[paint guy]

I am trying to piece together a 69 auto console,and am thinking maybe I'm missing something(or maybe not),How can one tell what gear they are in from the floor console?I have the indicator plastic plate that has"P,R,N,D,2,1"on it,also have the backing plate that i understands lets a small amount of light thru to illuminate the plate.(don't have the light itself yet,but thats probably not important to the discussion)Question is,is there some kind of pointer that moves when you put the car in gear?Or does the light itself move to indicate a gear?Or ,is there something else that I'm missing?Thanks in advance for any replies.

Craig

[robz]

From memory (30 yrs ago, since I had my last Auto GTO), the shifter arm itself is what points to the gear indicator, to tell you what you are in...but I believe there is a lamp in it that illuminates when dash lights are on...

[gto4evr]

Robert's got it...just the silvery gleam of the shift arm being near the gear you think you're in! The light is in series with the car lights so it's a general glow lighting the whole panel. If you're dealing with repop stuff, the edge slot on the metal backing for the indicator lense wasn't wide enough to let the light in on mine so you may need to modify it.

[paint guy]

Thanks for the replies!It is much appreciated.

[U47]

I'm the original owner of a 69 with console A/T shifter. To the left of the shifter is the PRNDSL and on the right of the shifter rod stamped in the woodgrain painted in silver is the little tiny numbers 1-2-3, On the opposite side of L-S-D
I was just in the garage to confirm this, and if you wern't looking for it (1-2-3) you would most likely never know it was there it's so small

Don

[gto4evr]

Originally Posted by U47

I'm the original owner of a 69 with console A/T shifter. To the left of the shifter is the PRNDSL and on the right of the shifter rod stamped in the woodgrain painted in silver is the little tiny numbers 1-2-3, On the opposite side of L-S-D
I was just in the garage to confirm this, and if you wern't looking for it (1-2-3) you would most likely never know it was there it's so small

Don

The 69 shifter was Pontiac's in house version of the Hurst dual gate (his/her) shifter that they dropped after 68. On the 69 version, it will function as a ratcheting shifter. When you put the car into low, pushing the shifter arm to the right as you push up into second gear, the shift arm will lock, not going further. Then you release the arm (letting it spring back to center), then do the same thing with up and to the right at the same time and it will lock again into 3rd (drive). The shifter was used into 70 and some Lemans sports got them as well, though the Lemans' usually had a little piece of woodgrain covering up the 1-2-3. Not sure why they'd want to dumb down the shifter for that application, it still worked as a ratchet shifter if you knew it was there. I don't believe the 71/72 cars got them but I can't swear to that one.

[U47]

A LeMans that came with console and were 350 H-O's had these little 1-2-3 indicators as well as Pontiac's version of the Hurst shifter. They also came with (automatic's) M-40 Turbo hydramatic ( T-400's) .
I have also seen some 69 LeMan's that came with that console and T-400's with the 265 hp regular fuel 350" engine.
The ones I see without the little 1-2-3 on the side are the 265 hp regular fuel 350" engine with the T-350 hydramatic.

Don