I lowered my shifter on the side plate, shortened and bent the shifter arms and the horizontal bar was under the floor.
I place it in my hand. I stare at it while holding my forehead with my free hand. I then close my eyes while I concentrate my thoughts onto it, thus, making it bend...
Strange that it snapped on you. I've bent Hurst levers using brass blocks in a bench vice. I don't recall how many degrees I bent each time but I do remember it was to move them away from the foot well. I did it for others so I can't say how well the chrome held up in the long run. My recollection is that the chrome looked okay after bending.
But he wanted to lower the shift ball an inch and a half as well and moving it over. A 20 degree bend would put the shift ball in about the correct location, but wouldn't make much difference in the ball height. Another bend around the center of the height would probably shorten the ball height but would probably crack the chrome. A 90 just above the bolt location and then another 90 at the correct width would accomplish both the side movement and the shorter height, and could be below the boot. Doing a pair of 90s, I would clamp the end with the bolts in the vice (above a housing clearance line), heat and bend the first 90, let it cool to the touch, mark the desired width for the 2nd 90. Reposition the handle in the vice just below the line, heat and bend the 2nd 90. Let it cool and test fit it. Hopefully the boot will still work, some wouldn't like the shifter to move sideways very well, especially with the longer reach to the offset side, moving that center hole 2" towards the right side could cause a problem if the boot isn't wide enough to cover the hole in the floor and accommodate the side shift too.
Mine was from 1978, I still cracked the plating and I did go slow. Nothing flaked off, which is good. I scuffed up the area, masked it and shot it with some leftover Argent silver Ford paint.
Only thing I can add too that hard fact from Tman,, Is take it off/out to do it,no heat, and bend with a big slow bend /not sharp or all in one place ,has better shot at no cracks. No way to know how well the chrome was really done=as too bonding.
Your last line. A lot of this stuff is cheap industrial flash chrome with NO copper or nickel underneath.
I thought those handles were hard, every Hurst shift handle that I have ever seen that had been bent was first heated , and yes that ruins the chrome....
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