I've now spent almost two weeks with my new UUC short shift kit. I must say it's pretty much a total disappointment. I was so excited for this part given the rave reviews from so many people.
My indie shop did the install. It didn't fit properly and part of it (not clear on what part) had to be ground down to avoid grinding against another part. If that wasn't bad enough the DSSR didn't even fit. The shop called UUC about both problems during the install and UUC told them to try to bend the DSSR to fit! Are you kidding me??? It's bad enough the SSK had to be modified but to tell them to bend the DSSR??? That can't be good for it. It was confirmed to be the correct kit, not a mistake.
Anyway, I immediately got in touch with UUC about getting the DSSR returned and when they answered the phone they were VERY short with me and didn't even allow me to explain the situation. They just said they'd call me back in ten minutes. Guess what? They didn't. I got in touch with them the next business day and got Rob. He was reasonably helpful with the return but basically pretty unconcerned with the issues that I had/have with the kit. I'm still waiting on my refund but I don't expect that to be an issue.
Now for an actual review of the part. Despite being adjustable, the shifter, at its lowest setting, is still higher than stock. Therefore, the throws don't feel as short as you would hope for from the greatest shift kit (lots of) money can buy. I may have even prefered the stock shifter with my ZHP knob. The shifts are nice and crisp, though, and there's little or no slop. Also, not as notchy as others that I've used. The only real positive thing that came from this very expensive disappointment is a significant decrease in the 1st to 2nd grind that many of us experience with our stock shifter. That doesn't make this thing worth $325, though.
I would hope the other shifters on the market for our cars out-perform the UUC but I don't think I'll be venturing a swap any time soon. I'll just chalk it up to experience and pass it along. So, brief summary: completely disappointing part, below average customer service. Big sadface...
9/20/12 Update: I just wanted to post an update here because I'm not determined to be completely negative about this (Promise!). I just spoke with Rob and he's baffled as to why the DSSR didn't fit, the parts had to be modified, and why the shifter sits so high. He was very helpful and suggested that it may have been assembled improperly at UUC using the incorrect parts. He's currently emailing some measurements for me to take to ensure that I have the correct parts installed. I thought this had been addressed when La Jolla Independent had issues originally but perhaps they only verified the DSSR. Unfortunately, I'm in Alaska for two weeks so I won't be able to confirm any time soon. I will be ordering the AS SSK in the meantime just in case I can't get things sorted with UUC. So, if UUC works out, those who missed out on the AS group buy should keep an eye on the for sale section.
10/18/12 Update: I measured the piece as soon as I got to my car when I returned home on 10/8. I immediately emailed Rob back (since he had emailed me). No response. I emailed two more times over the next week and a half. No response. Now I'm back at work and I decided to check the website for a general email since I'd been emailing Rob directly. Then I remembered they don't respond to emails, as it says on their website. This is partially my fault but what kind of business absolutely refuses to return emails? I mean...HE emailed ME! Anyway, I called Rob first thing this morning and he confirmed that the measurement was correct. He said he needed to check something and would call me back in 30 minutes. Guess what...no response.
I also talked with my mechanic again and he confirmed exactly what had been done during the install and mentioned that UUC's customer service and QC has really dropped off since they moved to their new location in Georgia. His opinion has no bearing on anything but it's worth mentioning since they work on a lot of BMWs and with a lot of aftermarket distributors.