Auto shifter advice needed.

[Eric S]

Recently purchased a 69 A12 Clone/Tribute. 440+6. 727. 3.54 Dana My car has factory bucket seats and floor console. Is there anyone who is using a currently available shifter replacement gate or has modified the factory shifter gate such as adding a stop between drive and neutral? . Twice now when manual shifting the car I have went into neutral at high rpm. I am open to an aftermarket shifter. But do not want to alter or cut the factory console or brackets. I noticed a company makes a gate plate for a reversed pattern valve body but a call to a representative from that company stated that he didn’t know if it could be used for a standard pattern. Thanks.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Welcome to the sight.

 

[Eric S]

Thank You for the welcome. I’ve been building cars for 40 years. Mostly 55-56 Chevys and 32-34 Fords. I grew up around Mopar Muscle cars. But this is my first one. I have to say I’m hooked!

 

[HD539]

Welcome!

 

[roadrunnerbob]

welcome from Pa

 

[Eric S]

If anyone else might be considering this issue..I found this on another forum

 

[Russ69Runner]

Is that a push button handle. Had a charger with the slap stick in it. Which picture is yours. Dose the shifter have the push button on top of the handle.

 

[Eric S]

Mine has the push button.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Ok that is what it thought. Would it be possible to make the notch deeper where drive slot is to stop it from going to neutral. Maybe their could be a tab welded on. Maybe someone here knows if that would work. If in neutral you just pull it to drive don't seem right to me. Their is no safety factor due to it could be bumped into drive by accident. Hope you get it figured out and why it is this way. It might have been altered at some time during it's life.

 

[V.R.D]

that is a 68/69/70 style in 71 the slap stick had a lock out . nhra would fail that in teck as it would go into neural and blow the trans .that is why there so many revers pattern valve body's

 

[roadrunninMark]

V.R.D., so you need to modify the 70 slap stick to add the extra detente for "D". Is that correct? I have a 71 barracuda with a slapstick and I bought a 70 version too as I like the round handle (70) vs. the rectangular (71+). I also found a pistol grip handle for the 70 style. I am thinking of using the 70 slap stick in the road runner and making a console for it.

Now I have to go look at the shifter.....

 

[roadrunninMark]

Here is a pic of my slapstick for a 70 barracuda. It is different at the bottom; it has a locking mechanism that doesn't allow you to go from D to N. BUT, you can go from N to D quite easily (at least with the shifter sitting on the bench). I would think this is not a good thing and I still would like some kind of detente between D and N. Maybe instead of making in a flat notch with D being deeper, have a small piece extend out between N and D. This way N can "lock in place" as well??? Could a piece be welded in? Can you weld onto this type of metal?

 

[roadrunninMark]

other side.. I don't have pics of the 71 shifter.

 

[V.R.D]

V.R.D., so you need to modify the 70 slap stick to add the extra detente for "D". Is that correct? I have a 71 barracuda with a slapstick and I bought a 70 version too as I like the round handle (70) vs. the rectangular (71+). I also found a pistol grip handle for the 70 style. I am thinking of using the 70 slap stick in the road runner and making a console for it.

Now I have to go look at the shifter.....

if it looks like the shiftier in post 12 then you are good to go if not you should do the mod you found of a different valve body you don't want to go in to neutral it will brake the trans.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Here is a pic of my slapstick for a 70 barracuda. It is different at the bottom; it has a locking mechanism that doesn't allow you to go from D to N. BUT, you can go from N to D quite easily (at least with the shifter sitting on the bench). I would think this is not a good thing and I still would like some kind of detente between D and N. Maybe instead of making in a flat notch with D being deeper, have a small piece extend out between N and D. This way N can "lock in place" as well??? Could a piece be welded in? Can you weld onto this type of metal?View attachment 35002

Don't see why you could not weld a small piece on it. Grind it down the way you want it.

 

[roadrunninMark]

if it looks like the shiftier in post 12 then you are good to go if not you should do the mod you found of a different valve body you don't want to go in to neutral it will brake the trans.

Yes, that is my 70 ebody shifter in pic #12. Good to know that I am good to go.