[yeepman21]

I've been wathing ebay for 3 speed automatic floor shifters and I've seen some with t handles and some with knobs,witch is correct for a 3 speed?

[einstein]

Depends on your year and your tranny. There are two T-handles for 1968 - a two-speed for the ST-300 trans, and a three-speed for the TH400 in 400/auto Firebirds.

There was a T-handle in 1969 for the two-speed, I don't recall if it's the same as the 68 two-speed, because the 68 had the neutral safety switch on the shifter, and the 69 moved the switch to the steering column with the back-drive linkage to the locking steering column that was new for 1969.

Also for 1969, the fake walnut knob shifter was for the TH350 and TH400 equipped cars, and is a three-speed unit with a "Rally Sports Shifter" feature that can be speed-shifted by leaning the stick to the right. Pontiac utilized this feature in the GTO/LeMans auto shifter starting in 69 also, but those shifters are not the same unit as Firebird.

That speed-shift feature was continued in Pontiac console auto shifters for many years thereafter. Best-kept secret in the Pontiac world.

[Donovan]

Einstein has the info!

I put a Rally shift 3 speed unit from a 69 in my 68. Due to the neutral switch there is an extra portion on the shifter body that it bolts to. I had to cannibalize a 68 shifter and combine them so I could bolt it in and have my safety switch.

They are otherwise identical aside from shifter knobs.

The 2 speed units all have the same T-shifter and do NOT ratchet to the side. 68 3 speed units do not ratchet and have a T-knob. 69 3 speed units ratchet and have a fake round walnut knob.

I took the T-knob off my 2 speed unit and installed it on the ratcheting 3 speed unit. To accomodate the push over portion, the bezel has a wider slot in 69. Even the 2 speed units got the wider bezel cut even though they didn't use it.

There are pics posted here:

http://members.tripod.com/futom/id116.htm

A 2 speed unit will work in place of a 3 speed unit because the detents are in exactly the same place and spacing. The 3 speed has one extra cut that can be added but is not really needed. It is important that the bracket and lever at the transmission are correct as they dictate the detent spacing most. Assuming you don't need the nifty ratchet function.

[yeepman21]

What I need to is convert a 68 from 3 speed manual to 3 speed automatic.I've got a 1974 oldsmoble omega with a olds 350 and automatic trans.But I have no shifter and linkage.Olds is column shift.Will the trans work and what else do I need?

[Donovan]

The transmission from the Olds will work fine. You may have issues with the length of the trans but most likely not. It should be the same. Same crossmember as the manual trans. You need the shifter, cable, console, cable bracket on the trans pan and shifter lever on the transmission. The cable, cable bracket, and lever can be taken from any TH350 in a 70-81 F-body with a TH350.

The biggest thing though, since your car was a manual, there is probably a large hole in the tunnel and none of the bolt bosses for the shifter to bolt onto…. Or the horseshoe bracket that attaches the console.

You would be best served to buy a self-contained aftermarket shifter in that case. It would not need a console if you got the right one, you install it with an included kit and it comes with everything needed.

As is, you will not have the harness to attach to the neutral safety switch on a stock shifter. Looks to me like too many headaches. Given what I know, I would try to keep the car a stick shift. But… I imagine you have your reasons.

The column from the Omega will not work because it has the key in the column. Otherwise you could do a straight swap over.

The aftermarket shifter could resolve all this since it will have a built in safety switch you could run the manual safety switch wire to. It will stand alone without a console (manual 68 console is different than Auto.) and they come with the trans pan bracket and lever as well as cable.

Like this!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hurst...QQcmdZViewItem

or any of these:

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...5&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...5&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...5&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...5&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...5&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...5&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...5&autoview=sku