anyone have a autometer or autometer-like shift lite in their FD? if so, where are you mounting it? any pics would be great

 

What's this shift light you speak of? Are you sure you want to have one of these blaring a light at you when you're driving at night?

 

It's hard to look at the tach and hear the motor

Shift lights are for Civics..

 

You already have a buzzer...

 

screw that shift light crap...I have the real deal, an electrical shock sensor. I think the old Stanley Milgram electrical shock style is the only way to go. When it is time to shift, you'll get a nice big wallup of electricity jolted into you.

I figure this would eb good for 15HO, whereas the shift light is only around 11HP

 

Why you guys busting thhis guys chops over a shift light?
I use a "Quick-light" Autometer shiftlight. Unobtrusive works like a charm and if you are really driving then, personally, I think you will need one.

http://reganrotaryracing.tripod.com/shftlite.htm

But I do agree those HUGE shift lights and 12 inch tachometers are really dorky on a civic or any other street vehicle for that matter.

HTH,
Crispy

 

Someone spoke of hiding their shift light behind the center a/c vents pointing at the driver. I though that was a great idea.

 

^^I've heard of that too. Good idea.

 

you guys who think shift lights are for ricers are just sounding clueless. i dont know about you guys but i cant hear the buzzer over my exhaust. i think you all run some wussy street exhaust. and when youre concentrating on your corner exit point and passing the next car you dont have time to stare at the tach. if you want consistant shifting for max power it really really helps to have a shift light. that said you need it close to your line of sight. a good spot is on top the steering column.

 

<<Why you guys busting this guys chops over a shift light?>>

Crispy...It's cool ... thanx tho hehe
I'm one of those stubborn guys... if i like somethin or see praticality to it, im not easily swayed...

damonb, i do remember readin somethin bout that a lil while back, but didnt get 2 c a pic.

just a comment on shift lites...

a) i dont have a buzzer anymore. ever since i got a PFC, no buzzer. (have no idea why)

b) before the PFC...when i had a stock ECU, i could hardly hear the buzzer, cuz i have DP/MP/freeflow exhaust...

c) like rockshox said, i DO find it distracting tryin 2 keep my eye on the tach while doin a buck twenty on the freeway....

d) if ur usin ur buzzer to shift, ur def. not shiftin rite. yes, FDs r great cuz they got such a high redline, but ur peak is between 7200 - 7500 rpm... shiftin after that is just gonna slow u down. hence shift lites set at the optimum shift point

and on another note...one thing i understand but dont agree w/ is how a lot of FD owners are soo anti-anything that just may happen to be used by ricers. just cuz ricers use somethin dont mean it's rice. AND it dont mean it's not useful/necessary.

granted, ricers go for all show and no go, a lot of wut they got is good stuff, given if it was decent quality and was actually useable on their car... to name a few:

- fire extinguishers. if u got an FD, i hope u got one. a halon one (not ricer's chrome APC a-pillar mount junk lol)

- shift lites. the FD tach is just fine IMHO. u dont need a new tach. but shift lite is helpful (see above lol). and yea, freakin GIGANTIC ricer tachs that have a 14000 rpm red line on a stock engine is very very .. rice lol

- "gay *** huge CF spoilers" as many of u like to refer to them. if ur a ricer, and ur car's front wheel drive...yea it's rice. but if ur in an FD, and lookin for serious downforce, i got news for u. the stock spoiler isn't gonna cut it. u need a serious spoiler and rear diffuser (but dont take my word for it, check out EVERY SINGLE serious race car in japan. even the ghetto ones have wings and often diffusers. that's a lil somethin 2 think about for all u hardcore j-spec lovers =)

those r just the ones that came 2 my mind at 1:30 AM. but u get my drift. id even venture to say that ricers usually get show versions of serious performance parts ppl like us actually USE. so dont b deterred cuz some ricer tries to copy wut ur runnin...cuz after all, that's wut they do. they COPY. and functionality is EVERYTHING (even if it may be called "rice").

well...those r my $0.02.

oh and crispy...thanx 4 the pic/site

 

What the **** are you doing 120 mph on a public highway for?

 

I have a small PIVOT light, and I mounted it on my steering column.

 

<<What the **** are you doing 120 mph on a public highway for?>>

not to encourage this...cuz i think it's VERY reckless and very dangerous...but... when some hothead pulls up next 2 u revvin his engine on the highway...a kill is irresistable. and ur already doin 70 - 80ish on the highway...it takes wut... 4 -5 seconds to get up to 120, and put on ur flashers as u c him in your rear view....

 

Ok dude... I wasn't being serious about the buzzer (Should have been evident by the SMILEY I put after it) I'm FAR from clueless as well, but honestly you didn't have to go to the "wussy exhaust" route. You hurt my feelings.

I completely understand shift lights. Not a 72" autometer shiftlight, but yes a well placed FUNCTIONAL shiftlight is an awesome tool.

 

Yes. In a stock FD. Some of as aren't stock anymore.

And YES, the light can be set at the optimal shift point. I was kidding about the buzzer.

 

<<I completely understand shift lights. Not a 72" autometer shiftlight, but yes a well placed FUNCTIONAL shiftlight is an awesome tool.>>

aah...WELL placed being key. now u know why i posted this thread lol.

so yep...feel free to advise where u think a good place would be...

<<Yes. In a stock FD. Some of as aren't stock anymore. >>

very good point. but u know, my FD's not stock either...but cuz im still pretty much a newbie...i have no idea how id find out wut the optimum shift point would be w/ my mods...

how u find out? or is this somethin that only applys if u have engine work (like porting, etc)?

thanx

 

Normally, a dyno is a good place to see where your car peaks in power..

Of course there are some that can just "feel" it. I'd trust a dyno and a wideband.

I also think a nice little mount on the steering column would work for the light.. Or in the vent sounds reasonable. Most people I see have the tach and light.. So the light is usually wherever the tach is. I'd mount it wherever gives you the least amount of distraction while still easily visible to use as a shifting tool.

 

yea most ppl said steering column or vent. anyone ever given thought to mounting it on the dash, like on the right side of that big rounded area of the dash that contains the instrument cluster... somewhere in that vicinity (between the end of the curve on the right, and the center speaker)

i think that would be very visible..and wouldn't obstruct ur view of anything at the same time...

wut u guys think?

 

Rami, no need for a shift light.
Take it to the rev limiter , i set mine at 8500rpm.
No need for a light if the engine starts bouncing off the limiter then you need to shift I usually can just hear mine wind out at 8k or so and shift then. Let me give you a ride next time you swing by and I'll show you how I drive the good ole Fd.


I'll get your catback finished off tomorrow if you wanna hit me back then.

-Dave

 

Why not use a shift light? It depends on the application. It's like the christmas tree at the strip, if you get use to it, it is like a reflex to shift when you see the light. I agree that the lights on the huge tachs are ridiculous, but you can mount the light anywhere in your vision, and as long as you see the flash...boom...shift... It's even more important when you street race...which I highly do not recommend unless absolutely necessary...but you want to keep your eyes on the road and not the tach. However, if you road race or solo, and you know what you are doing...you know where to shift during the run...because as you all know, shifting in the turn will be dissasterous. So, even if a bright yellow light is blinding you, you either ride it out and possibly blow your motor, or eat **** in a turn.

 

Dave...

im sure u dont absolutely NEED a lite...but it helps
and just 2 b real...4 me, it also has a lot of asthetic appeal. nutting wrong w/ functional AND pretty, rite? hehe

but im def gonna take u up on ur ride offer. its sad...but that's gonna b the 1st time ill b in an FD in MONTHS..=(

Red...i feel wut ur sayin. yea when ur def. pushin it, it can really help u time ur shift best w/o consciously thinkin bout it. oh, and brite yellow lite? no no no no no. gotta get that lens cover changed. brite RED lite. gotta match the gauges...lol

 

agreed

 

<<Shift lights are for Civics.. >>

<<agreed>>

hey...to each his own.

but i really hope u dont have a single gauge in ur car..esp. if u have a PFC or other programable ECU..cuz followin ur logic, then gauges are for civics too... (and so are extinguishers, spoilers, body kits, shift *****, rims, HIDs, fogs, etc etc)

**side note: i personally think chrome rims on on FDs is a no-no...FDs aren't a slow cruisin-on-dubs pimp car. but again, it's all bout prespective...**

i really hope we aren't THAT influenced by wut other ppl r runnin...cuz i personally think it's sad that a lotta FD owners get so caught up in wut may or may not be rice, vs. wut they may actually want, need, and like.

it's UR FD. do 2 it wut u like (within reason, of course). cuz at the end of the day, after all the compliments and disses, it's U that's stuck w/ ur car and the "mods" u have that ull either luv or hate...and that's that.

 

if i was going to put a shift light in my car, it would be in the a/c vent. a LOT of F-body guys do it. Id check out a camaro forum for a how-to.

 

Depends on your shift light, mine is about the size of a dime, but bright as ****! So I dont need that thing level to my eyes blinding me. So its down there and actually the light hits me in the chest and I see it but it doesnt wack me out of my mind. Its just a reminder, not a HAVE TO HAVE