I have a 71 malibu and I am converting from bench to buckets and a console shifter. I have the correct steering column without the shift lever that I need to install. Looking at the assembly manual I am not sure about where the steering column actually separates from the car. Does it disconnect at the firewall under the dash or does it disconnect at the coupling down by the steering box and get pulled through the firewall inside the car?

If there is anything else that I should beware of let me know. Thanks !

2 places you can disconect it , both in the engine compartment. Either at the steering gearbox rag joint, that is where I usually do it, or up close to the firewall........GT

71velle, It also has 4 or5 screws around a plate on the bottom of the column where it goes thru the firewall that you have to take out and after you have disconnected the neutral switch wires and the bracket that holds the column to the bottom of the dash then the whole thing comes out thru the inside, be patient and wiggle it gently and twist it some cause it doesn;t just slide right out. Did you get the linkage to hook up the column to the floor shifter so your column will lock when you put it in park? There's also a harness you need to hook up the neutral switch in the floor shifter in case this an automatic car you're working on. Sorry for such a long post,but I thought this info would be needed. good luck on your conversion. You will also need some brackets for your bucket seat conversion.

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017

Hey 71velle-

I've been planning to do the same to my Elky. Where are you getting your parts from?? (seats, console, column, etc.)

72Elky,

About 10 years ago I bought the column, console, and buckets from a friend of mine that parted out a chevelle he had. The buckets were covered in some ugly aftermarket covers but I needed seats in my beater 70 malibu (college car..it was a bad neighborhood and my 71 was to nice) so in they went. I kept the steering column, console, shifter, console wiring harness, shifter cable, etc. Recently scored a set of buckets from a guy in jersey all redone for a very good price by posting an add in the wanted section of this site. I got emails from alot of people...it was cool.

Thats the whole long story.

[This message has been edited by 71velle (edited 07-29-99).]

Wow thanks, I'll ask my dad cuz two of his co-workers just bought 71 chevelles simply for parts. I should take a look at them and go shopping!!

72Elky,

You'll need to purchase brackets that get welded to the floor to hold the inside tracks of the seats and the back end of the console....I got mine from Ausley's. If you get lucky and the cars are bucket seat console cars don't forget the shifter cable, console wiring harness and the harness that connects the dash harness to the console harness....they call this the jumper harness I think, ....get the linkage that goes from the steering column to the shifter that locks the wheel when in park. Take a few pictures as you take the car apart it may help you when you install the everything back in your car.

thanks for the replies everyone...

[This message has been edited by 71velle (edited 07-29-99).]

I did this on my 73 The stock cable and lever assy for the tranny are needed from a floor shifter car. I found mine intact in the junkyard very lucky find. The stock floor shift lever replaces the collumn shift lever bolted to the tranny. The stock floor shifter lever re-used the remaining rods and belcrank from the collumn shifter setup. This rotates the collumn when you pull the floor shifter, moves the dash indicator and reverse light/neutral saftey switch etc and locks the tranny when the key is out. The shifter cable bolts on to the other side of the lever and moves the gearshift.

Good luck

Frank

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73Malibu,

Thanks for the reply. I have the bracket for the tranny and a floor shift cable from a parts car. It is just like the column shifter bracket accept it has the little arm on it for the floor shift cable to attach. So all the safety features, NS switch, key release, back up lights, etc. will function as they always did. So all I have to do is pop the pin and pull the old shifter lever off the column? I do have a correct steering coumn for a floor shift car that I will eventually put in......but I have to clean it and paint it first.

Yup thats about it. I have even seen that swap with the old column lever still on http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif
It's a snap to swap the bracket in. Mine also had the cable end bracket which bolts through two of the pan bolts. The worst part is getting the shifter in the right spot so it fits in the console properly.

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73Malibu

You are right about lining up the shifter inside the console....I am fighting that now.