DIY: Vanagon Shifter in a MK1

I'm not good at taking pictures or writing up DIY's but I figured I would give this a shot.

After noticing the similarities of a Vanagon shifter to a MK1 while at the junkyard one day, I wondered if I could modify one to fit a MK1. After recently picking up another MK1 daily, I decided to give it a shot. The vanagon shifter, however similar, is not the same and will NOT bolt right up. The main reason for this mod it that the vanagon shifter is much taller than the stock shifter For a tall guy like myself who doesn't like shifting under my leg, or for a trendy kid who wants that oh so cool "rat look" this is for you.

Tools Needed:
-10mm & 13mm wrench
-10mm socket and ratchet
-welder
-some way to cut metal

Skills Needed:
-Basic mechanical skills
-Basic fabrication skills
-A general understanding how things work
-Patience

Step 1:
-Jack car up and secure it on jackstands.
-Remove cover plate for shifter access underneath.



Step 2:
-Remove 10mm nut and slide pin out of shift lever. This can be tricky.

Step 3:
-Remove the 2 10mm bolts securing the shifter to the body.
-Pull the shifter and support up and out of the car.

Comparison shot of the two shifters. Wow look at that length!



-The difference in length means that you will have to cut some of that length out and weld it back together. Also, there is a bend in the MK1 shifter that will need to be the same in the modified vanagon shifter. Without this bend, your car will not shift correctly and the shifter will sit too close to the passenger seat.

Step 4:
-Cut the shifter down. I cut out approximately 2 & 3/8th's inch out of mine. I used a pipe cutter for clean cuts.

-Here it is all cut down to length.


-There is a difference in the width of the two shifters where they meet the selector rod and this will need to be addressed.
MK1 Shifter:

Vanagon Shifter:


(I used a cut off wheel and flap disc to get it trimmed down to size and cleaned up nicely.)

-All nice and ready.


-It is important to line up the shifter pieces correctly before you weld them together or else the bend in the shifter will not be straight with the car.


Step 5:
-Welding.


Step 6:
-Bending. I got creative with the torch and a pipe wrench to get the right angle of the bend. This bending will allow you to check the quality of your weld, if it breaks then it's bad, if it doesn't then it's good. If you need to disassemble the shifter to bend it, the vanagon shifter has a set screw that will allow it to come apart easily.


Step 7:
-Reassemble the shifter and install in your car. I suggest not tightening everything super tight until you've gotten the shifter installed and make sure it's functioning correctly.
-Don't forget to put back in the shifter bushings and lube up the moving parts that got dry.




Step 8:
-Enjoy your awesome super-tall shifter.
-Put haters in place.

I hope this was informative and feel free to chime in with any helpful hints or suggestions.

Thanks!
-Nick

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