So, i thought i would share my experience.

I had the B&M installed for a while, and it slowly became more and more loose until the part at the end of the shifter started getting stuck on the bolt that holds the shifter plate down.... then i decided to actually do something about it.

I heard so many good things about the symborski shift kit, and since i was going to be pulling the console apart anyways to tighten everything down, etc... i decided for $30, eh, why not.

VERY IMPRESSED with MachV by the way. They were OUTSTANDING. Perhaps the best online retailer i have ever dealt with, and i do most of my shopping online.

The shift kit, however, left much to be desired. I dont feel much of a difference in my shifter from before everything became loose. I just wanted to add my 2 cents since everyone else is raving about this.... if you found this post in a search and are thinking about buying it... im not gonna say DONT get it, but i am gonna say: Dont expect anything amazing. But then again... maybe its just me. The B&M on the other hand... well worth it IMO (i have the $30 ebay one cut down and tig welded). Now thats money well spent.

Going to have to counter-post this one.

The symborski shift kit was one of my 1st purchases and easily one of the best. Especially for the money. Combined with the authentic (not ebay knock off crap) B&M short shifter, I have to say after using that combo for over 5 years now, it performs perfectly and every shift is right on and still fun. People still comment on the metallic like sounds and feel of it. I love it.

+1 to djtrickee

ive been using the Symborski for 5 years and loved it.
3 years ago i added the brass cable inserts for the cable links and improved the tightness of the shifts even more
i added an Authentic B&M bout 2 years ago and love every bit of this combo.

a friend of mine picked up a used 2ga and wanted me to test it out, i didnt realise how much the shifting had changed and improved till i felt stock again.

I like the shift kit as well with a hacked and Tig welded b&m shifter.
I also purchased new bearings for the shifter cables off of ebay and those are nice as well. Those were $18.

Just my .02 as well.

I also will have to vouch for the kit. I bought it about a year ago and at first didn't notice a difference, but after driving it more and more, I did. Worth the $30. I have an eBay knockoff short shifter and it's working out great. Have had it for about a year and a half now.

I was actually thinking on buying the symborski shift kit as well because I've heard of good reviews from it.

Do you think it was just a bad product from Mach V or do you think its alright to go through them?

I've botten from Mach V a bunch of times and never had any problems with them.

No, if you are going to buy the kit, i DEFINITELY recommend MachV. I ordered at about 10:00am, it was shipped out that afternoon and was on my doorstep 2 days later. The quality and precision of the pieces were outstanding.... i was just questioning the affect of them.

I read about the "metallic sound", and i don't hear it....

Perhaps if i would have installed them before the short shifter i would have felt more of a difference, but my shifting was nice and tight before. But i guess... my shifting is practically perfect, maybe it is due to the combination of the short shifter and the shift kit, as i basically installed them simultaneously.

Originally posted by ajcfalcon
No, if you are going to buy the kit, i DEFINITELY recommend MachV. I ordered at about 10:00am, it was shipped out that afternoon and was on my doorstep 2 days later. The quality and precision of the pieces were outstanding.... i was just questioning the affect of them. I read about the "metallic sound", and i don't hear it.... Perhaps if i would have installed them before the short shifter i would have felt more of a difference, but my shifting was nice and tight before. But i guess... my shifting is practically perfect, maybe it is due to the combination of the short shifter and the shift kit, as i basically installed them simultaneously.

I did the same thing. Waaayy back when I first started doing shit to my car, I bought the kit and a B&M, and installed them at the same time. You definetly notice how it actually snaps into gear. Its so fucking precise, I love it. It is still fun to shift, even after 4 or 5 years, Im not sure how long its been lol.

This is a damn good thread. Acutally, you should make this a review, and throw it up on the Wiki. Negative reviews are allowed, you know. Write almost nearly what you did in the first post, and then maybe throw a link to this thread there too.

gotta say that the symbroski kit is still the best money I have ever put in my car. and I got it WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY back when it was still $20 bucks IIRC. nothing has been worth more money in my opinion.

and Deej, I agree with you on the metallic sound when you shift, kinda like the sound effects in the movies, or the old porsche :)

I've never driven a 2gnt with a stock shifter (ex-ATX), but I have driven a TSi and other assorted FWD cars with a cable shift linkage. I do love the way my shifter feels compared to the rest. I went a little bit further and replaced the rubber bushings at the base of the shifter with some washers. There is a very mechanical feel to everything. I let my buddy with the TSi drive my car and he can't believe how solid it feels.

Originally posted by freelancefool
I've never driven a 2gnt with a stock shifter (ex-ATX), but I have driven a TSi and other assorted FWD cars with a cable shift linkage. I do love the way my shifter feels compared to the rest. I went a little bit further and replaced the rubber bushings at the base of the shifter with some washers. There is a very mechanical feel to everything. I let my buddy with the TSi drive my car and he can't believe how solid it feels.

that's similar to the symbroski kit, not quite as solid.

Wow, I never thought about cutting off part of the shifter and welding the top back on. Haha, I'd like my shift knob to sit a little lower, I may do that. (I've got the B&M as well, but not the Symborski shift kit)

I ran around for a while trying to find a shop that would do it, because of the material they said it had to be tig welded or something like that (im not a welder). But i got it cut from the top down to the bend, and it is perfect. And aparently, that plus the shift kit = practically perfect shifting... even though im having a hard time telling the difference with the shift kit. I think it cost me $60 at an import shop to have it done, and it took the dude like 8 minutes to do it. But considering the shifter itself was only $30... thats a shortened short throw shifter for under a hundred bucks!

Originally posted by ajcfalcon
I ran around for a while trying to find a shop that would do it, because of the material they said it had to be tig welded or something like that (im not a welder). But i got it cut from the top down to the bend, and it is perfect. And aparently, that plus the shift kit = practically perfect shifting... even though im having a hard time telling the difference with the shift kit. I think it cost me $60 at an import shop to have it done, and it took the dude like 8 minutes to do it. But considering the shifter itself was only $30... thats a shortened short throw shifter for under a hundred bucks!

don't know why it would need to be tig'd it's just steel, even rusts a little. sounds like someone was blowin smoke up your tailpipe

Its not steel. I took it to 4 different shops before i found someone who could do it.

Originally posted by ajcfalcon
Its not steel. I took it to 4 different shops before i found someone who could do it.

:shrug I know mine is, I just hit it with a scotchbrite wheel to de-rust it a while ago :shrug

maybe it is steel, hell if i know. I have just used these guys for things before and i see no reason why they wouldnt want to make money spending 5 minutes welding something. But i dont see this thing rusting anytime soon though, its got a mirror like chrome finish on it.

oh wait! you're talking about the B&M one, yeah, it's a polished alloy