Keeping my wife happy!

[sleepingbag]

Alright my friends, my 67 is actually functioning pretty well as a daily driver FOR me, but has one small quirk that prevents my wife from being able to enjoy the wonder of our trucks. I have a manual steering column in there with a TH350 trans that I have rigged a shifter onto, as well as a home made linkage that a buddy of mine made. I have no real trouble getting the truck into gear and driving it, but theres no way my wife will mess with it like I have to to get it to drive. Cash is tight, my wife loves the truck and wants to use it, has anyone ever put a floor shifter in their truck, and how would you rate the difficulty of getting it too work correctly? This is strictly a back yard Bob scenario, and I can get the shifter on the cheap due to some connections I have on parts, so please let me know your thoughts!

[dishow]

we have a B&M ratchet shifter in our and it works great.

[sleepingbag]

Install pretty easily? Comes with a linkage too, doesnt it?

[dishow]

yep at least our did

[justtime520]

Ive got the b and m floor ratchet shifter. I have the high hump so it already had a hole in the floor. all i had to do was cut a little out and it installed easy for my th400. I just installed a 700r4 and the bracket was the same. easy

[hayhauler71]

b&m shifters are cable driven and easy to install

[pumpgas]

Honestly I think it'd be cheaper and much nicer to just go to a junk yard and get an auto column and the shift linkage off a truck and install it in your truck. IMHO floor shifters in trucks look over the top ghetto and are always in the way "IF" you have children or ever want to ride 3 people in your truck.

[BBrendal]

Originally Posted by pumpgas

Honestly I think it'd be cheaper and much nicer to just go to a junk yard and get an auto column and the shift linkage off a truck and install it in your truck. IMHO floor shifters in trucks look over the top ghetto and are always in the way "IF" you have children or ever want to ride 3 people in your truck.

Agreed. You could probably get a column and linkage on here or ebay cheaper then the B&M shifter. In my opinion it would look alot better too.

[JORGIE95961]

Originally Posted by BBrendal

Agreed. You could probably get a column and linkage on here or ebay cheaper then the B&M shifter. In my opinion it would look alot better too.

x2

[67Slider]

I put in a B&M shifter and love it. The 'purist' don't care for them but mine works great and cost around $100. I must be ghetto and my kids ride just fine in it.

[JORGIE95961]

Originally Posted by 67Slider

I put in a B&M shifter and love it. The 'purist' don't care for them but mine works great and cost around $100. I must be ghetto and my kids ride just fine in it.

pics!!!'

[67Slider]

I picked up a used truck shifter for about 100 with the cable. I had to buy a new Nuetral Safety Switch but the install was pretty easy. Keep your eye out and you can find them pretty cheap. May even find some on the board. Here are a few pics.[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
I did have to cut about a 1 inch hole but nothing over the top. Hardest part was getting the lower housing to fit right.

[eagleuh1]

Do you have to lean over any to change gears with that. It looks kind of low to me. Also, on the cable models, can the shifter be mounted in a console or are they mounted on the tranny. Thanks. Jim. Trucks look great.

[67Slider]

No leaning but thats the way I set it up. When the seat is all the way forward the gear shifter will almost touch the seat. You can buy console shifters that are similar style. I changed the third picture it will give a better angle on how tall it is.

[Hubscrub]

the floor shifter in my wifes truck is a cheap-o and i don't recommend it, we spent the money on a lokar shifter to take its place.

[sleepingbag]

I dont have an issue with the way the floor shifter looks, and can wrangle a deal with a NAPA jobber for the parts trading some fuel pumps or O2 sensors for the shifter. I appreciate the help guys, great board members make this semi easy!

[chevy72pu]

my "ghetto" b&m cable driven shifter. Installed it by myself in one day start to finish and included making a new mounting plate for the Dakota Digital gear sending unit.

[eagleuh1]

Thanks for the better pic 67 Slider. Clears it up.

[MARKDTN]

I also say get a column shift and fix yours. Auto columns without tilt are not that expensive. I bought a van column for $25 and put it together with the floor shift one I had and it worked fine. I don't have anything against the look of a floor shift, but you then have a hole in the floor and it limits the passenger in the middle foot room.

[GASoline71]

You guys that have wreckin' yards that are near with old trucks in it are pretty lucky. I haven't seen any tucks earlier than the mid 80's in wreckin' yards around here for quite some time. Which leads me to believe a lot of old iron has gone to the crusher.

Gary

[Daddy Brim]

I have a B&M shifter the PO put in and I hate it. I'm going to either going to go tilt with column shift or a lokar for that old school look.

[tooter]

P M sent sleepingbag

[pumpgas]

Originally Posted by chevy72pu

my "ghetto" b&m cable driven shifter. Installed it by myself in one day start to finish and included making a new mounting plate for the Dakota Digital gear sending unit.

For the record I'm far from a purist.

This is about the only floor shifter I personally would install and I do really like it because it will keep people guessing that walk by to look.....is it a stick? it only has 2 peddles, is it an auto?

[hayhauler71]

here is a b&m shifter in my truck has been in there for 8 years with no problems

[Ackattack]

I put a floor shifter in my 72 GMC. When it time to do the 68, I put in a tilt column.

I have sold a couple of non-tilt auto columns for well less than $100