Would like to convert my 41 Ford coupe's manual column shift to work with car's automatic T-350 just cause I love the look of original big wheel and skinny column. Anyone done this? Sure I could simply buy an aftermarket floor shifter, but why not be different? Has anyone on HAMB done this conversion?
Sure, i think its the 2nd to third lever you use. then bend a rod or modify the existing one to the 350. Might have to slightly modify the trans lever to get the right geometry to get all the gears. Not real difficult. I think i had to make the trans lever look like an upside down letter l and drill several holes until it works. Just tack the pieces on the lever until you get it to work
There are plenty of "universal adjust to fit" column shift linkage kits available like this Lokar one on Ebay but this is just for show and tell. eBay item number: 331434234098 I see some knock off units out there too. Kugel made the first ones years ago Shift Arm Kits – Kugel Komponents It wouldn't be an absolute necessity of life but a detent plate off a GM column with a turbo 350 and tab on the shift arm on the column would make life simpler as far as knowing what gear you were in and maybe keeping it in park when you were parked.
i cut and welded a '41 steering col. to shift ford auto... i used the detent from a ford automatic... set up a lever to drop into the detent's slots... pix if needed...
Pictures would be great of your fabrication ... I love the look of the old shift levers.... When I was a kid, my dad would let me work the column shift lever on his 52 Chevy, standing on seat beside him... Not a big fan of aftermarket floor shifters, they seem to vibrate big time?
Here are some pics from @olscrounger on here that helped me on my 41 pickup. He used this on all the 40's he has built. I did something similar and connected it to the TH350 with a Lokar shift linkage. The notched piece is laid out by the position of the pin which is a small Allen bolt threaded in to the tapped shift tube and the head cut off. Start out with the trans in park and mark each gear position. File out the notches with park being the deepest. Works great!
we used to do it all the time with column shift cars. If there was no automatic column we just felt for it.
I always liked column shift, once I set it up to where I wanted it that is.. I once was working on a nice green 61 Bel Air hard top with a Trip Duce 327 and a three on the tree.. We worked on the linkage for a couple weeks. Once we were finished, That shifter moved about 3" to 4" when shifted, smooth as can be.. I played with that linkage for what seemed like a year.. Then the guy sold it!! I also pulled the column all apart and replaced the bushings . I had a chance to buy it a few years ago but you know what happened.. Was going to pick it up on the following Saturday but some dude dropped a bunch a cash on his work bench on Thursday!! He never said a word! Until the other guy had the cash in his hand..
It is important to remember with this design that the car will start in any gear. I plumbed in a hydraulic brake light switch, and wired it from the start side of the ignition switch to the starter solenoid. With this wired in the motor will not crank unless you have your foot on the brake. You could save yourself an accident.
@X38 did a neat conversion on his Ozzie sloper. Definitely use a neutral start switch, they're mandatory down here.
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