What Automatic Column for 1950 Mercury?

Hello,

Yes, I've used the search function but can't find what I'm looking for.

I have a 1950 Merc that I wanted to convert to a automatic column that doesn't look too crazy modern.

Any suggestions/guidance on what would be the best column to put in it?

Thanks

 

May be hard to find but an automatic column from a 50s truck or even an early 50s car looks good IMHO I love the twin tube look. A 70s GM truck column is a good choice also.

 

X 2

 

That is what I've seen most others running with their C4's.

 

Try to find a 51 Merc automatic column.

 

The Merc o matic would be my first choice. other than that, 60's and early 70's ford pickup and car columns look similar to the merc.

 

Do you have your stocker? just pick an arm and hook it up to the trans.

 

Can't the stock column be modfied to do the job?

Rich

 

On my 49 Ford manual shift column, I removed one of the shifter arms, and put a bushing on the shifter column so that it couldn't slide back and forth, done.

Rich

 

Exactly the point I was trying to make! It's not hard to do, and if you need a detent with gear positions on it they are fairly easy to make. I have never bothered myself.
If you have clipped the car and think you have to use something modern to be compatible, think again. Cut off your old column at the steering box, go to the bearing warehouse and find a bearing that will fit, and grab some U-joints that will play fair with your new steering box and be done.

 

That's exactly what I wanted to do! Yes, I have the stock column I was just thinking of a way that it wouldn't slip out of park if it was idling....

Do you have a pic of what you did or has anybody added the detent/notches in a manual column?

 

I cant speak for the roadster, but when I do them I just use the detents that are built into the trans. Most automatic columns you'll find do the same. I just did a '52 Chev in this manner two weeks ago and it works great, but I have done lots of them over the years this same way. When I said "detent" earlier, I really meant indicator.

 

Cool, You've never had an issue with it sliding out of park? That was the olny one I was really worried about.

Thanks for the advise!

 

Great I was looking for This information because I have exactly the same doubt...

 

Yes, if you really need to change it, any pre-key switch column will do the job.

 

Early Falcon/Comet column should do the trick. '64 + Comet and '65 + falcon had three speeds C4s in 'em.

Cosmo

 

I never have.

 

Limeworks has an auto trans column shift coversion that fits on the stock steering column.

 

As far as I know all automatic transmissions, the shift detent is inside the transmission case. You disconnect an auto shifter on a GM trans, a dual-coupling Hydramatc, TH350, TH400, 200R4 or 700R4, it just flops back and forth, it may lock in the Park position, it may not.

Meaning that even converting a manual shifter to control an auto it's not going to fall out of gear or change gears, unless something is wrong with the trans.

 

When I dropped a 350/350 in my 1951 Merc which had Mercomatic, I just made a new lever on the trans and it worked fine. This was back in 1980.