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This may be a very dumb question "but"

3K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  steven c 
#1 · (Edited)
First off the car used to be a old race car back in the day. And my question is in the future I want to drop in a big block, and I was wondering when you change the engine stands and cross member over to BB I know it's said to move motor over 3/4"?.

Now what I have is a old Hurst inline shifter and those that know them know they are no way near the factory hole. I want to use a factory console and I have one that has a number of issues so I don't mind reworking it to fit.

Now after you change the engine stands and crossmember How much Will this effect the position of the shifter as well?

I need to get the floor bracket and make a template to see just how and where to cut and fit it. I want to remove as little as possible and try to keep it somewhat resembling 68 console. I like to redesign and build things to suit the look I'm after.

I'll add a picture for those unfamiliar with this type of shifter and what kind of project this might be. Don't give me to much hell about the hole as it was cut to fit what ever trans and shifter they race it with. Only took a few taps with hammer for me to use with enough room for two left over :grin2:

Thanks, Steve
 
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#2 ·
In all seriousness cut out a big chunk of the original factory floor and hang it on the wall as art. Then weld in a replacement trans tunnel cut out of a reproduction floor pan. You can now install the big block and Muncie trannie. Get a ten to twelve inch long eighth inch diameter drill bit and poke four holes at the four corners of the trans tunnel that center the shifter without rods or handle attached. Find your super boot (the eight by twelve inch rubber accordion boot designed to cover a Hurst Ram Rod straight line shifter) to verify your four holes are found inside the area the boot can cover and connect the dots with a cut off wheel.

After you get the shifter working you can begin to fabricate from scratch a factory looking console of some sort as there is no way on God's green Earth that shifter will work with that console. Neither will the Mr. Gasket Vertical Gate shifter which is a smaller, lighter duty (and cheaper to buy copy) of the Hurst Ram Rod. Though don't be surprised if you have to further hack on the trans tunnel and fabricate a little steel box to clear the rods that stick out away from the tranny by quite a bit.

Big Dave
 
#4 ·
Dave you may of misunderstood me. the picture is of my car with the shifter I bought new way back when. It works shifts and drives. I still have the boot and all. I'll fix the hole later it was like that when I bought it.

I was wondering if the shifter location would move much going from SB to BB.
If it doesn't look like I could make it look decent. I just may build one from scratch.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the link Vegas, I will keep that in mind when I fix that area. That's something I could make work.

I've got a pic of guys car with same shifter and he fabricated new sheet metal for his. He was very skilled and looked great. I can't give credit to whoever it was and without permission I shouldn't post the picture.
 
#7 ·
The big block offset is 1/2" to the passenger side and 3/4's" of an inch forward of the small blocks location. What year is your car ? Some shifters mount on the crossmember and the position doesn't change. Others use a mounting plate on the transmission that has more offset on the BBC so the shifter is moved to the small blocks location. As stated the console is not moved.
 
#8 · (Edited)
This may help in what I want to do, the condition of console I have isn't that good with problems and some of which I need to fix. I want to cut the side out and enlarge it some to work with that inline shifter.

Just wondering how much it will move and where from where it's at now. I want to remove as little as possible. I've worked with acrylics and plastics and may be able to reform it larger on the left side. Once repainted it should look ok.
I know this may not make sense but I can see in my head.

Steve
 
#9 ·
By looking at the picture of your shifter, it seems that moving everything towards the passenger side with the BB mounts would help get your shifter handle closer to center in the tranny tunnel which would get you closer to making a console work.
 
#11 ·
This is a picture of a Hurst Competition Plus shifter. The Ram Rod that Steve has uses reinforced (sleeved) straight rods that caused the shifter to sit further to the drivers side so that the rods aligned with the shifter yokes in the tranny. Hurst made a special boot to cover the extra large hole required for this shifter.







I agree a BBC conversion (I thought you had the motor installed already) to be done correctly (mimicking a factory install) will move the tranny over to the passenger side five eighths of an inch. Failure to do so will cause header fitment issues problem with oil pan clearance and room to mount even the bent front roll bar that has a "U" bend in the center to clear the BBC harmonic balancers and the fan chewing on the bottom of the fan shroud as the motor is installed too low with the SBC frame stands.

I sent Steve a copy of my 1971 Super Chevy article documenting all of the parts you have to change to install a BBC in place of a SBC as a PM. Hopefully if he hasn't installed the motor yet he can know what it takes to do it "right"!

Big Dave
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the article on the swap Dave, some of the part numbers will be helpful later. The swap is still a good ways off yet. I appreciate the measurements you guys had given. It gives me a ballpark idea to work with. I'll start with a pattern just to see what I'll need to alter. What I get to work now will definitely work later after the swap.

As far as that shifter it is fun to drive and definitely something you just don't see often now days. A friend of mine a while ago was looking for one for a customer and told what they were bringing now days. I was surprised by what just a used boot was going for.

I have been picking up some odds and ends for a swap and still have a few yet to get. Thanks for help guys, I'll have to post a picture of it when finished if I'm happy with the look. It still on the drawing board now, and it's getting hot here in Texas.

Steve,
 
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