TH400 floor shifter for bench seat car ?

65cayne · Jul 2, 2008

I am looking for ideas to replace the B&M Quicksilver ratchet shifter in my car to something that looks more, well, "at home".....

"Faux 4-speed" is something I thought about (clutch pedal still installed from original 3-on-tree) if it can be done safely.

Other than a fake four-speed, were there any factory auto floor shifters for bench seat chevy cars in the sixties? Any ideas are welcome including how to fabricate something.

This is for my Biscayne.

1966_L78 · Jul 2, 2008

65cayne said:
I am looking for ideas to replace the B&M Quicksilver ratchet shifter in my car to something that looks more, well, "at home".....

"Faux 4-speed" is something I thought about (clutch pedal still installed from original 3-on-tree) if it can be done safely.

Other than a fake four-speed, were there any factory auto floor shifters for bench seat chevy cars in the sixties? Any ideas are welcome including how to fabricate something.

This is for my Biscayne.

How about modifying the floor pan to drop the B&M shifter down, chop the handle off, and weld an adapter to bolt a "factory" (repro?) 4-speed shift handle?

I had also thought of trying to installing/modifying a "Lokar" shifter (for me, the main issue is the shift "ball")...

MAYBE, use a repro console, and modify that (remove the storage compartment, etc), making a "consolette" with a factory shifter... You might not be able to more the seat too far forward though... Didn't the late '60's Novas do something similar with what looks like a "Camaro" console (but still bucket-seat cars)

65cayne · Jul 2, 2008

Not much room under the floor pan (tranny is real tight in there) but I did look at lokar. I wouldnt mind one of the auto sticks with that "double hump" 4-speed shifter which I think is what the bench seats would have come with (based on pictures I have seen).

I've seen this done in a mag somewhere I just dont remember where I saw it !! All I remember is that looked very cool. The guy even had a spring rigged to the clutch pedal to simulate feel of a real one.

forcd ind · Jul 3, 2008

they make a "cheap" auto shifter that looks like a 4 sp shifter, not a gate type though

65cayne · Jul 3, 2008

who's "they"...lokar?

and by "gate", I assume you mean the ratchet type?

GRN69CHV · Jul 3, 2008

There used to a Hurst or maybe even Mr Gasket auto floor shifter that looked like a 4 speed shifter, but it did not have the ratchets or reverse lockout. Have a Quicksilver in my '69. Maybe it's the later year car interior, but mine looks right at home.

Jim Mac · Jul 3, 2008

my first floor shifter was one of those mystery shifter. basically a pivot bolt with a rod connecting to the shift linkage and a T handle on the other end. I did accidently bump it into reverse at about 30 mph once. jim

forcd ind · Jul 3, 2008

"they" be's B&M, unimatic shifter #80775-not much there as far as a performance deal
a while back i posted about looking for an auto floor shift in a bench seat-i wanted to retain the full movement of the seat, but then the shifter has to mount so far forward, kind of a pita
i settled on a B&M pro ratchet shifter, which is my all time fav., and made a stand to raise it and tilt it back a little-worked out pretty good, i have the stand mounted on studs, so i can unbolt it and swing it out of the way if needed
another shifter i looked at was the Hurst Pro Matic 2, in the truck version-it had an extended stick, a little bent rearward-i thought that would be ideal, but not sure if the stick would be to long-i think it was a ratchet shifter also-the ones that are gated, the stick moves rather than stay in one place, and thats where the interference happens with the dash if mounted with the seat up-i posted a pic of my mount, not real clear though
i even thought of flame cutting my own shifter handle, or looking for one and welding it on to the ex one below eye level-
ok, too much coffee this morn, lol

65cayne · Jul 3, 2008

forcd ind said:
"they" be's B&M, unimatic shifter #80775-not much there as far as a performance deal
a while back i posted about looking for an auto floor shift in a bench seat-i wanted to retain the full movement of the seat, but then the shifter has to mount so far forward, kind of a pita
i settled on a B&M pro ratchet shifter, which is my all time fav., and made a stand to raise it and tilt it back a little-worked out pretty good, i have the stand mounted on studs, so i can unbolt it and swing it out of the way if needed
another shifter i looked at was the Hurst Pro Matic 2, in the truck version-it had an extended stick, a little bent rearward-i thought that would be ideal, but not sure if the stick would be to long-i think it was a ratchet shifter also-the ones that are gated, the stick moves rather than stay in one place, and thats where the interference happens with the dash if mounted with the seat up-i posted a pic of my mount, not real clear though
i even thought of flame cutting my own shifter handle, or looking for one and welding it on to the ex one below eye level-
ok, too much coffee this morn, lol

Not enough coffee for me (yet)...

That's a clean install you have there but not quite the look I am wanting. I have visions of a dogleg shifter with a black rubber boot. The "consolette" idea mentioned earlier is neat but I dont know if I could get it to look at home.

The more I think about it, the more I like the fake-four-speed idea.

Like the double bend shifter handle here
http://www.lokar.com/product-descriptions/manual-trans-shifter-levers.htm

mated to the auto shifter here...
http://www.lokar.com/product-descriptions/floormount-shifter.htm

The problem is all of the auto sticks have a button in the handle for safety lockout features. Something the standard sticks do not have.

65cayne · Jul 3, 2008

Surely someone has seen this faux 4-speed I speak of...anyone else?

1966_L78 · Jul 3, 2008

65cayne said:
Surely someone has seen this faux 4-speed I speak of...anyone else?

The problem is all of the auto sticks have a button in the handle for safety lockout features. Something the standard sticks do not have.

What about this:

http://www.lokar.com/product-descriptions/shift-knob-adapter.htm

from Lokar's site said:
Lokar’s Shifter Knob Adapter is designed to adapt to most aftermarket shifter knobs for use with any of our shifters – continuing with the same shift pattern and safety features you possess with Lokar’s Automatic Shifter Knobs. This includes the positive lock-out in Park and Neutral.

... Then buy a repro "Muncie" shifter ball with the correct threads... I am thinking that instead of a "button" in the center, the whole ball/knob is pushed down, relative to the handle...

I wonder IF Lokar automatic shifter handles could be bent without wrecking them (are they plated?), or maybe if you talk to then there might already be something in the works (or maybe they will think its a great idea and add it to their product line)... Maybe they could match the length and bends of a factory 4-speed shifter...

65cayne · Jul 4, 2008

Tony,
I like the way you think. I'll have to give lokar a call and see what they have to say...probably something like "have a nother beer dude..."

Fake four speed.....HAH!!!...who would want to do that crap!....guys with a usless clutch pedal and an aftermarket floor shifter...

65cayne · Jul 4, 2008

1966_L78 said:
... (or maybe they will think its a great idea and add it to their product line)... Maybe they could match the length and bends of a factory 4-speed shifter...

Maybe I should patent the dang thing....you watch

65cayne · Jul 6, 2008

65cayne said:
Tony,
I like the way you think. I'll have to give lokar a call and see what they have to say...probably something like "have a nother beer dude..."

Fake four speed.....HAH!!!...who would want to do that crap!....guys with a usless clutch pedal and an aftermarket floor shifter...

65cayne said:
Maybe I should patent the dang thing....you watch

Disregard my previous two useless statements.

too much beer the other night...:sad: That's out of character for me.

Anyway, someone recently showed me a shifter that looks like a standard (not the "double bend" though) and uses detents where you push the whole shifter down (instead of a button). Very compact, should be easy to cover with a boot and mount any stick I want to it.

Speed Shop · Jul 6, 2008

I actually thought of doing this as well. Hurst use to make the Auto Stick. It had a dual pattern on the ball. I'd like to find one if possible but have been looking a while for a new unit without any luck. They had a name the shifter contest and the prize was a big block Nova SS with this shifter.
The other option was to do a small consolette like the Yenkos had. This was available from Year One. You need to look in the Olds catalog. Then go with a Hurst Dual gate.

1966_L78 · Jul 10, 2008

65cayne said:
Tony,
I like the way you think. I'll have to give lokar a call and see what they have to say...
Fake four speed.....HAH!!!...who would want to do that ... guys with a usless clutch pedal and an aftermarket floor shifter...

I would seriously call Lokar. I had considered this myself. I think manual trans car do look more performance-oriented (just like a SS versus a Malibu

), but as I get older, I want a car thats easy to drive, especially for my knees (I got tired of pushing the clutch pedal on my last Chevelle). And the performance isn't really too much different with a nice automatic trans...

On my '66 (original 4-speed car), I would seriously consider something that looked "original" (I am a little more picky than just "similar" for this particular car), and I'd love to convert to an automatic...

wambams69ss396 · Oct 13, 2008

65cayne did you get your false fourspeed set up figured out?i bought a 69 bench seat convertible about a month ago and have been tooling with this idea for a little while.some one cut a ugly hole in the floor for a four speed but i want to turn it back to a bench auto car.here is what i am going to do.when i weld in my new floor pans i will be adding this
http://www.ss396.com/mm5/merchant.m...=PROD&Store_Code=chevellecamino&Product_Code=RST-72A&Category_Code=SHIFTERHUMPS

then i want to use this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=360081234133

with this http://store.summitracing.com/partd...om/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=BMM-80775&N=700+4294908216+115&autoview=sku

now i know there is no reverse lockout, i would have to modify the muncie shifter handle by cutting it and welding it onto the base of the B&M shifter base.i think it would really look great when i get it done.i will post some pictures when the time comes

TH400 floor shifter for bench seat car ?

65cayne

1966_L78

65cayne

forcd ind

65cayne

GRN69CHV

Jim Mac

forcd ind

65cayne

65cayne

1966_L78

65cayne

65cayne

65cayne

Speed Shop

1966_L78

wambams69ss396

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