rcknrolfender79

Hey guys my 68 coronet r/t currently has a pistol grip set up. I'm thinking I want to put the original 68 correct shifter back in it. But I'm not sure which one it is. It was originally a 4 speed console car and I plan to put a console back in it.
Now I don't think that the pistol grip was available until 69 or 70. Correct me if i'm wrong there. Here is a link to yearone. I'm not sure which one of those are correct. I know it says the px101 is for 68 and 69 but If I remember right most of them that I've seen with a 4 speed either have a white or black ball, not wood. I will also need the chrome rod for a console so if you guys could point me towards the correct one of those as well.

The pistol grip is really cool but it seems way too long to me. It feels like you have to move the shifter a foot to a foot and a half before you hit a gear. Almost what I would imagine driving a big semi would be like lol. Also when its in first and reverse it will hit the dash if you push on it just a little. I'm not sure if they all feel like it take this much of a stroke to shift them but the original shifter looks like it would be a little shorter and a bit more sporty feeling. Any advice here would be great. Thanks guys

https://www.yearone.com/Catalog/1966...ion/?year=1968

Here is a picture of the interior. Sorry don't have any better pictures at the moment. And the shifter was in neutral here. It would almost against the dash if it were in reverse or first gear.

jacilynn_s

okay Pistol grip shifters could be on certain cars as early as 67, not many so your probably right that yours didnt come with one.

I have to ask if your using a hurst shifter or ingersol rand shifter (the part the pistolgrip handle bolts too) as it sounds like you have a ton of play.

pictures of your shifter will help if you dont know.

440roadrunner

.........Uh, no.............The first year for any pistol grip shifter was 70. I don't believe they were available in A bodies, or the C barges. Only RR/ GTX, and Cuda/ Challenger starting in '70

Moparod

Yep, B's & E's starting in '70. The '68's had two available shifters, the Inland type which was replaced during the model year with the Hurst. I had a '69 Road Runner non-console 4 speed that someone put a pistol grip in and your right, it was like a truck shifter, I hated it. I lucked out and made a swap with a friend of mine for a stock '69 Hurst, much better!

Moparod

A console Hurst for '68, in a friends unmolested '68 Hemi Charger R/T, you can see it does have the woodgrain ball...

Gorts 5th

i make real hard wood gear shift handles all hand made and finished any way you like

rcknrolfender79

I'm really glad to read this lol. I was hoping it wouldn't feel the same with the original shifter in it. The concept and look of the pistol grip is really cool and probably works well for what they belong in. But it just feels like a big sloppy semi shifter right now. And in the pictures you posted, is the shifter in the same gear in both pictures? It looks WAY more comfortable with the original shifter. Also did you change the whole shifter out or just the chrome rod and handle?

rcknrolfender79

It's a Hurst shifter. I've had it out of the car. The reverse arm on the shifter its self broke and I had to fix it. Then I took it to a transmission shop and had them make sure it was all adjusted correctly. I talked to them about it maybe having too much play. They said it was in really good shape. So unfortunately thats not the issue. But I am curious if I would have to change the whole shifter or or just put the correct handle and rod back on it to get it to feel like it is supposed to. I don't think the shifter is original though. The rod that goes from the reverse arm to the gear lever on the trans is in the way of the speedometer cable so I know for a fact that rod is wrong. I don't have a build sheet for the car so I really have no way of knowing which shifter would have originally been in the car unfortunately.

And as far as pistol grips going back to 67... I've definitely never heard of one being in anything that old. I think 70 was the first year for them... MAYBE late 69. But anything is possible I guess.

TVLynn

I'm not familiar with the shifter but could you have an A body trans by chance ??
You could always cut it at the bend and thread it for the shifter ball

rcknrolfender79

No I'm sorry I don't have an A body trans. And as far as cutting it. I kind of want to keep a nice clean factory look to it and just go with the original shifter that should be in the car.

Moparod

On the Road Runner it made a massive difference, so much better with the correct shifter. I swapped the entire shifter, mechanism and all. My pistol grip had a ton of slop too, must be something about them. It looks like the pistol grip was in reverse, I always put it into reverse when I parked. The other pic the shifter is in neutral, I remember the day I took the pics I was also shooting video and the engine was running. Funny, I can't remember what I had for supper last night but I can remember pictures I took of a car over 20 years ago

rcknrolfender79

Well thats awesome to hear. Any idea where I can get the correct shifter for it at? Yearone just offers a hurst competition shifter. I'm not sure but I don't think that would be the original shifter for it.

440roadrunner

Probably the reason that some of you don't think much of the "slop" of the pistol grip shifters is that the OEM shifters fitted the handle into a "latch" socket mechanism with some rubber padding in there. Even new, they moved "some."

Also, I don't know how many differences there are in the shifter bodies per se, the linkages, and handles, but I do know this---

My OEM shifter rods / levers were NOT the same (back then) as an aftermarket Hurst bought for the same car. IE you could not swap any parts

There are at least three and probably more attachment methods used for the shifter handles. It is important that if you have one with the bolt on lever (usually a clamp yoke with bolts through the handle---that you use the proper serrated handle which meets the serrations in the shifter body. Otherwise, it will work loose and "work" on the bolts.

The RR/ GTX shifters had a very long throw, quite possibly the longest production car 4 speed throw there "was." Cuda/ Challengers were not quite as bad.

I can't row these things around anymore--arthritis. I "went" TF.

Moparod

Keep an eye on ebay. You should have no problem finding one there if you want an OEM style shifter. Even if an aftermarket style like the Comp Plus is ok, check ebay. I don't think there's a more expensive place to buy parts from than Year One. I've found parts on ebay that were half the price of Year One for the very same item.

rcknrolfender79

I don't think the problem is really with the "slop" mine doesn't feel real sloppy. It's just the shifter handle is so long that I would be willing to bet that going between 1st and 2nd you move the shifter at least a foot or more before you hit 2nd gear. i would think that the OEM shifter would have a much shorter throw than that.

rcknrolfender79

I usually always buy from ebay. I just use Year one as an easy way to locate a part number to look up on ebay lol.

440roadrunner

LOL. I nearly posted this earlier. Not mine, just a video I found

http://www.musclecarcalendar.com/SuperbirdDrive.wmv

Moparod

Ha! Been there done that! My old pistol grip was destined for a Superbird btw... Plus mine was sloppy, you could probably move it up and down a couple of inches with it in gear. The worn out rubber isolator sounds logical.

rcknrolfender79

Lol looks about right. I guess I've just gotten used to the shorter throw shifter in my 76 toyota celica. It's nothin aftermarket just a lot more sporty feeling and way easier to throw it in gear a lot faster.