Hey guys I don't know if you know who I am but i'm the friendly neighborhood cripple.. And I use hand controls for the gas and brake on my 8. Check out my thread about hand controls if you've never heard of me

Basically all I want is a clutch device that I can use with my hand controls so I can drive a MT (probably sequential shift).

Here is a picture of my hand controls I have now (if you didn't look at my thread)



and how it works is the handle part twists (along with that little peice sticking out for your thumb) for throttle and you push the whole thing forward for brake

what I think will work is if i can make the handle part stationary and make only the thumb peice move for throttle and attach some kind of motorcycle clutch lever on the front of it so i could do the gas with my thumb.. the brake with my hand and the clutch with my fingers.. I think I could actually do that

This is where you guys get involved -- can I get something to assist a motorcycle clutch lever enough to move a clutch for the 8?

and the second part of this is shifting. right now i have an auto 8 with the paddles. they are perfect.. if i can find something to use the paddles or make my car still use the paddles but with a clutch I can operate that would be ideal. If I HAD to trade in the car and get a MT I would do it and put a sequential shifter on it so all i'd have to do is bump it with my right hand (Since i'd have to do both steering and shifting with my right hand)

so basically could I put a MT in my auto and make it work with the paddles to bump shift which I control the clutch or could I trade in the 8 for a MT and add my own paddles (or sequential shifter) and clutch system to make it work.

and who would be able to help me do this? I'd be willing to PAY!

any ideas you have are welcome. thanx for your time

 

i am far from an engineering genius, but i believe that the main issue would be the sequential gear box being fitted to the 8. it would probably be better to move up to the new auto 8 with the 6 spd gear box that we hear about

 

If its a sequential gear box, there's not really a need for the clutch device since the clutch is electronically control in the gear box itself.

 

no.. something like this where you still do the clutch.. http://www.sector111.com/handler.cfm...nction=product

 

No ideas? I need to go on overhaulin or something

 

Sounds like a cool challenge. Do you think you could shift a regular transmission instead of a sequential?

 

What about something for the clutch and then shift normally. Maybe something that you could do with a regular manual RX8.

If I think about how I use my feet and then how you use your hand to do what my feet do, you might want to have a device that pushes in the clutch and lets off the gas at the same time and then when you let off the clutch you push down on the gas. When you break you would do the break and the clutch at the same time.

Just my thoughts.

 

The problem is, you have 4 limbs to manipulate a manual transmission car and use all of them. Sometimes I think I could use a 3rd leg. He (I believe) only has 2 to do the same task. If he clutches and operates the throttle at the same time, there is nothing holding the steering wheel or the shift lever.

 

yeah... I'm going to brake gas and clutch all with my left hand.. my right hand will be doing steering/shifting. If I could use the AT shifter paddels that would be the best.. at least I would want a bump shift because I want my hand off the steering wheel as little as possible. (because my other hand will be too busy with everything else)

 

In the BMW Car Club of America Magazine, the Roundel, there was a picture of Ayrton Senna sitting in a BMW race car with hand controls. I have no idea which issue but you can try Google or contacting the magazine editor.