Hey peeps. I am nearing the end of a 06 N*/4T80E swap into an 85 GT. I engineered a fancy schmancy shift cable bracket at the transmission end and made some alterations to the auto shifter to accommodate the extra throw of a 4 spd auto. I was very happy with how it worked until I installed the shifter surround and found that it needed an extra half inch or so at either end of the throw. I have never liked the looks of the stock Fiero auto shift surround and have always used a manual one instead so now I'm looking for ideas to make a up a plate to use in place of a leather boot on a manual shifter surround. I'm sure I can make something up out of polished stainless but what I don't want is to be able to see through the slot that that shifter moves back and forth in. Any suggestions?
You could make a plate to adapt the auto boot, and show the PRND321, similar to how the stock Fiero auto plate looks, to use in the manual surround, and use an auto shifter boot instead of the larger manual one.
I have just what you need in my '05 Ford Freestyle. It's a sliding black plastic dohicky that covers the slot from the bottom side. There are probably some other Fords that use it as well....500, Taurus X....
I have just what you need in my '05 Ford Freestyle. It's a sliding black plastic dohicky that covers the slot from the bottom side. There are probably some other Fords that use it as well....500, Taurus X....
A lot of cars have those, not just Fords. They work basically the same as a garage door. It wouldn't be terribly hard to make one out of stainless, aluminum, delrin, or plastic, with the right small machine tools, either.
Why not get a little inventive with it. How about a sliding shifter bar like out of early camaro (I think) Make it out of polished aluminum, it could sit nice and low giving you ample access to your stereo If you used weak gas struts to dampen the movement you should get a good feel out of it
Went back to take a look at those old gm shifters, but they are too tall and pivot too much This is a really rough sketch of what i'm talking about
The Green is a gas strut to give it that smooth glide feel Blue would be sliders The black strip with holes would be a piece of steel with holes and you would have a ball and spring mounted on the left armature to "click" in at your shift points kinda like the ratchet ball that keeps your sockets on.
Just a loose idea
[This message has been edited by Strappado (edited 04-17-2014).]
I have seen cars with black bristles, like brush bristles inside the shifter plate to hide things. It could be done by getting long bristles, gluing them across the opening underneath the shifter, then razoring or using scissors up the center where the shifter will travel to cut them. Hope you can picture what I am talking about.....
A stiff piece of rubber glued to the underside with a slit down the center would work as well.
[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 04-18-2014).]
Not really what you are asking but............ Could you lengthen the arm on the shifter, where the cable hooks on, or shorten the arm on the trans to make the total movement of the shifter less. It might be able to make the original parts fit - even though you don't like them.
Thanks for all the ideas guys. I was thinking of trying the bristle thing too. I have moved on to other parts of the swap for now but will come back to this. Actually fired it up for the first time tonight but had to shut it down after a minute or so due to a biiiiiiiiig transmission cooler line leak. More to come.
