Will GM 200r4 work with factory floor shift location?

I posted this yesterday but it got wiped out by the site "crash".
I have been driving my 69 Barracuda with the 2004R trans for about 3 months. I thought that I was able to manually put the trans into 1st gear but I've been noticing that when I put the shifter into the 1st gear position the car launches in first but then quickly shifts to second, then it stays in second until I shift (manually) into third. So to cure this problem I got another shifter and modified it so that I could manually hold the trans in first gear. There are a few issues when you try to make a 3 speed shifter into a 4 speed shifter but luckily "Ma Mopar" wisely left enough room on the shifter plate to cut another notch for another gear!! I filed the 1st gear notch but you'll have to use a good file because the shifter plate is made of hardened metal. Also the small piece of metal that moves up and down in the shifter handle, as you go through the notches, must be trimmed on the top edge and the bottom edge. If you don't trim the bottom edge the small piece of metal runs into the bottom of the shifter slot and you can't get it past the factory 1st gear notch. You'll have to trim the top of the same piece of metal so that it clears the new notch. I also filed about 1/8" into the shifter frame (second to last pic) to get enough space for the shifter to go all the way into 1st gear (2004R). Lastly you'll also have to unscrew the push button shifter knob one turn so that the small piece of metal (that catches the notches) rises high enough as you go thru the gears.


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treblig