what kinky had was a modified reno/forenza shifter. i dont know if an actual short shifter is available anywhere for this car.

 

Any ideas to do something similar? It feels like I could cut the stock shifter (I have driven, while holding around the reverse lock-up and it still moves fine), if I could find some way around the reverse lock up, it feels like the shifter could just be cut.

 

im sure you could cut the shifter but thats not really a "short shifter" also called a "short throw shifter". thats just changing the height of the shifter. a short shifter actually changes the length or "throw" that the shift lever itself has to move in order to shift gears. sometimes this is done by modifying the linkage. if you cut the shift handle you still have to move it the same distance to shift the gears. most short shifters are the same height as the stock one. i hope this wasnt to confusing

 

I could do with one of these myself. The manual gear lever has one hell of a throw to shift each gear, honestly I own cars from the 70's and early 80's with a far more close and precise shifter.

The best way to source something that will be useable with the Forenza gear linkage would be to cross reference it with other cars with a similar engine and box. Chances are an older version of a Vauxhall (Opel/Holden/GM) Astra will have a similar gear change and perhaps there are aftermarket shortshift kits for the SRi. The only problem maybe that the gear throw is quite long for a reason in that it's a bit notchy, especially from a quick up change from 2nd to 3rd, it's really easy to miss.