by 
The Curious Bag
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A short shifter is a popular performance upgrade to the standard shift lever in cars with a manual transmission.
Features
In manual cars, the shifter is the lever that changes the gears. A short shifter is simply a smaller version that makes it easier to change gears quickly by reducing the amount of distance or "throw" needed to shift from one gear to another.
Expert Insight
According to TWM Performance, a short shift manufacturer, a true short shifter not only shortens the length of the lever but actually reduces the angle the shift lever takes when changing gears resulting in a smaller distance the driver's hand needs to take when shifting.
Price
Short shifters are available for almost any manual car and cost around $150 as of November 2009.
Installation
In most cases, short shifters are easily installed at home or even inside the car with simple hand tools, although they are widely available through a car dealership as an upgrade or accessory.
Misconceptions
While an upgrade to a short shifter has been proven to be relatively safe even when installed at home, there is an adjustment period to using a short shifter as it takes much less power and energy to change gears than with a stock shifter.
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