Last of the needed parts should be here Thursday and I plan on making the switch this weekend. I've read just about every post on this and want to make sure I understand the procedure. Here's my plan:
1) Remove bench seat
2) Remove carpet
3) Locate the dimples in the floor pan and install the staple shifter.
4) Drill hole in floor pan for the shifter cable.
5) Install the "Shiftworks" kit to the transmission and connect cable.
6) Feed the cable up to shifter and connect.
7) Install console mounting bracket to the floor pan using console as a guide for location.
8) Install bucket seat brackets.
9) Reinstall carpet.
10) Install console and connect wiring.
11) Install inner seatbelts.
12) Install bucket seats.
13) Install outer seatbelts and retractor cover.
14) Remove shiftlever from column. (Not swapping out column yet. Ran out of money!)

Have I forgotten anything or do I have anything out of sequence? Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Oh yeah....it's a TH350 automatic.

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My Elky (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/djw69elky09.jpg)
Arkansas Classic Chevelle Club (http://www.ac3online.net/index.html)
My Webpage (http://www.ac3online.net/djw/)

Danny Wooldridge
TC #1129
Aces #5044
NECOA #106

sorry i dont have any suggestions...i am trying to learn here...

could you post some pics of your project once its done! it would be greatly appreciated...im thinkin of doin sumthin like this to my 82 elco :]

thanks.

l. garcia

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82' caballero
85' chevy blazer 350 engine swap
mild engine upgrades
sound system in the works

ya pics would be cool I am doing the rest might as well go to floor shifter.

John D.

Pictures are not a problem. Just hope I got everything right! Anyone??????

Since you're not swapping the column, what are your plans for the second neutral safety switch? Won't you have two now, one on the new staple shifter and one on the column? Does the new console harness replace the existing column stuff?

Never done this, so I don't know.

Good luck!


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Cecil Hawkins
San Diego, CA
1971 GMC Sprint

Before (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Cecil/FrontDriverSideView.jpg)
After (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Cecil/NewBlueFrontDriver.JPG)

Yes, Cecil. This is your old shifter. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif I plan to disconnect and extend the wiring from the column to the switch located on the shifter. If it's still good, I think this will work OK. If it's bad, I "think" I could leave the connection on the column in place. At least, that's what I gathered from reading old posts.

Before you install the carpet, bolt up the seats to make sure they actually fit on your new brackets. Also make sure they are level, and centered in relation to the console and door, and steering wheel. Test Fit everything before final assembly. It's easier than making it all nice and pretty then having to tear everything out because something isn't right.

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Jaber Racing&Restorations
My Blown Alky 70 SS (http://home.attbi.com/~superstreet70)
Current Projects, and past resto's (http://home.attbi.com/~badas70/bbq)
Dad's 67 SS 396 Convertable Survivor (http://home.attbi.com/~badas70/67ss/)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by djw69elky:
Yes, Cecil. This is your old shifter. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm really glad it arrived safe and is going to get used, rather than sitting on a shelf in my garage.

Good luck (again!)...


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Cecil Hawkins
San Diego, CA
1971 GMC Sprint

Before (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Cecil/FrontDriverSideView.jpg)
After (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Cecil/NewBlueFrontDriver.JPG)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by J70Chev:
Before you install the carpet, bolt up the seats to make sure they actually fit on your new brackets.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good point! Insert "Test fit seats" between #8 and #9. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

GRRRR!! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/mad.gif My console and bracket didn't come in. Now I gotta spread this out over two weekends. First shipping screw-up I've had in two years of ordering.

Check to see that you have the console hump. If it is not there, the front of the console will not fit right. I found this out when I put a console in my '68. They sell the part at Year One (I think that's where I got mine). After installing that piece, there were no more little gaps at the front of the console.

Pete

Hello to the group. My wife and I just bought a 69 SS 396 that had been greatly abused. One of the previous owners had made the conversion (a sloppy one) from a manual trans, to an auto. I'm most interested in the "console hump" mentioned earlier - what is it, how does it attach, etc.

We are currently having the trans re-built, and want to eliminate the B&M lock out shifter. The new staple / horseshoe shifter came, as did the console. In locating the console for a test fit, imagine my surprise when the front was approx. 3 inches off the floor. My thoughts ran from initial confusion (I actually turned to console around thinking I may have it backwards) to frustrated anger fairly quickly. Any insight or advice is greatly appreciated.

Welcome MJS! Your first post. Cool!

The "console hump" is a new one on me. I thought I had searched and read every post on TC concerning the swap and never saw anything about it. I DID read about a piece that needed to be added to the floor pan if you were changing from an auto to manual.....but nothing other than the rear console mounting bracket if you are going from column to floor with an auto. MJS, yours "was" a manual before, right? You got a hump on the side of the tunnel where the manual shifter used to come through?

djw69elky - To answer your questions, "yes", our 69 was a manual trans. Somewhat amusing (to me at least) is that during the conversion, the clutch pedal was never removed, and was wired against the firewall. And "yes", the hump on the side of the tunnel for the manual shifter is where the current shifter is located.

I searched the Year One catalog for the piece mentioned in an earlier post, with no luck. I called the folks over at True Connections, and explained what I want to do. The only suggestion was to cut that console / trans hump section out of an existing vehicle and weld it in place. I'm not certain that's the route I want to take right now, and am still open to suggestions - preferably reasonable ones.

I did this last year. Here are a couple thoughts on it. . .

3) Locate the dimples in the floor pan and install the staple shifter.
- This will set the stage for the overall console fit. You will want to measure and re-measure a few times before drilling any holes. Find a reference point to measure from to be sure it's as close to center as possible. I had the dimples in the floor to but It isn't as easy as you might think. At one point, I used duct tape to keep the shifter from moving around while taking the measurements.


4) Drill hole in floor pan for the shifter cable.
- 1/2" hole is what you will need. Take a little time to be sure the cable will not rub on the metal edges - smooth the metal after drilling.

7) Install console mounting bracket to the floor pan using console as a guide for location.
- Just bolt it up to the shifter. mark and drill.

8) Install bucket seat brackets.
- Here again, you need to take your time if you want it look good and even. I used the outboard/rear bolt hole as a guide. Temp installed the brackets to the track, set the seat in and marked for welding. Ultimately I left the seats in when welding - this can work OK as long as you have a decent welder and plenty of covering for the seats, and other interior parts. Oh ya, when lining the seats up, do so with the seat belt retractors in place as there will be very little clearance for these at best.


9) Reinstall carpet.
The original bench carpeting will probably not cover everything. I installed new carpet. BEFORE YOU REINSTALL: If you can afford it, I suggest lining the floor boards with sound deadening material. This made a huge difference in the interior sound quality on my 72. Can actually have a conversation over the 2 chamber flowmasters now. You don't necessariy have to go with the dyamat as there are some other goods ones at less cost.

10) Install console and connect wiring.
- All I did was wire for the courtesy and lense lighting. I left the original column linkage in place for now - that makes the nuetral switch and backup lights work. I might change this later but for now it works fine and there is no shifter binding.


13) Install outer seatbelts and retractor cover.
- The outer retractor cover will be a tight fit. Again, the time you take in measuring the seat install will make a difference here.

I think the key to a quality job in mainly in the measuring - the actual installation is not that difficult. I have seen some pretty nice cars where it was obvious they did not take their time with the measurements :confused: . Hope that helps some.

ZZ4U - If I understand correctly, you ended up welding in quite a large piece to create the "hump" in order for the console to fit properly. Where did you get the piece to weld in?

Again, I'm appreciative of any info I can get. (If ignorance is bliss, I'm pretty darn happy.)

Well, my console finally came in today. I'm not super happy with the quality of the chrome and black paint on the repro kit, but at least it's available. The base is nice and the lid is too. I just can't get it to close correctly. Binding on the base when you try to close it. Guess I'll have to try to shim, or re-drill new holes.

Thanks to all that have posted things to watch for. I'll have a bunch of photos to share when it's all done. Probably make a webpage for reference.

I welded only the seat brackets. If this is an automatic car already there will no shifter hump which would be for a manual trans. You can secure your staple shifter/console by drilling some holes.