April 7, 2002
By:
fcalmes
Member Rating:
Total votes: 339
I recently replaced my B&M Ripper shifter with the new performance shifter by Breathless Performance Products and I must say that I thought I’d never replace my Ripper but the time has come. The shifter is CNC machined aluminum, very light weight, strong, and made of high quality materials. You have the option of the angled shift handle or straight and after trying a couple test configurations, I opted for the angled.
The feature that I especially liked about the BPP shifter is that it can be adjusted to the driver's desired position. There are actually 16 different positions the angled shift handle can be placed in, depending on what is most comfortable for the driver. There is also a small hard plastic wedge that can be placed between the shifter mechanism and the handle that will angle the shifter towards or away from the driver at 5°. The BPP shifter comes with a choice of the softer pre-installed springs and stiffer springs, allowing the user to choose whatever works best for him. I decided to keep the softer springs in.
After removing the Ripper, I placed both shifters side by side for a comparison. As you can see, both shifters were virtually the same length with the base of the BPP shifter being noticeably thicker.
Here are some of the various configurations:
For my own personal preferences, I chose the position below, with the shifter handle mounted to the passenger side of the shifter. I think it will take some trial and error to find the position that is most comfortable for each individual. It's nice to have that option. For long legged people like myself, I found having the shifter angled back towards me to be very comfortable. Breathless has updated their shifter since I have received mine, with the handle slotted on both sides so that the stock shift knob can be used regardless of shifter position. The handle was originally only slotted on one side.
Although I really liked my MOMO shift knob, I have an issue with the knob itself which is not unique to the BPP shifter, but was also a problem with the Ripper shifter as well. The beauty ring that covers the set screws does not slide down far enough on the shifter handle to allow the knob to be placed as low as possible. I would highly recommend a screw-on shift knob.
This is the completed installation with the stock shift knob but I will be changing to either the BPP or the MGW shift knob soon.
I have found the throws to be very short and crisp and it wasn’t as notchy as my former B&M Ripper. I would definately recommend the BPP shifter and rate it a 5. Although I really liked the B&M Ripper, I like the Breathless Performance Products shifter better and will keep it installed in my Z06. Installation is the same as any shifter. Approximately 30 minutes to install and there are detailed easy to follow instructions that come with this shifter.
2MuchFun 07 2LZ, Chrome, Nav 
Linear Mode
