Replacing 6-Speed Manual Shift Cables in a 360 Spider?

Running out of time in the off-season, so I guess it's time to get things done. I posted this in a thread I already created about another transmission issue, but I don't think it was seen.

A shop in Indiana looked at the car and said that the shifter was extremely stiff and that the shift cables had to be replaced all together.

Has anyone ever heard anyone having to do something like this?? I did a search and found no similar issues. Not interested in spending $1-2k for something that may not even fix the issue.

The shifter doesn't feel any different when the car is off or on and doesn't get any worse when the car's hot.

Previous issue I had:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430/452044-360-spider-6-speed-wont-go-gear-when-car-gets-hot.html

 

Maybe they need greasing which to them a replacement would be the easy (and profitable) way out.
Alan

 

Is the shifting stiff front to back, or left to right, or both? Each movement has its own cable.
I always frown when a shop says something 'has to be replaced all together". And the thing is, cables in my experience only go stiff from lack of use, or water ingress causing the innards to rust. Is either of the two applicable?

In the thread you posted there was a mention of bushings needing replacement. Those to me sound as more likely as the culprit.

 

That's something I'm going to look into. Much cheaper and may be just as effective. Replacement was quoted at $1700-1800 and it may not even fix the problem.

I replaced the shifter bushing under the shifter itself in the fall of last year sometime and I have the rubber bushing for the end of the shift cable in the engine bay which needs to be replaced very soon. Was going to do that when I had the shift cables replaced but I'd rather try it and see if it makes a noticeable difference before I go and spend thousands replacing cables that could be perfectly fine.

When I get home this afternoon I'll mess with the shifter a bit more and see how much worse front and back motion is versus side to side. If it is greatly stiffer in a front to back motion, maybe it's true that the culprit is in fact that bushing, but I wouldn't find that likely. I do know that this bushing in question is causing the grinding issues when the car is heated up.

 

It is much more stiff going front to back than left to right. No evidence of any water ingress or rust. The car's a DD in the summer so I doubt it has anything to do with lack of use.