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The Barton has landed

3K views 18 replies 12 participants last post by  Candyman 
#1 ·
I was considering one awhile back and researched it here. Don't think I saw a single negative comment except perhaps a little louder than stock which I couldn't care less about.

Thing is built like a tank. Nice machining and very strong return springs.

Will put it on this upcoming weekend, the online video is pretty straightforward. Looks like the biggest headache are those two pins with the clips :)

Oh, in case any Canucks are reading this, youre looking at around $650.00 CDN with conversion rate, shipping, taxes, and duty (from $470.00 U.S. on website).

 
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#6 ·
Yea, those pins are a PITA to get out and put back in, especially the passenger side pin - it's real tight on that side. I dropped the pin under the car multiple times while trying to put it back in. Have patients on that side.

But this is a Grade A+ product. No complaints on my end. As far as the noise, I can't even hear it because I have Headers, catless mids and SLP LM1 exhaust.
 
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#7 ·
I read your install post :) I bought a telescopic magnet after reading it :grin2:
This is going to be a Sunday mornig, car inside, coffee and donut, slow, methodical install. I want it perfect and dont care if it takes all day :)

Yeah, if there is any excess noise I wont hear it anyway (old age) lol.
 
#8 ·
itguy,

Here is the review I posted last year when I installed my Barton. The clips are a breeze if you put them on from under the car. The real PITA is getting the bolt that connects the linkage to the shifter rod in, but I have learned a trick that will save you a lot of frustration and time. Hope this helps:

"Okay, everyone. Sorry for the delay, but I finally found the time to install my Barton today.

I did the install in my garage as the sun was just too intense in LA today to do the work outside on the driveway. I put my car up on my Race-Ramps, which I now consider invaluable for this particular installation (more on that in a moment).

Disassembling the console only took me about 20 minutes as I've done it several times before. Removing the OEM shifter was even quicker at around 5 minutes. I removed the front left-hand retaining pin from inside the car, and the passenger side one FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR, as it is far easier to see and undo the clip on the pin that way.

Having removed the POS stock shifter, I began to install the Barton. I'm kind of OCD about doing my installations very cleanly, even if I can't see the part that's been installed during normal use. To that point, when I was preparing to position the Barton into place, I covered the edges of the hole in the transmission tunnel with a pair of microfiber rags as it is VERY easy to scratch up the Barton while putting it in. Just drape the rags an inch over the edges of the hole, and then slip the Barton in. That way, if the Barton happens to rub against the edges of the hole, no damage will be done. Of course, no one would ever be able to see the scratches with the console reassembled, but if you are like me, you would still know that they were there. Anyway, I digress.

Lining up the Barton's front forks so that the holes for the retaining pins matched up with those on the flanges on the transmission case can be tricky, so I took a very small mirror from one of the wife's makeup compacts (please don't tell her) and taped it to a pencil. That way I could slip the mirror down into the transmission tunnel hole alongside the driver's side of the tranny case. From the passenger side, I then shined a flashlight at the mirror, giving me a perfect view of the holes for the retaining pins. After a few slight adjustments to the Barton, I was able to line everything up on the driver's side in a few seconds. I then inserted the retaining pin into the hole on the driver's side, and popped it in and locked the clip down on my first try. The ease of it felt very good, as countless folks have described doing this while installing a Hurst as a madding headache. Once I had the driver's side pin in, the holes on the passenger side were automatically lined-up for me as well. Again I got UNDERNEATH the car and popped the passenger side pin in and locked the clip down also on the first try. So far so good!

And that, my friends, is when the install came to a screeching and very frustrating halt for me. I could not for the life of me get the bolt that secures the shifter linkage to the Barton's shifter shaft inserted properly. As suggested in the Barton installation video, I depressed the clutch and pulled the linkage as far towards the rear of the car as I could and slipped the Barton shifter shaft in between the linkage flanges, but no matter how I adjusted things I could not get the holes lined up exactly, even while doing my mirror/flashlight trick to see into the holes. I spent several hours trying to get the bolt through but it would only make it halfway through and get stuck.

Becoming frustrated to the point of being close to giving up, a little voice in the back of my head told me to call the customer support number that comes with the shifter. It was after 3pm LA time at this point, making it after Barton's 5pm Eastern closing time, so I was expecting to get Barton's voicemail, but to my surprise someone picked up, a fellow who I think said his name was Joe (sorry to him if I didn't get his name right, as I was really hot, sweaty, frustrated and flustered by that time.) I explained to him exactly what my problem was, and he revealed to me that he is the guy who does all of the shifter installations for customers at events that Barton attends, including SpringFest just a few weeks ago. He immediately knew what I was going through, and reassuringly told me that he would give me the proverbial keys to the kingdom in the form of a tip. He told me to line the holes up as best I could, so that I could get the bolt halfway through, and while sitting in the driver's seat with the clutch depressed, and my right thumb applying pressure on the bolt head towards the passenger side, vigorously shift back and forth from 3rd to 4th repeatedly until the bolt slips all the way through.

I asked him if I tried to call him back if I failed, would he still be at Barton. He said that he was leaving for the day and then OFFERED TO GIVE ME HIS PERSONAL CELLPHONE NUMBER so I could call him back. Not wanting to bother the poor guy after a long day's work, I declined the offer, thanked him and hung up. I thought to myself, "even if his tip doesn't work, I will still always remember the level of customer support I had just been offered." When's the last time someone at ANY business offered you their personal info to make sure you were able to get help?? Amazing. And if anyone from Barton is still following this thread, please reward this man with open-ended employment and benefits. He was really amazing.

Anyway, I set everything up with the bolt in position, my thumb pressing against it, and my foot depressing the clutch, and began to shift back and forth from 3 to 4, halfway expecting it NOT to work. To my delight, on my third shift the pin suddenly went through! It took mere seconds! I actually let out a "YEAH!!!!" I was so relieved. I screwed the bolt in tight with a ratchet, and immediately grabbed my phone and called Barton back to thank Joe, but alas he had in fact already left. I intend to call him tomorrow to thank him profusely for his help. If I could be so bold as to make a suggestion to the decision makers at Barton: PLEASE EDIT A CLIP OF THIS PROCEDURE INTO THE INSTALLATION VIDEO? I'm sure it will spare others the hours of frustration I spent struggling.

Having accomplished this step, I began the reassembly of the console with ease except for one hitch: while reattaching the metal shift cover plate, I was torquing down the driver's side rearmost nut onto the bolt that was sticking through the cover, and accidentally broke off the top of the bolt. I examined my torque wrench and realized that I had it set way too high. Be very careful and avoid the mistake I made: make sure that your torque wrench is set at the 10lb/ft that Barton recommends. Mine was set to 25lb/ft, and that was enough to snap the bolt. Bummer, but after torquing down the rest of the nuts correctly, it was obvious to me that the cover was screwed on with enough snugness that my mistake wasn't going to pose any vibration problems. The rest of the reassembly went off easily, and I screwed my stock shifter lever into the Barton and adjusted the Barton mechanism so that the stick was standing perfectly vertical. If you prefer the shifter to lean towards or away from you, this can be easily performed.

My absolute best advice as far as installation is concerned is to take your time, and follow the Barton installation video EXACTLY. Remember Joe's tip to get the rear bolt through the Barton shifter shaft if you experience the same problem I did.

Having completed the installation, I couldn't wait to back my 392 off the ramps and take it, and the Barton for a spin. I started the car, and slipped the car into reverse and smiled broadly. The throw was SO precise and short that I knew I was going to love, and I mean LOVE, this shifter. I backed out of the garage and hit the street.

I'm actually at a loss for words to describe exactly how AMAZING the Barton shifter is. The lack of play in the stick, the tactile feeling of solidity transmitted from the shifter to my hand, the minuscule length of the throws, the utter silence emitted from the linkage, the positiveness of the shifts themselves, all beyond anything else I have ever felt sans one shifter: the one in the Formula Renault race cars I drove at the Winfield Racing School in France 25 years ago. Take it from me, the Barton is literally a racing quality shifter. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the shifter is so solid and precise that it strangely feels as if IT'S TOO GOOD FOR THE CAR. It feels like it belongs in a Bugatti Veyron or a Ferrari LaFerrari, if either of those cars even had a manual shift option in lieu of the paddle-shifting automatics they use.

In summary, the Barton is the finest shifter I have ever felt in a street car. I've owned BMW's and Mercedes, as well as driven friend's AMGs, Porsches, Ferraris, and my dad's manual 2004 Maserati GT coupe, and none of them, NOT ONE, had a better shifter than what I now have in my "lowly" Dodge. The Barton is night and day better than the Hurst shifters I've tried, and its utter silence (which I feel is even quieter than stock) makes me feel bad for all of the guys trying the endless washers, Dynamat, expensive "Larry" mods, silicone sealant and replacement of the stock shifter bushings in an effort to get their Hurst to shut up and behave. No comparison can even be drawn between the Barton and the OEM stock shifter. We're talking two different space/time dimensions of difference there.

If you ask me, the Barton is the best shifter in the world, and is worth every penny. Barton's commitment to making superior products and their exemplary customer service are beyond anything else out there. It has made more of a positive change to the driving experience of my car than any other mod I have done, bar none; and as you can see from my signature below, I have done a fair number of bolt-on mods.

Thank you Barton Industries!

- Rob Finkelman"
 
#12 ·
I installed mine Saturday, like everybody says the the pins were a PITA, but patience payed off, I'm lucky I didn't have the issue with the bolt like the OP (thank God) I did keep the video up would watch a section then complete that section until completed, best Money on a Mod spent, truly every thing the OP said and more.
 
#14 ·
RobF;4864818 snip snip - Rob Finkelman"[/QUOTE said:
Thank you very much, excellent advice and tips. Feeling very good about this Sunday now and I never would have though to go from under the car....good one!
 
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#15 ·
In reference to the pins, I removed and replaced them twice, with the car on race ramps. I had no issue at all. It is much easier from underneath the car.
 
#16 ·
Decided to do it tonight instead of Sunday :)

Everything went well. Passenger side pin from under the car, drivers side from the seat. Took less than 3 minutes total.

Putting the car on ramps was a fantastic tip, thank you.

My only issue was my own doing.....The linkage rod (test fit) went in between the bushings on the Barton with a great deal of effort shall we say :) but I did not want to sand them down....lets just say it took a good 30 or 45 minutes to get both sides lined up so I could get the bolt through and get the threads to start..

Oh and I tore the rubber boot...the thing was more like molded wax than rubber, guess it didnt age very well....no biggie, repaired it with silicone and put it back in.

Obviously the shifts are far better than stock, short and precise. Didnt hear any extra noise at all.

I have to drive more and then I'll decide whether to cant the shifter over towards the drivers side. For now, I mounted it dead center because I like the way that looks....I think stock, the shifter is tilted a little towards the drivers side.

Thanks again for all those great tips!
 
#17 ·
Congrats, itguy. I decided to mount my shifter vertically as well for the same reason. Yeah, as I stated in my review, getting that linkage bolt through is a PITA. The Barton will settle in after some mileage, and become even silkier!

Regards,

Rob
 
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#18 ·
Just a follow up post after a few weeks....the Barton Shifter has settled in nicely.

After initial install I felt like I needed two hands to change gears, it was THAT stiff :)

Now, it is like butter. Very smooth. I don't think i could ever go back to stock now.

Pete
 
#19 · (Edited)
When I installed mine I noticed that the opening in the transmission hump on the Challenger in the video is much larger than the one on my car. That is the reason it looks so easy on the barton video. Also my boot tore when I reinstalled it. I just duct taped it and pressed on. I too LOVE my Barton shifter. It was soooooo worth the money.
 
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