Floor shifter or not?

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DusterDaddy

DusterDaddy

sledgehammer mechanic
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When I get that far, I'd like to consider a floor shifter for my Duster Project with 904 trans.
I'm wondering if it will work well and look good with the front bench seat or should i stay with the column shift.
 

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Hey I have a bench seat to I will be going to a floor shifter with a 727 in a 69 Dart
 
I put my floor shifter in my 69 Dart works real good and looks great when you look inside car would post pic but don't know how
 
I went with a Hurst Pro-matic II shifter. I wouldn't have minded keeping the column shift but my new transmission was a full manual valve body with a reverse pattern. I didn't want to risk accidentally bumping it into reverse. The one I ordered is for a pickup. I ordered it because I knew that with a bench seat I would have to mount it further forward and I didn't want to have to reach for it. The pickup version has a longer shifter handle. I still had to modify the arm to get it the way I wanted. So far I'm happy with it.

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You can see in this next picture how much shorter the car version is than the one I installed.

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I would consider the hurst ratshit or gate shifters over a 400 dollar lever with brackets over the trans.
Also, If you have shorter arms it's going to be a reach with a bench.
The cable shifters can be attached pretty much anywhere on the hump, so as long as you can get the shifter all the way in the rearmost position they can go anywhere forward or back.
They come with a round black knob, but I put the Hurst T handle on mine.
I am 6'2" with long arms, but the cable on the shifter would have allowed the shifter to be installed almost right between the seats if needed.

Ah, didn't know about the pickup shifter, and that would solve the bench problems because of the lever being angled back.

http://www.atlanticspeed.com/produc...category=354&gclid=CKSe3bXes78CFRRsfgod6lEAoQ
 

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TrailBeast said:
I would consider the hurst ratshit or gate shifters over a 400 dollar lever with brackets over the trans.
Also, If you have shorter arms it's going to be a reach with a bench.
The cable shifters can be attached pretty much anywhere on the hump, so as long as you can get the shifter all the way in the rearmost position they can go anywhere forward or back.
They come with a round black knob, but I put the Hurst T handle on mine.
I am 6'2" with long arms, but the cable on the shifter would have allowed the shifter to be installed almost right between the seats if needed.

Ah, didn't know about the pickup shifter, and that would solve the bench problems because of the lever being angled back.

http://www.atlanticspeed.com/produc...category=354&gclid=CKSe3bXes78CFRRsfgod6lEAoQ
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Actually I still had to cut my arm and angle it back, but the added length of the pickup arm worked great with a bench seat.

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1967 'cuda said:
I went with a Hurst Pro-matic II shifter. I wouldn't have minded keeping the column shift but my new transmission was a full manual valve body with a reverse pattern. I didn't want to risk accidentally bumping it into reverse. The one I ordered is for a pickup. I ordered it because I knew that with a bench seat I would have to mount it further forward and I didn't want to have to reach for it. The pickup version has a longer shifter handle. I still had to modify the arm to get it the way I wanted. So far I'm happy with it.

View attachment 1714734581

View attachment 1714734582

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You can see in this next picture how much shorter the car version is than the one I installed.

View attachment 1714734588
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pics! It looks like you left the knuckle on the steering column too as far as I can see in the pics. I am just finishing rust repairs now and bolting the doors, fenders, hood and deck lid back on in preparation for body work over the rest of the summer.

I like the way your interior looks and the column shift knuckle does not stand out. I'm going to leave the knuckle on the column ( I was going to cut it off and do the JB weld Bondo conversion ) But after seeing yours I think I'll leave my options open.
 
DusterDaddy said:
Thanks for the pics! It looks like you left the knuckle on the steering column too as far as I can see in the pics. I am just finishing rust repairs now and bolting the doors, fenders, hood and deck lid back on in preparation for body work over the rest of the summer.

I like the way your interior looks and the column shift knuckle does not stand out. I'm going to leave the knuckle on the column ( I was going to cut it off and do the JB weld Bondo conversion ) But after seeing yours I think I'll leave my options open.
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I know it would look a bit better without that tab on the column and maybe I'll do like you said and cut it off and fill it. One thing I made sure of before mounting the floor shifter was that I allowed room for the bench seat to still adjust all of the way forward. Without having bent my arm back it would hit my dash and if I moved the shifter further back it restricted the seat adjustment. I do like the action of a ratchet shifter with an automatic. I had originally bought an aluminum pistol grip handle to use with this shifter but I would have had to have put another bend in the arm (making it more 'S' shaped). If I put the pistol grip handle on as it is now the handle is angled down too low to be comfortable.
 
We are a long way from needing to decide floor or column. I posted this thread when I first located the bench seat. I was possibly going to put buckets in the car, in which case I would have gone with a console shifter. At this point I have my motor and trans. The motor is a mild build 318 and the trans is stock. I've been told even if I decide to stay column shift to put a shift kit in the 904 even if I run a stock converter because the trans will shift so much better than without it.

Rust repair and reconstruction are near complete and now I'm just getting going on putting the body panels back on and doing the quarter skins. I wont cut the shifter knuckle off the column just yet...

I think if I use the red plaid fabric on the seats I would need to keep the car a column shift. If I go with black leather we could put it on the floor...Decisions decisions!
 
I have a B&M Quick Silver ratchet shifter in my '39 Ford and like it.

I was thinking of getting another one for my '71 Dart, making my own upper handle with Mopar shape from flat plate, welding it on and adapting Mopar after market pistol grips.

Problem is, I've never paid close attention to how the grips mount and I'm too cheap to buy a set just to see how to see how they would fit.

I've got bigger things to worry about before messing with this anyway so it's not a current concern but anyone see this working OK?
 
If the car will be only a comfortable cruiser, stuff storage and cup holders would be better than a shifter down there.
If you plan to use a smaller diameter steering wheel you might consider shortening both the column shifter and the signal wand.
 
I don't like the aftermarket shifters. I had several problems with the cables getting damaged. They take away that original look and can be a real hassle. Factory stuff works much better.
 
RedFish said:
If the car will be only a comfortable cruiser, stuff storage and cup holders would be better than a shifter down there.
If you plan to use a smaller diameter steering wheel you might consider shortening both the column shifter and the signal wand.
Click to expand...

Great idea. The future for this car is cruising and being parked alongside other classics on Saturday nights with her hood open....
She has led a hard life to this point. Time for her to relax
 
1967 'cuda said:
I went with a Hurst Pro-matic II shifter. I wouldn't have minded keeping the column shift but my new transmission was a full manual valve body with a reverse pattern. I didn't want to risk accidentally bumping it into reverse. The one I ordered is for a pickup. I ordered it because I knew that with a bench seat I would have to mount it further forward and I didn't want to have to reach for it. The pickup version has a longer shifter handle. I still had to modify the arm to get it the way I wanted. So far I'm happy with it.

View attachment 1714734581

View attachment 1714734582

View attachment 1714734583

You can see in this next picture how much shorter the car version is than the one I installed.

View attachment 1714734588
Click to expand...
good job! great way of thinking outside of the box. a lot better than some of the other installs ive seen. and by the way, reverse manual valve body pulls away from neutral. no chance of hitting reverse.
 
zijmer said:
good job! great way of thinking outside of the box. a lot better than some of the other installs ive seen. and by the way, reverse manual valve body pulls away from neutral. no chance of hitting reverse.
Click to expand...

Unless you're downshifting... With the full manual body I have to constantly up and down shift.
 
Mad Dart very nice interior. Your shifter set up is what I have been looking for as I am going to reinstall my bench seat in my Duster. Its a Drag only car that I want to do more street driving with.
 
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