Covert Column shift to Floor shift 75 Duster

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Bluescrawler

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I have a 1975 Plymouth Duster. It currently has a bench seat and column shift. I would like to convert it to bucket seats, floors shift with a console.

Can any of you tell me what has to be done to accomplish this? I have heard that you have to get the "hump" from a donor car and weld it in. Is this necessary?

Also the consoles that I have run across are typically from 72 -74 Dusters. Would this work for my application?

I appreciate any help you anyone can give me with this.

Thanks,
Joe O'Neil
 
The hump is only needed if you are swaping to a floor shifted manual 3 or 4spd. Mrmopartech mentioned 5spd too. If you are looking to go to an aftermarket 5spd manual you won't need the hump because the rails that attach the shift lever to the shift forks are all inside the tranny.

If your car is an automatic and you are just looking to move the lever from the column ot the floor no hump is required. You will need to make a hole in the floor but not to big and likely will need to weld some mounts to the floor for the console to attach to.
 
I converted my 73 Plymouth Scamp to a floor shift automatic and all I had to do was make a hole in the floor for my aftermarket shifter cable. I did find a console and all you have to do is weld the brackets onto the floor and make a hole in the proper location, the floor contour is the same if you are staying with and automatic trans. As far as the steering column shell goes (since you would probably like to get rid of the gear shift indicator), I got mine out of a 1970 Dodge Monaco and it fit. The steering wheel is out of a 1968 Road Runner and it fit. When it came time to change to standard steering I had to use the shaft from a 1972 Duster with standard steering because the shaft is a different lenght from power steering, the steering box came out of a 1968 Dart. All I had to do with this was change the pitman arm to a 1973 Scamp/Duster arm. As you can tell there is a lot of interchangeability with Mopar. Hope this helps, it's not a hard job, just find the parts you want and it all fits.
 
Thanks to all for the info. I am just transferring the a column shifted 3 speed auto to the floor so it is good to hear that I do not need to swap the humps.

No problem welding brackets to the floor since I just picked up my new Mig welder!! I am entering the world of fabrication now.

I am still trying to learn all the parts interchanges. There are so many possible donor cars out there, I appreciate the info on how you all got it done.

Any suggestions on center consoles? I am thinking it may be difficult to get one from a Duster so I would like to have a couple of options. I am not looking to restore it, just want a good looking street rod.

joe O
 
I have an a-body console that needs to be cleaned up....but i am only going to sell it whole...it has everything, including the shifter and all the linkage except the ro that connects to the tranny lever....look for it in the For Sale section soon...
 
If you need the floor shift column collars look in the parts for sale section...
 
Easy to do if you have a console, brackets and shifter assembly.

A factory steering column should look like this in a 71+ car.

Picture.jpg


You can also cut all the stuff of you column shift colars and use a little jb weld/bondo to smooth it out.
 
real easy to do if you dont want a console. I installed a B&M Mega shifter on the floor and it looks great. Swapped the stock shifter column out with one that didnt shift from column. Was easy and great.

-RPM
 
The A-body consoles are all alike other than a push button latch on the compartment door. Repairing cracks or chips in the console are simple enough. Most all the potmetal top plates you'll find have pits in the chrome.
They are repoped and available at a rediculous price.
I've gave up my fold down arm rest bench for console and buckets in a couple of cars over the years. After recently seeing homemade consoles that provide a raised armrest section, more storage area, cup holders etc.., I'm favoring that over the original " violin case consoles.
I think I could build a super nice console for what the original consoles' carpet skirt cost.
My current console , pretty and useless

my interior.JPG
 
all of the cut marks and screw marks are in your floor from the factory. even the weld marks are there if you look hard enough. column and linkege parts are all you need.
 
I am looking to do a conversion from a column to floor shift myself. I have all I need except the bracket that connects the transmission to the to vertical pivot shaft. Is this something that can be easily fabricated? I would imagine that there is a plastic bushing in the bracket. Would anyone have a drawing, picture of this part? Or better yet, one for sale? (I have glanced over the parts for sale.) :pukerigh: no reason for the puke guy, other than the fact its cool to see him puke.
 
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