66 Shifter

[Tim L.]

As my restoration progresses on my 66, I have started on the rusted/frozen shifter. Has Bubba got ahold of my shifter? The reverse "T" rod is screwed down to the shifter handle by the side set screw. That set screw on the outside is welded. (See photos) The reverse T does not move. This sure doesn't look right.

Back story on the car is two previous owners took it apart and I bought it in boxes. There have been challenges with many more to come!!
Thanks in advance, Tim

[Mike T.]

Re: 66 Shifter

Tim - I know it might look like your shifter has been visited by 'Bubba' but what you're seeing is original configuration from the factory. That welded pin is fixed and when the shifter isn't corroded and is working as it should, the reverse lockout 'T' handle should move freely, up and down, there's a spring up inside the shifter ball that keeps the lockout in place until you pull up on it. The shifter moves between the 1-2 and 3-4 gates freely but that pin you see next to the welded larger pin is what prevents the shifter from moving on over to Reverse. When you left that T handle, the pin rises up and allows the shifter handle to move further, to Reverse. As soon as I got the 66 Roadster I just bought a couple weeks ago I noticed something off with the shifter. Normally, you move the handle to the drivers side and it comes up against that lockout pin but in this shifters case, it kept on going. Even before I pulled it apart, I knew what was wrong, because when I pulled the T handle completely out and found the rod length to be correct, the only other thing is could be was that larger welded in place pin was MIA...and it was. My fix was to scavenge parts from a spare shifter I had laying around and that should take care of things. Check out the pic, the spare shifter on the right has the welded in place pin...the one from the 66 is on the left and the pin is missing. Makes finding first gear a bit of a challenge.
The old shifter looked to be in good shape, not sure how the pin went missing.
Try some solvent to loosen things up on your shifter so it can come apart.
IMG_8445.jpg

[Tim L.]

Re: 66 Shifter

Mike, thanks so much for the explanation. Looks like my next task is to get the T handle moving, which will make the rod move. My T handle has a finger hold broken off and the actual shifter is very pitted. So I have parts to replace or rechrome.

[Ronald L.]

Re: 66 Shifter

Repo repair kits are available to fix all that stuff, can't comment on judging correctness, but would expect the kit to fix most any issue that arises.

[Donald O.]

Re: 66 Shifter

Tim,
PM sent.

Don

[John F.]

Re: 66 Shifter

If you are not getting the car judged buy a Hurst Competition Plus shifter and you will never go back!