Hot Rods Best cable type auto shifter for powerglide

Hello all. I am not happy with the feel and location of my current shifter in my roadster and I want to replace it with something else. It is too close to the seat and you really cannot feel it going into gear very well (kind of wait for the "lurch" to make sure it is there). It has kicked itself back into neutral a couple of times and it would be way too easy to kick the gear shift while stepping into the car (no doors). It has one of the later glides in it (threaded shaft). I want something with a reverse lockout. Looking for some opinions on using a cable type or solid linkage. I am not confident that I have enough room for the solid linkage and I believe the cable type will allow me to be a bit more creative. Thoughts? Thanks, Glenn

 

how about a few pics of the interior of the car, so we can get an idea of what would look right? there are a lot of shifters you can buy, but not many look right in a traditional car

 

Like squirrel said...
You asked for the "BEST"..., what exactly does that mean...to you ?

One of the tuffest/hard to damage, solid, is the Winters shifter. But as noted, it might not "fit" your car...!

Mike

 

Will do Jim, thanks.

 

Lokar, B&M, Gennie shifter, there are lots out there and you can modify them to meet your needs and look.

 

Maybe modify an old mopar dash mounted shifter like used in the old vans.

 

Your right Squirrel and Mike, "best" probably not a good word. Just want a good floor shifter that will fit/work/look good in my car. Here is a picture of what I have now (not a very good one but all I have at the moment).

 

You could look at a shifter out of a ford aero stare van,the old rear wheel drive one. Should work and cheap at a pull a part yard.

 

The bench seat makes it a little more difficult, so yeah, a cable type shifter is probably what you need. I don't have any recommendations, unfortunately...I haven't found any cable type shifters that I really like the looks of. If you had buckets, then I would recommend a 60s Chevy factory floor shift, but I think it won't work with the bench, it would have the same problem as the shifter you have now.

 

Have you thought about replacing the shifter handle with something a little taller and a different shape or modifying the existing handle to move away from the seat? HRP

 

This is the B&M cable shifter I had in my altered in the 80s, and while we had to have the reverse lockout visable then, you might be able to hide it - it's 11" long, 3 1/2" wide, and 4 1/4" tall. It was a reverse pattern valve body powerglide though you could get them either way. just an idea of something that you might be able to make work. The cable exits out the front of this particular one, and I think it exited the rear on standard pattern ones. The aluminum box it's in I built to sit right in the center of the car.

 

here is a lokar i modified to get the shift closer to the firewall;

 

Thanks guys, getting some good ideas now. This site is great!

 

How about a shifter from a Jag its nice and small compacked and cable driven, there made for a 700r, or 400 ? but with a little work it should fit .

 

Very clever and well made.

 

thanks. the customer wanted the truck to look as much like the original as possible. when i was done the shifter and e-brake handle are in almost their exact spots. he gets the credit for paying for the extra time that went into the installation.