Ricardo Topete of GTR High...
Ricardo Topete of GTR High Performance puts the final tightening touch on Barton Industries’ 2011 Mustang six-speed shifter. The replacement effort is accomplished in the same manner as that of aftermarket five-speed shifters for Fox-body and SN-95/New Edge ’Stangs, needing hand tools and about an hour of time to complete.
In our opinion, anyone who thinks that the Mustang hobby is showing signs of slowing down or going away can’t be living in the same booming ’Stang world that we are. Yes, times definitely are very good for Mustang enthusiasts right now; the all-new, GT ’Stang and its 5.0-liter engine are two of the main reasons why this is so.
At this point, we’re actually far removed from further hyping the Coyote 5.0. Plain-and-simple, it’s a badass bullet, and when tied to an ’11’s six-speed Getrag transmission, the motor highlights a drivetrain combo that brings great memories of the old days flooding back for original 5.0/-5-speed fans like us. Getting your shift on in a hot, new ’Stang is arguably one of the best aspects of owning one. However, like most Mustangs before their time, ’11s suffer from one major deficiency (in our opinion) that takes away from the gear-grabbing experience just a bit--the weak, cheap (that’s right, we called it cheap) factory shifter.
Barton Industries uses 6061...
Barton Industries uses 6061 T6 billet aluminum and 304 stainless steel to CNC chisel its short-throw shifter assembly and optional brick-stout hanger. As you’ll see in a comparative photo elsewhere in this report, this new unit is night-and-day superior to the OEM software.
The Barton Industries 2011 Mustang shifter we’re featuring this month came to our attention via the Internet and the company’s non-viral YouTube video (we look everywhere for products to tell you about in TI) detailing the shifter’s installation. We thought it would be cool to produce our own reality showof sortswith Barton’s stout, new selector (PN 2011BM-2; $349) and optional shifter-hanger (PN 2011BM-4), so we made arrangements with our friends at GTR High Performance to perform an installation for our cameras, and see for ourselves what the differences are on Frank Lanzas’ Kenne Bell-blown, ’11 GT.
Using marked strips of tape...
Using marked strips of tape as measurement points (taken at the center of the shift knob), the factory selector’s throw distance comes in at 2 inches. Aftermarket shifters’ throw reduction is typically presented as a percentage. We thought it would be interesting to record the change in this manner, as it’s a lot more real world than going by the advertised calculations.
As you tell by the accompanying photos and captions (and Barton’s YouTube demo), the removal/replacement procedure for this short-throw shifter assembly is as easy as it was in the old T-5 (and Tremec T-45/3560) days. The 2011’s six-speed features a similar socket/pivot design, a simple assortment of handtools, and some manner of safely raising the car high enough to access the hanger are all one needs to accomplish the swap.
Using marked strips of tape...
Using marked strips of tape as measurement points (taken at the center of the shift knob), the factory selector’s throw distance comes in at 2 inches. Aftermarket shifters’ throw reduction is typically presented as a percentage. We thought it would be interesting to record the change in this manner, as it’s a lot more real world than going by the advertised calculations.
Here’s the comparison shot...
Here’s the comparison shot we mentioned earlier. While the differences in the shifters is as plain as day (1⁄4-inch-thick billet, CNC’d base plate versus 1⁄8-inch-thick stamped plate), notice how much thicker and stronger the Barton shifter hanger is. Yes, those are zip-ties holding the bushing on the stock hange
We strongly recommend you...
We strongly recommend you opt to install the upgrade hanger with the new Barton shifter. The hanger must be disassembled, and then the bushing is set in place first, followed by the billet bracket. Four ¼ x 20 Allen cap screws bring this assembly together and make it a rock-solid anchor for the shifter above.
The baseplate for Barton’s...
The baseplate for Barton’s short-throw features counter-sunk holes for the 3⁄8-inch bolts that secure it. While we think using Allen-head fasteners (in the correct size, of course) will make the top-side install task a bit easier, they’re unfortunately not provided. However, a thin-wall deep socket does allow getting the four OEM bolts tightened down properly.
This is the short-throw measurement,...
This is the short-throw measurement, taken immediately after the insulation/boot, console tray and Barton round-ball shift knob are installed (a shift-knob adapter must be used with the Barton piece). The shift distance is reduced from 2 inches down to ¾-inch, which for all intents and purposes is a simple flick of the wrist, when you’re shifting with purpose.
The new shifter has a shorter...
The new shifter has a shorter stance than the stock handle, to match its shorter throw. On the road, upshifts and downshifts are easy and feel more solid than they do with a stock handle (a snappy, positive click sound confirms each gear engagement), and plugging the transmission into Reverse is also a drama-free process. We have to give props to this U.S.-made piece. As Mustang shifters go, the Barton Industries 2011 Mustang shifter is a good one.