[eric65]

I have no console but if did they have a shifter kit with some kind of offset that will accomidate the console...

[som2002]

Thanks Eric, I see on their website that they have a nice detailed walkthrough of an install on a 67. I'll have to print all that out and show him. Thanks for the heads-up on that site, all we knew about was the Keisler one, didn't know that we had other options.

[som2002]

Anyone else have any experiences or insight?

[gearbanger]

I did the swap on a 67. Actually mine is the one on the classic chevy site. I would definitely, without a doubt say to go with their kit.

You will have to cut your tunnel to do this. If you are not willing to do major floor surgery, hit the BACK button now. Okay, your still here. What you will want to do if you are going to use a factory console is this. Cut the entire tunnel off down to the floorboard the full length of the console and the a few inches for good measure. Make some marks so that you can line it back up directly above where you cut it out later. You'll thank me for this later. Install your tranny and all that. Then lay something about 1/2-3/4" thick across your tranny. Like heater hose you could zip tie around the tranny at the high points or whatever. You are doing this to get your clearance so you won't have any rattles or vibrations off the floor. Lay the piece back over the tranny and make the hole bigger if necessary for you shifter. Probably won't be necessary. After you have it in place, use a couple of pieces of scrap, to tack it in place and then refabricate the gap that is all the way around the new relocated tunnel. This way your console bolts up just exactly the way you took it off and you carpet fits the contour nicely. you have made you tunnel bigger so you may need to go with a new piece of carpet because it may not reach the sides anymore. It will be the best thing you ever did to your car, but it is work.

[67GTONUT]

Originally Posted by gearbanger

I did the swap on a 67. Actually mine is the one on the classic chevy site. I would definitely, without a doubt say to go with their kit.

You will have to cut your tunnel to do this. If you are not willing to do major floor surgery, hit the BACK button now. Okay, your still here. What you will want to do if you are going to use a factory console is this. Cut the entire tunnel off down to the floorboard the full length of the console and the a few inches for good measure. Make some marks so that you can line it back up directly above where you cut it out later. You'll thank me for this later. Install your tranny and all that. Then lay something about 1/2-3/4" thick across your tranny. Like heater hose you could zip tie around the tranny at the high points or whatever. You are doing this to get your clearance so you won't have any rattles or vibrations off the floor. Lay the piece back over the tranny and make the hole bigger if necessary for you shifter. Probably won't be necessary. After you have it in place, use a couple of pieces of scrap, to tack it in place and then refabricate the gap that is all the way around the new relocated tunnel. This way your console bolts up just exactly the way you took it off and you carpet fits the contour nicely. you have made you tunnel bigger so you may need to go with a new piece of carpet because it may not reach the sides anymore. It will be the best thing you ever did to your car, but it is work.

Holy cutting Batman!!!!

Why is this paragraph even on the website?

Optional offset shifter. High performance offset shifter. This direct bolt-on replacement shifter acheives perfect shift stick positioning within your stock console and requires no modifications to your tunnel, console, or to the transmission! If your goal is a "no cut, no modification" installation, this shifter is for you.

[A Body Engineer]

I looked at this route as I am redoing the drive train in my 1964 GTO for the same reasons, more performance, better highway cruising and just plain MORE FUN!

I bought a Tremec TKO II (TR-3550) 5 speed, from www.moderndriveline.com and mocked it up with a bare block to see physically where the stock shifter was oriented and how much "modifying” was necessary to the transmission tunnel and floor boards.

After removing the stock Tremec supplied shifter I ordered a Forte’s (www.fortesparts.com) 67-69 billet Firebird shifter and bolted it in place (the location was perfect when I bolted up a S.S. replica of the factory shifter handle - Bob L's idea) and then made the decision to not use the Tremec.

The reason, too much cutting and modifying of the floorboards for my taste on a 60,000 original mileage numbers matching car. I am in the process of building a Muncie over drive transmission. It uses the basic 3 gear ratio’s and then instead of 4th gear being a 1:1 ratio it is 1:0.86. I plan to use this with a 3.55 or a 3.73 gear in the rear end once I determine the tire size. I see you are in Wisconsin, if you go the Tremec route and you are interested in the Forte’s shifter and a Hurst 5 speed white shift ball w/built in electric push button switch I will make you a super sweet deal (parts brand new, $400.00, sell $200.00).

Hope this helps you out