[Squidward]

Hey all. Original trans and shifter combo in my 67 was an ST300 2 speed, converted to th350 by previous owner. Shift detent didn't support manually rowing through gears 1/2/3, so I adapted a spare 2nd gen shifter to fit during my racing days. When I became dissatisfied with the 2nd gen, I went to a Hurst ratchet shifter. It is a blast to slam through the gears, but I haven't been able to get the opening in the console trimmed out properly. I am tired of the unfinished way it looks.

Anyways, I don't race anymore. And I don't want an unfinished mess around the shifter opening. I have the factory shifter I saved, but I DID cut/mod the tunnel sheet metal during my journey. I now need to find out what factory looks like so I can go back to stock, but with updated detent.

Anybody have pics? Thanks!

[Pete67FB400]

Without walking out to take more pics, this is what I have saved for my '67 with 400/TH400. The body is currently a bare shell. I can get pics of the opening with the rectangular reinforcement if you'd like.

[Cammer-6]

Holes arent pretty
cut with a torch freehand

[Squidward]

Thanks, that helps. I was looking today for the piece I cut out, but couldn't find it. I couldn't remember if the area was reinforced, or just a cutout on the tunnel sheet metal. I am trying to plan the job before I start pulling things apart. I will also need to refurb my shifter, and convert the detent plate for a 3 speed.

I will need to get one of those templates I see online to locate a new hole.

Glad I kept the rest of the setup!

[Squidward]

Originally Posted by Pete67FB400

Without walking out to take more pics, this is what I have saved for my '67 with 400/TH400. The body is currently a bare shell. I can get pics of the opening with the rectangular reinforcement if you'd like.

That would be awesome, thanks.

[Squidward]

I demo'd the sheet metal that I had tacked on over the trans tunnel. It turns out I cut more out than I remembered. But thankfully I did not chop out the forward and left side shifter mounting holes, so I can use those two holes as reference for drilling the other 2 holes.

I am now fabbing in a patch piece to support the factory shifter.

A side note: I like that the 1st gen trans tunnel is fairly flat. Easier to work with.

[68azbird]

I take it you sh$t canned the idea of the electronic rotary shifter you picked up out of a BMW

[Squidward]

Originally Posted by 68azbird

I take it you sh$t canned the idea of the electronic rotary shifter you picked up out of a BMW

Get with the now dude. That was multiple fever dreams ago, and I am pretty sure it was a paddle shifter from a mid performance Toyota...

Yeah. I have no real love for the 67 factory shifter, but the opening in my console looks like trash. I went from factory 2 speed shifter with a th350, to a 2nd gen where I cut the floor, then to a Hurst ratchet shifter, and now full circle back to factory. Gonna mod my detent plate to get access to manual first gear, or just go with shiftworks conversion parts. I just wish there was detent plates that gated the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.

[Squidward]

They have detent plates for 68+ with shift gates. Maybe this is my chance to make a new thing.

If I had skills at CAD, I would make such a thing and take it to somebody to get cut. For now, I will simply get this thing working and installed, and try to make a template/tracing of the detent plate for future tinkering.

As it is, I need to cut the existing plate to allow manual 1st gear, since low on the 2 speed shifter would be 2nd gear on a th350.

[68azbird]

Originally Posted by Squidward

If I had skills at CAD, I would make such a thing and take it to somebody to get cut. For now, I will simply get this thing working and installed, and try to make a template/tracing of the detent plate for future tinkering.

.

I got mad CAD skills, ya heard.

[Squidward]

Originally Posted by 68azbird

I got mad CAD skills, ya heard.

Word.

Want a project?

67 Bird shifters look to be the same as 67 Camaro and 68-72 Nova. Shiftworks seems to only sell the detent plate with an entire conversion kit with more bells and whistles than I need. But even their kit doesn't have a gated detent plate so you don't shift from 1st into neutral.

[Cammer-6]

What about the detent of 69 shifters with the HIS n Hers feature

[Squidward]

I found my answer.

https://youtu.be/VGsK2K6h6rs?is=FQN9-gMjsLHfmbpn

I am in contact to get his TSC3 detent plate which will solve my problem. It was apparently something he had done earlier, but I couldn't find it on the web until he sent me the vid.

He also does other shifter makes, and does OD and reverse pattern versions too.

Sweet.

[Squidward]

Originally Posted by Cammer-6

What about the detent of 69 shifters with the HIS n Hers feature

Certainly very very cool. But too pricy to speculate on "will it fit?"

I have as of late started to appreciate the factory looks, or else I might try to install a 2nd gen console and shifter. The 67 console is soooo low, and not usable as an armrest. Trying to resist the urge to "Pimp My Ride".