Not only applicable in tube-frame applications, the new ProAm shifters can be installed in VW-based floor plans as well. In this case, a crafty fabricator lowered the unit by "pocketing" the base before welding in reinforcing gussets along the side. This also allows the shift rod to remain within the tunnel. How slick is that? By the way, we tried shifting this very unit for our story. Very tight and precise. Think modern-day IndyCar.

If you're anything like the rest of us, enjoying the driving experience in any high-performance car is as much perception as reality. Doesn't a washed car seem to drive better than a filthy one? Doesn't a loud exhaust seem to add bundles of power even though it may actually do the opposite?

Those may be false perceptions, but the reality that those things we touch–the seat, switches, steering wheel and pedals–actually have bearing on both the experience and our view of quality and value. And we especially love shifters. After all, controlling a gearbox and making that perfect up or down shift with nary a growl or grind, ranks high on our source list for vehicular jollies.

BOYD JAYNES

Looking to once again help refine a product category, a short time ago ProAm Racing Products, renowned for its leading-edge line of buggy and truck hubs, off-road worthy calipers and axles, introduced its new line of off-road worthy shifters. Designed in the highly fertile mind of ProAm founder Roy Dehban, these new shifters bridge the price gap between the highly exotic units offered by several transmission companies and those really cheesy Hurst knock-offs found in local buggy shops.

Like all ProAm products, the fit and finish of these units are world class. In order to keep the moving parts away from water and dirt, a unique feature of the ProAm shifter is found in its self-sealing base. Made (naturally) of billet aluminum, the base houses a high-strength sealed heim joint and rod assembly and bolts firmly to a separate flat, steel mounting plate. This base can easily be fabricated in any position the driver requires.

From this now-sealed housing emerges a 3/4-thick, steel-chrome shaft, sealed at the top by a rubber boot. Just under the specially milled aluminum knob lies another unique feature, an aluminum ring that must be depressed to bypass the reverse gear lock-out so common on VW-based transmissions. No more pressing down on the entire shift rod or pushing a second button to find reverse–a very nice feature.

According to Dehban, his new product has been an instant sales success. The shifters are available in both four- and five-speed "H" pattern configurations, in either a black or raw-aluminum finish. They fit almost every four-speed and many five-speed gearboxes.

While certainly not cheap, a couple of shifts with this new ProAm unit not only raises quality and reliably, but certainly adds to the entire driving experience. And that's no false perception.

SOURCEProAm Racing
Corona, CA
951-737-7499
http://ProAmRacing.com/