Shifter question.....(not the "SHIFTERS")

[Broman]

I am running the origional 3 speed manual (on the column) behind my I8 in the Buick. They used to sell floor shift conversions for these right? Can I still get one?

My dad was telling me they might be found in a JCWhitney, but after looking I don't think so....

Any help will be appreciated. The timing would be great as I have no carpet in the old bastard right now and it would be a weekend project that could be handled quickly.

[Broman]

Maybe I better specify that this is an all origional '50 Buick, there were shifters for Chevys and Fords, and a few other odds and ends, but not for this vintage of Buick.

cheap way to get BTTT.. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Upchuck]

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=1332&catalogId=10101&lang Id=-1&storeId=10101

maybe that one will fit?

its from JC Whitney

[Upchuck]

sorry about that after rereading your post I see you already seen them

[Upchuck]

have a look at hurst or mr gasket they used to make three speed convert to the floor shifters from the column

[Broman]

thanks that's a good lead...

[BigJim394]

I think Ansen used to make shifters for those transmission and they may have called them "Selecter" shifters.
Pretty hard to find. Saw a NOS one for an early 50's Olds 3 speed manual go for about $90.00 on ebay last year, and it might have fit yours.

[Broman]

Sometimes I am such a bonehead, I think I got a good lead with the HURST.....

I should have known that would be the solution. Sometimes the best ideas are the most simple ones. I was trying to find old parts and ebay stuff when I should have been thinking like a Hot-Rod guy does.....

I have to I.D. the parts and match 'em to the trannie but I think I am set...

Thanks for the assistance guys.

[C9]

The Buicks have a selector arm and a shift arm do they not?

In other words, one arm selects whether the shift arm will shift reverse and low or 2nd and high.

Guys used to build their own shifters for these cars and maybe this foggy trip through the mists of time will help.

This is really dragging through the memory banks, but one of the below methods may work.

A length of straight tubing - bend it for interior aesthetics if you wish - and maybe a couple of Heim joints.
You need a mounting bracket as well.

The drill was to mount one Heim on the bracket and the bearing end around the shift tubing, the other Heim (different size) mounted to the bottom of the shaft and went onto the shifter. As you can see, this is where things get hazy cuz you need to operate the selector as well as the shift arm.

Method two may be the one - the shift tubing is mounted to the selector solidly (cuz it operates from side to side?) and a Heim goes to the shift arm.

Now that I've thought about it a little more, I think what happens with the Buick trans is there is one arm on the trans.
The arm slides back and forth transversely to select the 1st-reverse or 2nd-high range.
The bottom Heim threaded directly into the floor shift tube bolted to the shift arm.
The upper - and larger - Heim bolted to the mounting bracket and the floor shift tube slid through this Heim.
The upper Heim allowed a two-axis swivel to allow range selection as well as gear selection in that particular range.
I think this is the setup used because the biggest thing I remember about this home-brewed floor shifter is that it was easy to build, very solid and worked well.

Whichever method works, you end up with a somewhat reversed shift pattern.
Low is up and right.
2nd is down and left (making for a fast and natural shift).
High straight up on the left.
Reverse down and right.

I had a friend with a black 54 Buick Century hardtop who I helped with the engine build, but didn't get involved with the shifter. I think he made it himself and may have gotten the info from one of the car mags of the day.

Pehaps this post isnt't much help, but it could set you to thinking on how you could make your own shifter.

Hope I didn't add to the confusion.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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For the two armed shifters we used to get the steering column tube/jacket out of 40 & up column shift Fords, 48's or so being a particular favorite - probably because they were easy to find.

The jackets were shortened as was the shift column proper.
A bracket was made to mount the shortened and welded together shift column, the jacket ends were mounted to the bracket and new shift rods made from 3/8" rod bent - if necessary - to fit.
This was an especially easy shifter to set up for the side shift Cad-Lasalle sticks and it worked well.
Shift arms on the trans were replaced with late 40's or so Chevy shift arms that came with - I think - 5/16" bolts to clamp the arms on with.
The 5/16" bolts were replaced with 3/8" bolts and a notch filed in the Caddy shift rod so the Chevy shift arm wouldn't slip.
(Had a shift arm slip on a beautiful LimeFire green 51 Olds coupe with built engine in Santa Monica one night. We rolled the car up on a tall curb, crawled under and clamped it with a Vise-Grip. Got home with no problems and that's when we went to the 3/8" bolts and filed notches.)

The cut-down Ford shifter ended up on the bracket that bolted to the tailshaft bolts - with longer bolts - the shift rods hung down on the left side and the shift arm proper ended up centered or slightly to the right of center on the trans.
Nice part was, the standard three speed floor pattern was retained. (Low down left etc.)
It was a good shifter setup, worked well, shifted fast, but after the Hurst three speed shifter came out we swapped to that and never looked back. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Broman]

C9 that's too much.....

What a trip. If I can figure this out I will try to to it this way, I can get all the tubing and scrap steel I can dream of - I have connections.

I used to run a tube mill, we made tubes from flat steel. I still hang out with the guys who work there so that's my ticket. I think I could buy one from Hurst for $80.00 but If I could save that dough it could be used elsewhere.


Thanks a bunch C9, you are my new hero. That is until I fuck this whole project up and can shift my car into gear. JJ. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif