Switching Shifter Types

[Robert Bates]

Good Morning.......

Has anyone done a conversion from a column shift 3 speed to a floor shifter with the same transmissison?

I did it previously with a 1967 Camaro (started life as a 230 straight 6 3 speed on the column, became a 327 bored .030 over with a muncie 4 speed) and wasn't to difficult to accomplish........just wonderign if anyoen had done it on a 1955 era Buick

Thanks
Bob Bates

[39CENT]

Well 55 buick has a different kind of shift arrangement on thier trans. It has one main shift arm and another smaller shift "selector" arm. [selected either low reverse or second to high]This is what most early [before 1960] buicks have. Also many of the GM cars had this type. The more modern trans usually have 2 shift arms or even 3 shift arms depending on whether they are 3 or 4 speeds. there were very few floor shift conversion kits for the older transmissions. I believe they are now kinda rare items. However, i have seen a homemade floor shifter for that type of trans in a magazine article using a ford mustang automatic shifter. The main shift was just forwards and back and it was configured so that the reverse lever did the "selector" part of the job. but mebbe you can scam one of the early shifters off of Ebay, somebody might have a whole stash of them!!!

[Tom Gallagher]

in the middle to late 50's thousands of chevy trucks with dual wheel axels where outfitted with 322 nailhead engines since it was the only engine of that era that could handle the torque.

Perhaps someone has and old truck with a floor shifter.

The old schoolbuses ALL had them.

Regards,

Tom Gallagher