hello everyone! I think I just scored the deal of the century, I just picked up a ‘64 Galaxie toploader with the bellhousing, shifter and handle (with reverse lockout) for $60! The reason I’m posting today is because I have a hurst shifter in my Galaxie currently but now that I have the correct handle for my car, I’d like to use it with the hurst shifter. Is there a way to do this? Does someone make an L shaped bracket that bolts to the shifter body then the handle? Thanks
The GM shifters are similar to the Ford, the adapters are available but are not that hard to make, wouldn't take much to copy them in a Ford version. Inspiration here: https://chevellestuff.net/tech/muncie_to_hurst.htm Hey look at this. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-1962-6...airlane-Galaxie-/223436052167?redirect=mobile
Why not use the whole Ford shifter? If properly tuned up and adjusted, they work well and with less effort than a Hurst.
Wow you’re awesome! I think I’m going to try my hand at making the bracket tomorrow when I get off work. Thanks!
Well when I bought my first toploader it didn’t have a shifter, so I went ahead and bought a hurst since I got a pretty good deal on it. But now that I have options I’m not opposed to the factory deal. I’ve just heard they don’t power shift as good as a hurst?
I disagree and I remember what they were like when New. Hurst was just the Kool stuff to have not necessary by any means. I can say the factory units do seem to ware a lot faster than a Hurst unit but in good health and in a correct car I wouldn't hesitate to run the stock unit over a Hurst. Just think about this, in a race situation your First to Second shift can't go wrong. Most stop light racing is over then. Second to Third shift is the only one that can go wrong. If your shifter is a little worn on the slide pin you know not to slam it and in a Good Ford your already far enough ahead to slightly slow your shift to compensate for the ware. Where's the issue?
The factory shifter, being a mass-produced piece, isn't quite as precise as a Hurst as-built particularly if it's worn some. But that is fairly easily fixed. The main issues are in the shifter box. After disassembling/cleaning the box, first replace the factory shift pin. This is the pin that engages the shift levers. The stock pin wears rather easily and has been known to break, I replace it with a piece of 1/4" hardened drill rod. I've also used a hardened 1/4" shank off a broken carbide burr. It'll be a bit oversize, you'll have to drive it in. Make it extra long to drive in, then trim to length, lightly chamfering the ends. You want it to fill the slots in the levers as much as possible while still working freely. Some file-fitting in the lever slots will probably be needed to get clean operation; sneak up on that. The tighter the pin fit in the levers while still moving freely back-and-forth, the better the shifter will work. Once you get that right, then shim the levers on their shaft to remove as much excess side-to-side play as possible without any binding. Once you get any slop out of the shifter box, reassemble with plenty of white grease. Proper adjustment is critical; use a 1/4" drill rod through the levers as per the factory to establish neutral when adjusting the shift rods to length. Use various thickness washers at the shift rod levers thick enough to get as much slop as possible out of those connections too. Use plenty of grease here too. Get it right and you'll be rewarded with a shifter that's every bit as good as a Hurst, but with smoother operation/less effort.
There isn't one to my knowledge. See my post above, all you need is some 1/4" hardened drill rod and some .001" and .005" shim stock. That's all I used, the couple I did turned out great. I suppose as a worse-case if the holes for the shift arms are elongated you could weld them up then re-drill them. Hurst isn't servicing the '60s/70s Ford shifters now either, although 'generic' repair parts are available.
Some of the posts here are just wrong, did you ever see a competitive drag car with a factory shifter?/ not likely I love my Fords but not the shifters Hurst are just a much better piece
Years ago I had a toploader and stock Ford shifter, both new, in a hot rod I had. Now I have another NOS toploader and a new Hurst shifter, with new linkage from Dan Williams, all properly mounted and adjusted, in my roadster. And although it's been a long time since the first one, as remember it, for normal driving with an enthusiastic shift now and then, the Ford shifter seemed to do just as well as the Hurst. Steve, the local drag strip guru sas not to use oil or grease on a Hurst as it'll attract dust and dirt build up. Me? I don't know.
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