Two quick and easy mods... Sorry I don't have too many DIY pictures, hopefully this is enough. I shortened the shifter stick and modified the knob.
I reduced the stock shifter by 40% in height by cutting out the middle of the post, leaving the base of the post and the top threaded post for the knob. Then I joined the two posts back together by attaching a 2 small steel rods and bolted them together (drilled and made holes which were threaded to ensure a tight/strong mount (used small alan screws with locking nut). So far so good just like factory feel except with a shorter throw. (Note, Nissan puts a lot of lock-tight on there so using care when removing the knob will ensure you don't rip the leather).
I took a risk and customized the stock shift knob by using and oil based silver metallic paint to fill in the depressed shift pattern. At first this seemed like a screw up because trying to stay within the groove lines was not easy. To get around this I simply applied the silver paint to the top of the knob let dry for 45 seconds then with a cloth very lightly dipped in paint remover I wiped the extra surface paint away. Doing this slowly and lightly allows you to remove the paint on the top while leaving the paint inside the grooves alone.
Paint dries fully in about 15 minutes and have been test driving it and so far so good. If you use too much thinner just wipe off and condition with some leather care product. Total cost for both mods was 10 dollars and total time was about 3 hours.
