OK, I've got to know....I have an '86GT (5-speed) which I purchased in '91 with ~30K miles. The car is still completely stock. I noticed recently on a picture of a steering column from an '88 GT that it had a small lever underneath the ignition switch. I've heard from some colleagues that this lever is present on all manual transmission Fieros, however, I don't have one!

So what's the deal? Was my steering column replaced with an auto column? Was this a production change at some point? Did mine sneak off the assembly line with the wrong steering column? Anyone else have a manual transmission without the key release?

I have one on my 86 SE parts car. The rest of them are auto's

Both of my previous manual Fieros had them (they were 85's). My current 86 GT 5-speed has the lever.

My 84 has one. I've seen them on other stick shift cars from the 80's, but never really understood what they were for

I have one too and it's a 87 auto. What I find very strange is it also has a manual brake pedel (small one)....hhhhmmm?

I don't have one, but that might be because I swapped in a 5-speed

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Federal law mandates that function, so all manual GM columns have the key release. Either the column or the tranny have been switched.

JazzMan

The car was definitely shipped with the 5 speed (MM5/MG2 RPO). I remembered that a few years ago while installing a factory subwoofer system, that I brushed against and knocked off a small sticker which had been attached to the bottom of the steering column. I saved this sticker (don't ask me why), and it does show the correct VIN# for the car. I'm guessing that the wrong column was installed on the assembly line.

Pretty interesting bit of trivia.

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Webmaster, NIFE
www.fierofocus.com

My guess is that whoever swapped the column swapped the sticker as well. The chances of the wrong column being installed, especially since that's a federal safety compliance item, is essentially nil.

In any case since anyone who's driven a manual has mastered the art of depressing the lever and removing the key simultaneously the idea is moot. The whole idea was to add a secondary function to prevent the key from going all the way to the lock position in case the key was turned off accidentally while moving. On autos this is done by interlocking the shifter and ignition switch.

JazzMan

[This message has been edited by JazzMan (edited 05-03-2005).]

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: In any case since anyone who's driven a manual has mastered the art of depressing the lever and removing the key simultaneously the idea is moot. The whole idea was to add a secondary function to prevent the key from going all the way to the lock position in case the key was turned off accidentally while moving. On autos this is done by interlocking the shifter and ignition switch. JazzMan

Yeah, it's pretty pointless. Depressing that lever just becomes second nature when turning the car off, so I don't really see what good it does.

would have made more sence to link it to the e-brake

When I changed my 88 Mera from an automatic to a Getrag 5 speed I retained the automatic steering column. That way I do not have that stupid little lever. I hate that stupid little lever............

If you're the one always driving the car, the lever is not a problem. But one of my friends almost broke my key cylinder because he didn't know it had that lever. His car is a manual, but there's no lever. You just push the key in a little bit, and it allows the key to turn back.

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(formerly known as sqoach)
86 SE 4 spd - undergoing reconstructive surgery
86 SE auto - receiving heart transplant - almost finished!
86 GT auto - daily driver
85 GT 4 spd - parts car