I had to mod the X member in my 46 coupe to install a four speed. the shifter will hit the left side real hard. Had to cut about 12 inches from the left side and from the very top hump area. If you replace the cut out area with a built up section, you will not lose the rigidity. Don't have pics. You might have to mod the X member to install an auto too.
The shifter will be into your left x-member rail. The only way around is to make the cuts and build a small bax back around it. How about something like a T-5 or even better a Tremac? Internal rail shifters and over drive rock! Then you wouldn't have to split your wishbones...
Or better yet use a Jeep top loader four speed, if you can find one. I used a four speed overdrive from a chevy pick up, external shifter.
I'm about to try to cram an M20 into my '41 Ford Pickup that my grandpa had a Saginaw 3spd in previously - what made you decide against the manuals? Did the M20 have major fitment problems with the shifter? I'm trying to keep the wishbone intact as well and not muck with the stock X bracing too much. My grandpa accomplished it nearly 50 years ago with the Saginaw, so it must be possible. Thanks, Trey
He stuck with a manual trans, just a better one with 4 speeds and an overdrive. If your shifter mount is in the right place on your M-20, it should go right into the space your grandpa carved out to fit. Unfortunately, with the shifter hanging off the side like it does on the GM 4 speeds, it gets into the left leg of the X-member. Most of the time, "back in the day", a torch cut away the interfearing metal and some creative engineering with the pedal assembly got you back on the road. Unfortunately, it also usually weakend the left leg of the X considerably, and these days is one of those many things we end up fixing when we build a chassis. I lived through the four speed/ external shifter days and no thanks, you can keep them! The advantage of the T-5 beyond the internal rail shifter (it also moves the shifter to the car's centerline instead of under your right leg...) is the over drive. That way you can gear the rear end low enough to have tons of fun light to light, yet still jump on a freeway and go somewhere with out making yourself nuts with the engine taching 3500 rpm. If your putting out some real horse power, skip the T-5 and go dirrectly to the Tremac TKO 500 or 600.
It's not really a question of splitting the 'bone on most fat fendered cars, it's where that damn external shifter is gonna go. a couple of companys years ago made 10ga. steel "triangles" (for lack of a better term) that would weld onto the cut up x member leg, but even that wasn't very common. Really, in my opinion, you would be time and money ahead these days to sell a 60s or 70s four gear to a muscle car guy and go the internal rail shifter / overdrive route.
I put an M21 muncie in my 32 pickup using a C.E. x-member. I modified the shifter mechanism using intermediate shafts and mounted it over the trans like a top loader. It's pretty involved, but can be done.
DOH! Yeah, sorry - I was in a hurry leaving work when I typed that. I am familiar with the T-5. I had just read a thread about the typical TH350 and got confused. I really just meant why didn't you use the old school trannys. Guess the T-5 makes good sense with the integral centered shifter. So what's the best way to cram a WC T-5 behind a SBC in a 35-40?
Damn , that's a hell of a lot of work to get a shifter to work ! Looks really good and should work out just fine . Retro Jim
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