Has anybody ever installed an aftermarket shifter like a hurst or b&m into a 64 Galaxie XL Console?? I have a 460/C6 in the car and the factory shifter and linkage feels pretty sloppy. I'm putting a C6 with a manual reverse valve body it so I'm going to have to change the shifter. I don't want to butcher the console up but I want it to be period correct looking. I also need a long enough shifter handle that is up high enough so I can shift it comfortably without leaning toward the console. I kind of want it to look like a four speed.
You might want to look at the B&M Unimatic shifter. Has a nice old school look and mounts directly to the floor of the car. It comes with a boot, but if you need to mount it inside the console you can omit the boot. A friend just put one in his '56 Chevy and I think they're great looking. It has reverse and park lockout detents, so you push down on the shifter to get past neutral and into reverse or park. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/BMM-80775/
Do a seach for the Hurst Autostick I. It's their first version of a shifter for automatic transmissions. It bolts to the automatic trans and has a lever like their 4 speed versions. They were first offered in the late 1960's. I have one (not for sale) for a Turbo 400. If you've got to run an automatic trans, it at least looks like the 4 speed lever. Good luck.
You could also try Lokar. They have a floor mount shifer aswell and you can order it with all the brackets you need for the cable, in kit form