We have a 76 Kombi that is now being turned into our daily driver. This means my wife will need to be comfortable in driving the Kombi as required. The shifting in the Kombi is quite loose and I am considering putting a Berg (or similar) shifter in to help her find the gears.

Do you think this is a wise move? Is it really going to make the gears easier to find or am I just going to have a fancy shifter in a Kombi?

I assume that if we put in the Berg we will replace the shift coupler, but I probably wouldnt be looking at any other components in the shifter mechanicals.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
JRW

they do make shifting easier. reverse is easy to select and the position of the top of the shifter is closer to the driver-no more reaching.

you don't have to replace anything, just unbolt the old one and replace it with the newbie.

it would be wise to check the couplings first, if you are unsure of their condition

they last for ever and hold their value, so can easily be sold seperately if ever you part with the kombi and don't find yourself ending up with another

http://www.geneberg.com/cat.php?cPath=17_476 

helbus has just got one and loves it

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=46988&page=1#pid438261 

you've also got u2u

[ Edited on 31-1-06 by dumone ]

yep change the shifter coupling up the gearbox end and make sure the rubber ring thing is there at the front of the shift rod tube

Definitley a shifter you keep and put in the next car. I have kept the old one for that reason, however I believe we will have this bus for another 30 years. (So I'm told)

Expect to pay up near the $600 mark. Direct from Berg It may be $50-100 less? I am unsure as the exchange rate, taxes, etc all play a part there.

You can also get an Empi one like Lobus has in his bay. Similar setup, but with a knob instead of a T handle, and a lift reverse lockout instead of a button.

I went the Berg as Fleur DEMANDS the best for her wanna be 'race bus'

I loved mine. Fantastic feel and short throws. Don't know if the bus one is the same as the bug one??

Bus shifter is same as bug but heeeeeeaps longer. If you put it in a bug you would hit your hand on the rearview mirror

If you want to save yourself a heap of money, simply replacing the shift coupler and cleaning up the shifter will probably make a big difference. If you want a quickshift, you can install one of the kits which only cost around $15.

I'm sure the Berg unit is the bee knees, but if the rest of the shift assembly (coupler, bush etc) is dodgy, it will still feel sloppy. I would suggest fixing these items first, see how it feels and if it's still not good enough then splurge on a Berg or similar shifter.

Thanks for that! Other than the $, I couldnt come up with a reason to not get one.......for the wife of course! Ordered one today, so it should be in BOB within a week or so.

Planning on changing as many bushings, sloppy couplers as I can find too!

Hopefully the installation is as easy as they say. I've replaced a couple of shifter couplers before, so reckon I can manage it..........

Berg was out of shifters when I ordered, but it is expected to ship this week. Where is the best place to call up and order a coupling kit? Thought I'd go ahead and replace everything I can get to as long as I am gonna have things pulled apart.

Also, arent these parts relatively cheap?

Cheers,
JRW

Purple T3, where can I get me one of them $15 kits?
JRW

classic vee-dub sells them ring george on 02 9638 4200

Get the shift kit...

Leave the Berg for the bathroom.

bit slow getting the toilet stick up this time hotrodmatt.

hee he, i was gonna steal the piccie and post it a bit earlier to save you the trouble...next time

This is a bit late but im trying to get my posts up.
CSP shifter,customspeedparts,stainless steel made in germany.

I put the Berg shifter in today. Can only say that it is the most significant improvement that I have ever made to the handling of a bus (yes, have had a bus with a rebuilt front end). The shifter is ergonomically perfect! I used to have a problem with the shifter hitting my left knee on long trips when I'd stretch my legs out. As the Berg is longer, this is not a problem anymore.

I know they aint cheap, but they are certainly very good.

cheers,
JRW

I bought one of the CSP shifters and for $310 landed in aus (in less than 6 days!) im very happy with it. I havent driven the car yet but it feels very positive and tight, not like the empi shifters I have used. The only berg shifter i have felt was one of the 60% shorter units in a tube chassis drag car and i like the feel of this more.