Page 1 - Cars/Trucks I presently own
Page 2 - Shelby Charger
Page 3 - GLHS, SS/T, 1985 Ram
Page 4 - Cars I used to own
Page 5 - Friends' Cars
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I've included some pictures of my shifter installation. I wanted my car to look as stock as possible. I mounted my shifter this way so I could use the stock storage bin and shifter cover.
1. Cut the hump, that the old rod shifter bolts to, from the floor hump. You will need to do this so the shifter can rest as flat as possible.
2. Weld in a patch panel that is relatively flat. Some people suggest that it's ok to beat the floor flat. I was afraid I'd tweak my floor too much.
3. Trim a little (as shown in the picture) from the front of the shifter base, under where the passenger side shifter cable clips to it. I did this so that it will fit between the storage bin bracket that is welded to the floor.
4. Drill a hole in each corner of the shifter base to bolt it to the floor.
5. Mark matching holes in the floor and drill them.
6. When bolting the shifter base to the floor, you will want to put spacers between the shifter and the floor so the floor won't bend upwards when you tighten the bolts holding the shifter down to the floor.
7. Cut a hole in the hump ahead of the shifter so the cables can go through to the tranny.
8. You will need to modify the black bracket that holds the storage bin to the floor bracket. I cut it rather crudely, but didn't care since it will be out of sight. You will need to cut the bracket so it will go down over the shifter and so that the shifter cables will pass through it. I had to put the bracket over the shifter, pass the cables through the bracket, and attach the cables to the bracket before I bolted the shifter to the floor. Believe it or not, the bracket didn't seem to be weak. Regardless, it doesn't have to be strong to hold the storage bin down. You will probably have to grind a little off of one of the shifter clips (driver's side) so that it will go into place. If not, it will hit the bracket and won't clip into place.
9. After you bolt the storage bin and shifter down, put the stock shifter cover box over the shifter and position it like it was when it covered the stock shifter.
10. The bottom 4 pictures show what I did in the next few steps. Using a marker, mark around the shifter cover box and the general area where the mounting screws will go. Lift the box off.
11. I made some shifter cover box mounting tabs out of some thin steel stock I had lying around. I bent them at a 90 degree angle, cut them to size, and welded them to the shifter. You will want to remove the shifter from the car for welding.
12. Bolt the shifter back in after it cools and position the shifter cover box where you want it. Scribe drill marks on the mounting tabs through the holes in the shifter cover box.
13. Take the shifter cover box off and drill the holes.
14. Put the shifter cover box back on and screw it down.
Here is the finished product:
UPDATE:
I moved the shifter back in the car so the boot wouldn't look as bad. I also found a shifter boot from a 1985 Laser that works better than the Shelby Charger boot.
