My american shifter experience

damn....all this bitchin and no pics..?.....funny we always seem to make those Pep Boys conversions work even if......

 

Gennie shifter is still in business. I have Gennie shifters in both of the hotrods. Just prefer the side shift gated action to the push button. The one in the t-bucket has been there for 20 years without missing a beat. Just put one in the '35 last year, nothing but smooth shifting.

 

Here's how i mounted mine on my PG,I hated the ugly brackets so i copied the rear mount. Just hope the shifter last, may save up for a Gennie yet. JW

 

I cant comment on other Hoffman products but I can comment on their American shifter.
Installation was no easier or harder than any other shifter Ive installed in a car, and Ive installed quite a few.

I take that back.

My B & M ractchet shifter was a pain in the ass due to their instructions being vague.

The American shifter has been in the car for about 2 years and a few thousand miles with ZERO issues. My B & M has been in the other car for about 10 years and after 7 or 8 years I had to replace some parts. That doesnt make the B & M a peice of shit though

There will always be the haters out there, but I would buy another American .

Regarding Chinese junk.
How many of you guys shop at Walmart? Enough said

I try to buy American AND I try and support the local speed shops when I can, if it cost me more from the local guy, so what, if he goes out of business all you have left are the Summits and the Jegs. But if I see something that will work better for my needs, Illl keep an open mind and sometimes take a gamble. The American shifter is doing just fine.

 

I also bought the dual action American Shifter for my GM 700R4. Like most Hot Rodders i open & check out what ever I bought, then months later i'll got to install it. So i decide while the motor & tranny is in the roadster to install the shifter. Open box and look for the instructions. No Instructions??
Since i had opened the box earlier i thought i has misplaced them in the shop. Turn the shop upside down, can't find them? I phone American Shifter, Guess what you have to down load a file & print them out! They must save 50 cents on paper & ink, but for me was a first!
Anyways, i could not get the bracket to fit tight. I pulled the motor & tranny out, to get ready for paint. Spent a few hours trying to get it tight. Found that i had to use washers on either side of the tranny for the mounting brackets. And will spot weld these brackets to the ones that actually mount the shifter mechanism to keep it tight. Seems to work now!

Washers on either side of the tranny housing squares up the mounting brackets


Here's a photo where it will be spot welded.

 

Here we go again....

 

If you boil it down, the truth is that even the Lokar and Gennie shifters are no great shakes qualitywise. They are ok for what they are, which is a simple lever to move the shift arm back and forth with stops along the way, but IMO they are not as well built as some of the factory shifters that do the same thing.

A little while ago we spent a couple of nights dialing in the Lokar shifter on my Son's T bucket. The car has been on the road for the past 5 years and the shifter has never been 100% perfect. It would start in gear sometimes and would also slip easily out of park. We went right back to square one and adjusted everything so that we now have it working pretty well, but I can't say it feels any better or works any better than, let's say, a Mustang shifter from the 60's.

So, with respect to feel and how positive the shifters are, the American one I have doesn't seem any better or worse than the Lokar's and Gennies we own. In fact, if you blindfolded me I couldn't tell you which one I was shifting, they are that similar.

Don

 

I ordered a shifter from American Shifter for a'33 hot rod I'm building. Long story short, after 4-5 months, they never sent the correct fitting parts. They don't know their product. Horrible customer service.

 

They pride themselves of being SOLD in America, IE; marked up for American consumers. But they will hesitate to tell you it's all from china. Which is fine except for all the problems that you mentioned. No pride in their company.
I went with lokar. Was very happy

 

Buy American. Boycott The Hoffman Group.

 

I love my Gennie. And I made my decision to buy a Gennie after doing alot of reading and searches right here on the good ol HAMB. Thanks guys.
-Pat

 

So...after all this, what shifter should I go with for my 28 chrysler with a turbo 350?

 

Genie or Lokar. Never had any trouble with either.

 

glad I found this as it will steer me away from any troubles I don't want . was kind of leery about some of the stuff they advertised that I seen before , now I know why .

 

Put a Lokar in my last 32 and liked it but my latest 32 came with a Gennie and I love it. Just a better feel to me.

 

The reports of Gennie Shifter's demise have been greatly exaggerated. But on the other hand, the reports of poor quality Hoffman Group products have not.
I'm glad that I searched for a Gennie - twice.

 

Nothing more to say this nails it %100.

 

i think i read this once in a fortune cookie. i second the swap meet hurst.

 

Benjamin Franklin is often credited with "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

 

I just installed a second shifter. Two different vehicles. The first one went well, now for the second one.... HAHAHA... I didn't know that I had to use METRIC tools on a "American Shifter".
Like some of you said Genie was the way to go.

 

Now just to add in to what I just noticed... The supplied heim-joints are 1/4-28 with jam nuts and the threaded rod is 6-1.0 mm.... that just doesn't work people. Also the neutral safety switch is the wrong thread. I talked to them yesterday.. what a bunch of idiots..

 

Yup, and try and return your Hoffman group products, In the early years (2000 )I bought and sold there products and 2005 later dropped the line as there products started getting cheaper quaility plus too many returns! There return policy was horrible and had nothing but problems with getting credit ! Check with the better business bureau on there score ! Very Negative !!!! Finally I had to file legal paperwork against them ! Good luck buying there products !!!!

 

I bought one about a month ago, been sitting in box til I was ready to install it. I read this thread and thought oh sh!t what do I have to look forward to? Installed it today, took couple hours. Two holes needed to be tapped, but other than that not too bad of an installation. Ended up just taking lap top into the shop to view instructions as I installed it. Time will tell I guess

 

Gennie stumbled for a bit ,Ill save ya the drama , but we are not gone all shifters are currently available all hand brakes will be available soon !

 

Great to hear that all of gennie's products are available. All ill ever buy

Fryguy

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Put a genie on the t350 in my pick up.Very good quality and works great.When I purchased mine i was able to buy just what i needed as i ended make a custom length and bend shift lever.I thought that was pretty cool.Not sure if they still offer that.

 

Has anyone solved the rattle on their Lokar shifter? On my list to fix. Is it just the shift rod rattling?

 

Your business is your business. We're all just glad that you found your footing.

Keep making that stuff, and we'll keep buying it!

 

I miss my Autostick 1

 

Got a Gennie on my TH 350, ultra reliable...friends have had some rattle issues with Lokar, good to see Gennie doing it, quality shifters for sure