TheSamba.com :: View topic - Is the Van Cafe "whole enchilada" shift rebuild a Holman design?

Tue Jul 04, 2023 3:55 pm

I was planning to order the GoWesty version after viewing some youtube videos, but they are out of stock, and then reading up on here I became aware that the original design by Holman Engineering in the UK may be the superior product. If the one sold through Van Cafe IS this one, it is available. Can anyone vouch for this product? Do I go with Cast or Billet?

As beautiful as the Bigshot shifter is I can't justify buying it. It's pretty spendy and I have zero experience driving my van so I thought I'd start with the original feel first.

Thank you.

Tue Jul 04, 2023 6:03 pm

I have bought the shifter guide repair kits from VC/RMW before and they were the Holman kits. I have gotten them from T3 Technique also. T3 is probably the importer. I just looked at "whole enchilada" at their website and the photo shows the aluminum rivets that come with the Holman kit.

I have no opinion on cast or billet. As long as they are made correctly it will work. Be careful with the "soft" bushings. I think all that is available is JP now. The ones i have seen fit too tightly and are harder than OE. The last one I did required modification and extreme care when fitting. The shifter bearing/pivot parts are probably JP also. I have not had any problem with those. But I never replace those unless the spring perch breaks. You would know because the shifter is too low and you do not need to push down to overcome the reverse detent.

Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:28 am

hardway wrote: I have bought the shifter guide repair kits from VC/RMW before and they were the Holman kits. I have gotten them from T3 Technique also. T3 is probably the importer. I just looked at "whole enchilada" at their website and the photo shows the aluminum rivets that come with the Holman kit.

I have no opinion on cast or billet. As long as they are made correctly it will work. Be careful with the "soft" bushings. I think all that is available is JP now. The ones i have seen fit too tightly and are harder than OE. The last one I did required modification and extreme care when fitting. The shifter bearing/pivot parts are probably JP also. I have not had any problem with those. But I never replace those unless the spring perch breaks. You would know because the shifter is too low and you do not need to push down to overcome the reverse detent.

Thanks for the info! Ugh, now as I get deeper into the information base I see there are debates about whether the bellows are helpful. This complicates the choice and makes me indecisive-lol. Do the bellows actually work to keep grime out as the definitive version of the system? Or do they actually make shifting more difficult. It seems the bushings sold by VC are the softer type that seal without bellows. Everything I'm reading seems to indicate the harder bushings are the improved versions. Choices...Well, not really, as GoWesty is sold out but...I'll wait if I have to.

Fri Jul 07, 2023 6:05 am

Just bumping to the top in case the holiday prevented views or anyone had anything else to offer. If there's a helpful post I might have missed, please share. I've read through some, but nothing definitive.