65 Shifter with 66 Transmission

-
64_Barracuda

64_Barracuda

Virginia Beach VA
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2005
Messages
860
Reaction score
48
Location
Virginia Beach, VA USA
All,

Well I am at my wits end with Imperial Services! Its been 5 years and I have been waiting for my 65 Shifter adapter to 66 and up transmission. I actually had some contact with him 2 months ago and was hopeful but now its gone again.

Does anyone have a converted shifter that I could get the specs on how he did it?

Yes I know my options.
1) I could put in a 66 up shifter (Kinda big don't want to)
2) B&M shifter (Have that now don't like it)
3) Lokar (Looks like a Ford / GM Hotrod)

Anyway, I am ready for the transmission work and I am looking for any and all inputs and or pictures!

It's Shameful what Steve at Imperial is doing.... I do think there is a big market for an adapter like this as our cars get older with only a few years of interchangeability, having the option to go 66>up sounds great to me and still keeping your shifter stock.....

Thanks for the help,
Rick
 
There is no mods to the shifter. There is a definitely a spring change in the valve body and it's possible the length of the shifter cable might have something to do with it. It took a good while to get that one. After I disposed of the GT, I sold the shifter set-up I bought for my 65 GT to another member. It took even longer to get the set-up for a 65 column shifter that I was going to use in my wagon. Going 4 speed so I still have the set-up for a column shift.
 
65 Dartman said:
There is no mods to the shifter. There is a definitely a spring change in the valve body and it's possible the length of the shifter cable might have something to do with it. It took a good while to get that one. After I disposed of the GT, I sold the shifter set-up I bought for my 65 GT to another member. It took even longer to get the set-up for a 65 column shifter that I was going to use in my wagon. Going 4 speed so I still have the set-up for a column shift.
Click to expand...
Dartman,
There is some minor changes to the shifter, the old shifter has two cables and the new one has one. I did see one at Carlisle the Imperial services had, I should had bought that one. Basically he has figured out a way to make PRND12 on one cable vice one cable is P and the other is RND12.

UNLESS... on the Drive side cable (which is where I saw it hooked up) we can modify the stop somehow to go another notch forward. and yes the spring in the transmission does get changed. I'll post some pictures later.
 
64_Barracuda said:
Dartman,
There is some minor changes to the shifter, the old shifter has two cables and the new one has one. I did see one at Carlisle the Imperial services had, I should had bought that one. Basically he has figured out a way to make PRND12 on one cable vice one cable is P and the other is RND12.

UNLESS... on the Drive side cable (which is where I saw it hooked up) we can modify the stop somehow to go another notch forward. and yes the spring in the transmission does get changed. I'll post some pictures later.
Click to expand...

Ummm yes, I should have mentioned it uses a single cable connected to the RND12. The instructions made no mention of modifying the Shifter nor did he want the Shifter to modify. I believe the lightweight spring that is installed in the valve Body takes care of being able to move the Shifter through all ranges of PRND12. Ask @ragtopfury (who bought mine which was for a floor Shifter) how it works.
Don
 
Last edited:
Aha.... the impossible to get imperial services cable...... there were no mods made to the shifter mechanism in the 65 B'cuda. I think the cable new, comes with 2 springs. One to replace the spring in the valve body, and one for the shifter. Then it's just a matter of making the fine adjustments to the cable length so all the gears work. Jake's set up is a 73 360/727 shifted by the original 65 floor shifter with the imperial services cable.
 
Wow thanks for the info. I would think then the cable would be on the gear selector side. Steve at imperial said there was a slight mid to the shifter. I guess it's time to build my own. Do you have any pictures?

Thanks for the help.
 
No pics. Didn't think about taking them at the time. Maybe the mod he is talking about is the lighter spring for the detent ball?
 
Last edited:
I've never done one. The only car I've owned with that shifter was a '64 300K that was all stock, but if it were my car I would start with the shifter to see exactly what happens through every gear including park. Then take a standard aftermarket cable and make it work. If you were closer I'd have you bring the shifter over for a look. Post some pics, or if anybody has a spare shifter that they'd send me I'd love to take a look at how it works.
 
The 65 shifter still has a position of travel P thru 1. The imperial cable eliminates the park cable. That's it.
 
the 65 "rooster pawl" in the transmission had no detents that I recall, it was all in the shifter. IIRC, its been a while but you could adapt the 65 to the 66 by removing the detent ball in the shifter itself, then just use the detents in the trans for sector selection. If you needed more throw, mount the cable higher on the lever. The 65 was a push/pull so you would have to use the heavier shifter cable of a modern shifter. I have a Hurst Pro-Matic 2 in my 65 console and it looks stock. If you didnt want the ratchet, you could go in there and defeat it. Thats the easier method I believe
 
pishta said:
the 65 "rooster pawl" in the transmission had no detents
Click to expand...

Yeah, it does. The difference is the detent ball spring is much lighter in '65 than in '66, because starting in '66 the roostercomb detents are the only ones in the whole system ('65 there are also detents in the shifter itself).
 
slantsixdan said:
Yeah, it does. The difference is the detent ball spring is much lighter in '65 than in '66, because starting in '66 the roostercomb detents are the only ones in the whole system ('65 there are also detents in the shifter itself).
Click to expand...
Dan, so now I am starting to see my rusty wheel move. What if I on the 65 shifter used the park side cable? Then only one rooster comb is used, the one in the 66 Trans?
 
Dan said the detents are weaker in the 65 shifter, just take them out and try it , that is free. But the cable is way different.
 
pishta said:
Dan said the detents are weaker in the 65 shifter, just take them out and try it , that is free. But the cable is way different.
Click to expand...
How do I do that? The shifter has two sides. Right side is the shifter side detents are part of the shifter at least that's what I saw. The left side is the park side.
 
pull spring circlip on electric cable side. make sure you note all pieces that come out. thats probably the detent ball pressure mechanism.
s-l1600.jpg
 
pishta said:
pull spring circlip on electric cable side. make sure you note all pieces that come out. thats probably the detent ball pressure mechanism.
View attachment 1715048416
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by electric cable.... there are no electric cables they both are mechanical.... However, I think you mean the drive cable. I did removed the detent ball, now its a matter of figuring out the cable throw.
 
Yeah, the side with the electric cable. You got it. the throw is a matter of getting it mounted in position and just letting the tranny detents get you "in" the positions. Then mark them or do whatever you want to do with the 65 column shifter marks. I had a hurst Unimatic shifter in my 65 when I went to a later trans. What a POS! It literally could go into reverse while driving down the road as there were no lockouts. heck there were not even any indicators to what gear you were in, you just pulled it back and bumped it up twice for drive. insane.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top