Aftermarket lightning rods?!?

[theoldsone]

Can someone shed some light on me real quick? I'm astounded by what I stumbled upon. These people make lightning rod shifters? They arent exactly original looking but they bolt right up to any transmission using B&M linkages I guess, and there only $340! They also make a whole bunch of other shifters too. I really like the staple shifters. If this is true there no point into looking for original Hurst rods (except for a restoration). Is there something fishy here? Has anyone dipped there hands in these waters if so...any piranhas?

This is the site.
http://www.kilduffmachine.com/#2860

 

[Kwik_Cutty88]

Can someone shed some light on me real quick? I'm astounded by what I stumbled upon. These people make lightning rod shifters? They arent exactly original looking but they bolt right up to any transmission using B&M linkages I guess, and there only $340! They also make a whole bunch of other shifters too. I really like the staple shifters. If this is true there no point into looking for original Hurst rods (except for a restoration). Is there something fishy here? Has anyone dipped there hands in these waters if so...any piranhas?

This is the site.
http://www.kilduffmachine.com/#2860

Wouldn't recommend this company at all. A buddy of mind ordered their twister shifter for an S10 project he was doing. What he got was an absolute turd. Looked like crap, was hard to put into any gear. Just really cheeesy looking.

 

[theoldsone]

I was seriously hoping for something good. We need some one who can make these already! There design for the box is a bit tacky but for 340 I could work it out. But you cant fix something that's been broken from the get go. Thanks. Has any one else heard of them?

 

[DoubleV]

That shifter is for 3 speed cars isn't it? And they already make ( or are finishing up on supposedly ) a factory reproduction set so if you want the pseudo real deal, I'd wait for those to hit the market.

 

[xitabl442]

I have a set, but don't have them installed yet. I am happy with the quality. I really like how they shift by pulling them back. The OE rods have to be shifted sequentially, these you don't have to.
Another member 83MONTESS has a set installed and loves them. They are for 3 or 4 speeds, the box is too tall to fit in a Cutlass console though, I plan to add a one inch carpeted spacer under mine to raise it up.

 

[liquidh8]

I looked into them too, but they are physically larger than the hurst, so I won't be running them.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

I have that setup in my car. Absolute AWESOME quality! I had him cut the rods 4" shorter than the 16" ones that come standard. They look and feel awesome.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

I used a Grand Prix console to match my dash swap and also because the shifters will not fit under any other Gbody console. That was the only con I saw when installing them but im happier now because lets face it.....the stock Gbody consoles are ugly as hell! These things are built very well and I think you would have to go out of your way to break them unlike the original Lightning Rods which to me felt flimsy. Another cool thing is that with these to shift you pull back like a Lenco shifter instead of pushing forward with the Lightning Rods.

 

[theoldsone]

I know what im doing this summer! If you guys really have had good feedback then I might as well shoot for them too. -83MONTESS- Thats a killer interior! No I mean wow look at that. I want one now its beyond cool in a g body how much did you pay for the shifters only? Yes xitabl442 I would like to see the bottom of the shifters. Are they smooth shifting On a scale of 1-10 1=crashing gears 10=like butter. So how do they work exactly, are they like factory just the opposite way?
oh and sorry for your friend Kiwik_Cutty88 geuss He got a bad one...

 

[foxtrot]

Thanks for the url OP! I love the "Twister Shifter" that they show on the front page but did not see the same representation on the 'make a shifter' page. It also states that the "Twister Shifter" is a ratchet shifter! I'd love to have that feature in my gbody. For 300 bux, I may have to give them a call.