update,

I have been working with oleg & I will be doing a set of shifters in his Z, I have taken a set of paddles apart for exploritory surgery & it's very doable. I'm going to modify the right one, actually probably modify both so they feel the same. I'll document the procedure after I finish this... I will also show exactly what needs to be done so you can do it yourself, like I did on the fx setup... should be a few weeks or so... I'm also considering the possibility of building the paddles into the cover itself rather than the inner column, this would make it very possible for me to be able to offer a kit pre-built to ship out... no promises there yet though... I would still give full instructions so most can do them themselves though even if I did offer a kit...

 

Turbo, thanks for the update.
Keep up the good work. This will give every one 2 choise in designs for paddel shifters for the Z. Im getting a bit closer to manufacturing my design.

 

honestly, I have no interest in making a business out of this, I would only offer them as there is no other solution & it may help guys with there projects, but if yours wind up being produced & available then I won't need to offer mine really.. unless there very different & guys rather the oe paddle design maybe in some cases too... let's see how they wind up coming out to begin with. I'd be more than happy leaving the market to you really

 

ok, a few shots. I had to strip the paddles down & then chop them more. the whole pivot & switch will have to be custom built but it fits. oleg's coming by again tommorow for another test fit & more measuring. man, this is tight space to work with, & i thought the fx was bad

 

Hehe, yeah it is a tight space Good pictures, what you have planed to the big holes? just wondering. Im waiting on couple OEM parts to arrive. But i have been thinking and re-thinking the best and easiest way to machine my design to keep cost down. Boy my brain cells been working over time on it.

 

the holes are access & measuring & to work with for mock up & test fitting.

depending on what I wind up with overall, that will determine what I wind up doing to finish that hole. I may wind up buying another cover if I wind up with internally mounted, I may wind up having to load the paddles in from the side there too & then make a finish cover, too soon to say really, depends how I decide to do the mounting...


from what I'm seeing so far, I don't think this will be a DIY fabrication type thing like the fx writeup I did, this one is very involved & I doubt most will be able to do this on there own... it's gonna take some funky fabrication to pull this one off I think... once I get a final pivot position & mounting scheme, then I'll have to come up with a switching & spring solution...

depending on how this works out, I may be able to make a kit available if the demand is really there for them... I think these are very different from yours. mine are all hand built & fabricated & would only be available in very limited #'s anyway, like only a few of these... theres a ton of Z's out there... if you mass produce yours you'll have a hit for sure...

 

Just dropped off the car at the shop...

 

Great work and thanks for sharing turbocad. If you take the switch apart, is there a dual pole design inside that could be utilized to avoid the need for a relay - or is it really only a closure type switch? Any pics of the internals of the white switch/connector piece?

 

it's not like that, it's more like a window switch in that there is a metal piece that slides to the side & contacts 2 metal pads that are the 2 terminals...

I'll get pictures up... don't think theres much chance of modding it to eliminate the relay with the stock paddle internals...

 

Any updates?

 

nice, im going to try this when i get home

chika chika yea

 

I've been so busy I haven't had time for much, I'm designing this to all be part of the cover itself, the cover will contain the paddles & the switches & then bolt up to the column... the space is very tight here & I think this way will work out well... I've been test fitting with oleg back & forth & hopefully will have more info soon...

 

Just to give an update, the mock-up test fit went smoothly, everything seems to fit, nothing is rubbing where it shouldn't rub. Next test fit is going to be in a bit over a week, if everything works out, the install time will be scheduled then, followed closely by driving impressions. If everything goes as anticipated, the setup will look and feel 100% OEM.
Hopefully John will chyme in with details and pics.

 

looks good brother...nice to meet u the other night btw....hopefully everything works out well.

 

Turbocad, Hows the project coming along, been awhile since we posted.
Mine is close to getting machined yeah. I have to say it is very tight space inside there, even on bothside with out having to cut anything from the posts on the spiral column.

 

There hasn't been much action over the last couple of weeks b/c both myself and Johan are swamped at work and it is difficult to coordiante a day which is mutually comfortable. We should have another test-fit next week, hopefully some more substantial info will become available.

 

Thank you.
I think if your g/f didn't intervene we'd be BS'ing there well into the wee hours...
P.S. If any meets occur in the future please let me know. It's more fun to go to those if you know someone...

 

No worries, i can understand being swamped. It been taking me awhile designing mine, im doing a resign to cut the cost down.

 

Did anyone come up with a kit for paddle shifters besides Bell Works? That kit looks nice but you have to use an aftermarket steering wheel and lose your cruise control. Not that it is that big of a deal but I like the controls on the wheel.

 

Im working on something, https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-and-interior/333463-paddle-shifter-oem-wheel.html