MikeM

Cars (most cars) are built to be driven, few production cars are built to be abused and the Corvette was not one of them. As for as modifications to the cars, the shifter, slotted mag wheels, fender flares, hood scoop and rear spoiler, three tailights, etc were all things that needed to be modified to have a "cool" Corvette back then. I remember it well in the first person.

In my neck of the woods, there weren't many changed over in the first few years of the cars life anyway. When they became "used cars" and the kids got hold of them and started drag racing, some were changed to Hurst. If you're gonna' race, the Hurst is the way to go. If you're gonna' cruise, it's a waste of money vs. a good, tight, stock shifter. Also, you gotta' like the notchey, high effort of the Hurst to put up with it. I don't, and yes, I've owned a number of Hurst shifted cars.

As far as the '60's muscle cars and the stock Muncie shifters, those things were all junk as soon as they took the first hard shift through the gears. That wasn't the same piece as the Corvette shifter. Believe me, I have spent my time laying on my back at the side of the road, fiddling with the shift levers to get the tranmission unlocked. Finally fixed it by reinforcing the shift lever housing with 1/8" metal stock welded to it. No more trouble.

Changing to a Hurst Shifter back then was because of the pimply faced boys, just out of puberty that owned the cars had such a unnatural fantasy toward Linda Vaughn, they somehow seemed to be in touch with her if they had the Hurst shifter in their hand. Kinda' like rubbin on Linda.!

I told ya', if you want to thrash your car, go ahead, you need the Hurst. Otherwise, a stocker in good shape, well adjusted, well lubricated works perfectly.

The OP doesn't sound like a racer, he just wants to ride.

Jebbysan

Well said!

Jebby

Jimbo64

did the 64 muncie have both the short throw and long throw option

Kerrmudgeon

Huh?....it seemed pretty natural to me!

MikeM

Yep! That smile(?) probably sold more Hurst shifters than anything else. Smart move on George Hurst's part to hire her for PR's.

JohnZ

Look at the 1-2 and 3-4 shift levers on the side cover - if they have two holes (one at the end, and another one closer to the pivot), like the one in the photo below, you can connect the rods to the holes closer to the pivot to set it up as short-throw.

Jebbysan

Great photo!

I can see exactly why I get locked up in a 2-3 powershift now.

maybe I could weld my own stops on

Jebby

MikeM

You can also bias the adjustment on your shift linkage a little toward third gear to help stop the locking up.

Jebbysan

I did think of that! I am a little in the opposite direction right now....I believe from a strong third hit.....as the last time I adjusted it they were dead even.....
Good idea....thanks for posting it.....I sometimes don't elaborate my thoughts from the wasteland of my mind

Hey it is free!

Jebby

KC John

Mike, you might have won the argument that a good well adjusted OEM shifter will work as well as a Hurst for a while, but it wasn't her smile that sold all those shifters. You must be zoomed into the picture too far. Zoom out man, zoom out!

I just noticed you put a (?) after smile. Sorry.

Jebbysan

It got locked in third last night on the way to cruise night at the burger joint.......

Hurst is going in soon.....this sucks....

Jebby

MikeM

I knew guys that just clamped Vise Grips around the shift arms and used that to shift with. No more lockup!

By the way, why are you power shifting on the way to the cruise? Trying to get a front row parking spot?

Jebbysan

Trying to get around the rouge 27 mph Texans on the feeder road as I try to enter the freeway....

Jebby

Jimbo64

have just one hole in the linkage on my 64=some play in the middle rod-will hurst pit pac
bushings work in a muncie or need to replace some parts-----thanks ------jimbo

66BlkBB

Yes, they will work. I am currently running the Hurst shifter with the OEM shifter arms. I have the pit pac bushings in this set up and have had them in for years.

cor66vette

The Hurst has my vote hands down. I love its response. I have the original shifter and wouldn't even consider shifting with it anymore.

Jimbo64

i like the looks of the curved hurst shifter you have in your car- i was thinking originally of putting in the hurst which looks exactly like the original but not sure now-hung up between replacing original muncie, putting new bushings and link pins in muncie, or pulling it and going with a version of hurst-

JohnZ

Not with the stock Muncie shifter.

cor66vette

For me, the curve shape helps facilitate the throw.

66BlkBB

John,

I am running the shifter arms from the OEM and I have the pit pac bushings on them. Does the OEM shifter not have nylon bushings at the shifter end that would cause the problem?