

Forester GT JDM - PAR Engineering purpose built Straight Cut box with syncros and hellical gearing, short shift kit. Without doubt the best sounding box, best feel, great ratios and tough as FUK. 6000rpm, side step the clutch and BAM you were away!!!

Also had a Civic Coupe 1998 model with a short shift in it, and loved that, nice and short throw, good gate and feel. Only problem was the driver's position was not made for such a short length stick. Not ideal.

 

Actually I'll add another worst one - late model Alfa 33 with the rear-mounted box. "Soup spoon in a bowl of treacle" springs to mind...

 

Chef, you've got a Civic Type R riight?

Does it have that almost horizontal style gear stick mounted into the dash..



Is it a bit whack or does it feel surprisingly natural?

kind of reminds me of old old gemini sticks.