Technical Best looking GM steering column to swap in?

What is the best looking GM automatic shift column to swap in? It doesn't matter to me if it has the ignition switch or not, but would prefer it didn't. Would like tilt, but not required, I think I can just mount it the angle I want, nobody going to be driving the car but me. I have one of the later style ones that has the ugly square box on the turn signal side, I just don't care for the looks of that ugly box. Can you swap in the old style TS switch handle and maybe make a new collar for that area? I don't want to spend the big $$$$ for a Flaming River or the like, but I want one streamlined like that.

What vehicles should I look for?

 

70's chevy van...small diameter tube , column shift with no key

 

I'm not a tilt steering column kinda guy but I believe the early Chevy vans had a tilt that is clean all the way down to the floor. HRP

 

X3 ...those GM van columns are clean!

 

The early C10 around 1970 had a nice one

 

Refine the year a bit, which I can't without a parts book handy...

The earlier one in the 67-72 Chev/GMC trucks had a very much older looking chromed shift indicator, no keyswitch on these either

Somewhere around 70 or so, they switched to a bigger bulky black plastic indicator housing that is ugly and too modern, like the van tilt one in the pic above....and same part number as the 71-late 80s van..I think
Try to find that early one.


Tougher to find is 65-66 C10-20 with rare TH400 instead of the more common 2 speed P/G column


by all means, avoid the big fat car tilts with key, and lower half covered with house carpet. Bring that inside your home as a cat scratching post.

 

Also, look at old bread trucks and motor homes that are on a Chevy or GMC chassis. AMC Hornets and Gremlins also used GM columns. Old postal service vans and Jeeps also had GM columns without the switch on the column. On cars, '69 was the first year to have the ignition switch on the column, but vans and pickups kept the ignition switch in the dash for a few years longer.

 

I put a 70-72 Chev truck auto/tilt in my 66 Suburban, IIRC it was nearly a bolt in.
I also recall something about the van version being a little different length than the p.u.
Both are bringing big money nowadays.

 

to swap into what?

I put a 55 Chevy column in my 55 Chevy. Shaved off the shift lever. I liked it so much, I put another one in my 62 Chevy II.

 

I used a tilt column from a 70s Jeep pickup. Does not have turn signal bump. Built by GM, has illuminated shift quadrant (GM used only on van) and key on column (GM did not have key on van column). So this configuration was made by GM but never used by GM. Somebody makes a molded plastic column cover with a bulge for the ignition switch. Very clean. No carpet job needed.

 

Vans most times have a much shorter shifter on the later columns with smaller steering wheels

 

59 to 66 Chevy C10 has a nice small column. and bonus an impala wheel looks like it should be on it.

 

The early 70s GM tilt columns with an ignition switch are easy to modify. Just gut the ignition rod and goodies out of it, shave off the ignition housing and fiberglass from the inside, add a little plastic filler, repaint to desired color and Waalaa nice clean column. I have done many of them with great results and easier to find than the van columns. Most are in a 34 inch range


Sent by homing pigeon

 

4 different columns....

 

What about using an old 3 on the tree column and making it work for an auto. Like a 40s-50s with a separate shift tube.

 

it really depends on the car. on a great many cars the most cool steering column is the one it came with or a modified one that looks stock from the inside the car.

 

Details on this cover? I've been thinking about how to build something like that, but hadn't come up with any really good ideas. A search turned up "roddoors" street rod design, but they seem to have gone out of business.



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GM columns come in different lengths. Check your donor to see if it puts the wheel where you want it.


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Yeah, that's what I was thinking. 67-72 Chevy pickup stuff is very much in demand now days. High demand = more money. I'm cheap.

My bad.
I guess I should have stated it's going in my 1947 Lincoln Zephyr Club Coupe. Makes it easier to know what it's going in, huh?

That's the way mine is now and I'm trying to get away from. I want a column with a automatic shifter as well as GM turn signal switch to plug into my already installed wiring harness. Ignition switch is purely optional, I can use my under dash switch or wire up a column one. It's too easy to move with only the trans detents holding the shift lever. Don't want my Grandson to be able to pull it out of park like he did once before.

What about the later vs the early turn signal switches, do they swap between columns? The GM column I have now has the fat turn signal arm with the wiper and washer integrated into it, as well as the dimmer switch. My dimmer is on the floor, and I don't have wipers yet, and they are vacuum anyway.

I'm going to the new pick a part that just opened maybe this weekend. Maybe they have some older stuff I can check out.

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

I like the looks of that one!

 

The answer probably depends on what you are planning for the gauges, upholstery, etc. Pick one theme, and stick with it.

 

Since you have a Lincoln, why not use a Ford tilt? They are often overlooked. Galaxie and mid size Torino s are clean and easy to install plus they feature a 2 lever column because the tilt and turn function is in one lever. Just a thoughtful. A good friend used the set up in his '30 model A and it looked very good.

 

Ford Van columns up to the late 70s do not have a key.

 

Squirrel, My dash looks stock. I have SW guages behind the stock bezel, speedo and clock are factory, all are in factory chrome housings. I have a 67 Chevrolet 3 spoke chrome steering wheel I plan to use. Chevy had better looking choices than later Ford steering wheels IMHO. GM is also the type plugs on my already installed wiring harness. Don't want to have to rewire it for a Ford column when what I have will plug and play.

 

This is a nice colum. Looks like early 60s impala like 63 with auto trany on. Colum. Or if u want to get fancy get a 60s cadilac one it has telescopic and tilt to

 

I bought this cover back in the late 1980s. I'll check my build book to see if I made any notes on its source. And I'll look to see it there is a name on it anywhere (admittedly, a long shot).

 

Corvair, if you can find one

 

Here's a pic of my dash


A pic of the wheel I'm going to use

 

I used a Corvair in my '40 Ford. Worked out really well. Had to add a bearing at the bottom of the tube. Got it at the local bearing store. Seven or eight bucks I think. Fit the cut out in the dash great.