[fly75]

i have found a few of these "slapshifters" on ebay,and i was wondering does anyone here have one in there T/A and how do they work?also are they are direct replacement? also would they fit in a TATA? thanks a lot!!

79 trans am "10th anniv."

[fly75]

i have found a few of these "slapshifters" on ebay,and i was wondering does anyone here have one in there T/A and how do they work?also are they are direct replacement? also would they fit in a TATA? thanks a lot!!

79 trans am "10th anniv."

[LouisianaGuy]

Slap shifter?? you mean a RAtchet Shifter?
I use a B&M Quicksilver, its a direct replacement for TA's, but be shure you get the one for The trans am console because its got a shorter shifter that looks right in the TA console, if you get the universal one it is about 2 inches taller and looks funny as heck. I even took a Stock TA leather shift knob and cut it inside and fitted a nut in to make it screw to the Ratchet shifter to make it looks stock, had alot of compliments on it, cuz everyone else has that nasty big chrome shift ball or T-Handle.
The way it works is pretty simple.
You lift up on the shifter and slide it back into Drive and it works normal, then if you wana ratchet mode it you just pull it back once and it falls into 2nd gear and you pull it back again and it hits 1st. Then from there you mash the gas and when your ready to shift you just slap or push it forward and it catches 2nd gear and then slap it again to hit 3rd or drive what ever you wana call it. You just dont have to worry about missing any gears or going into reverse, plus they look nice.
How ever i have been told teh Stock shifters in alot of TA's work just as well in ratchet mode, but i didnt like mine too much it was kinda stickey and didnt wana tear up the stock unit so i put in an after market one.
Mike

[79TA455]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by LouisianaGuy:
Slap shifter?? you mean a RAtchet Shifter?
I use a B&M Quicksilver, its a direct replacement for TA's, but be shure you get the one for The trans am console because its got a shorter shifter that looks right in the TA console, if you get the universal one it is about 2 inches taller and looks funny as heck. I even took a Stock TA leather shift knob and cut it inside and fitted a nut in to make it screw to the Ratchet shifter to make it looks stock, had alot of compliments on it, cuz everyone else has that nasty big chrome shift ball or T-Handle.
The way it works is pretty simple.
You lift up on the shifter and slide it back into Drive and it works normal, then if you wana ratchet mode it you just pull it back once and it falls into 2nd gear and you pull it back again and it hits 1st. Then from there you mash the gas and when your ready to shift you just slap or push it forward and it catches 2nd gear and then slap it again to hit 3rd or drive what ever you wana call it. You just dont have to worry about missing any gears or going into reverse, plus they look nice.
How ever i have been told teh Stock shifters in alot of TA's work just as well in ratchet mode, but i didnt like mine too much it was kinda stickey and didnt wana tear up the stock unit so i put in an after market one.
Mike<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mike;

My '79 has a Ratchet Shifter in right now and the T-handle is stripped. Do you have a pic of yours with the T/A handle and any instructions on how to do it? That would be appreciated. Thanks!

<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/rpk76/1979.htm" TARGET=_blank>79TA455
</A>

[LouisianaGuy]

Dont have any pics at this time but i can explain it pretty easy.
1st thing you need to do is go get a shift know from summitt or some where, be shure its the Ball type not the Thandle one. The ball type has the Nut in it you need for the conversion. Or you can take your car to the hardware store and find a nut that will fit the threads on the shifter, but be shure the outer dimensions of the bolt are smaller than the inner dimensions of the Bottom of your STOCK leather shift knob.
Then take the new nut you bought and stick it inside the bottom of your leatehr shift know and center it up to be shure it fits. Now take a pick or something with a point and scrawl around the nut cutting a pattern into the plastic and remove the nut. Once you take the nut out there should be a nice patter shaped like the nut in the bottom of the shifter. Now take a dremmell or some other rotary tool wiht a small auger bit on it and go to town cutting the pattern out. I used my Dremel with a small drill bit, kinda hard to control but i like a challange. Any how once you have the hole cut out test fit the nut, if it doesnt fit keep cutting till it does. Once its in be shure you cut it deep enough to make the nut sit flush or recess in a bit, then remove it and put some JB weld in there and replace the nut, let it cure 24 hours and put some more weld around the nut at teh top and let it dry, then sand it and paint it, looks stock
If you dont wana do it send me your knob and a nut or enough cash to buy a shift knob so i can get a good nut and i will do it for you at no charge. I may start making them if i could get some folks that wanted them, they do look cool.
Mike

[LouisianaGuy]

Just took pics will get developed and scan in soon.
Mike

[79TA455]

Great. Looking forward to the pics.

<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/rpk76/1979.htm" TARGET=_blank>79TA455
</A>

[LouisianaGuy]

Ok here they are
Mike

[LouisianaGuy]

and again

[fly75]

WOW! that looks really nice! i might have to do that to mine.

79 trans am "10th anniv."

[LouisianaGuy]

Figured you would like that :P
Be careful when you go to cutting you origional knob.
The best way to get the nut outta the big Quicksilver shifter is to take an extension and put it in the hole end and tap it against the plastic round disk on the top of the shifter and it will pop loose with out breaking so you can resuse it if you like, then just take something and tap the nut from the big open side and itl pop out, use Some JB weld to hold the nut into your old knob, then sand it smoother and paint it
Looks cool.
Mike