700R4 shifters?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
From: Rochester New York
700R4 shifters?
Heya folks
So I have my sights on a swap as soon as I sell my spare car (96 cavalier, if anyone is interested LOL), and I was wondering if anyone who has done it has changed out their shifter - - - not that there's anything wrong with my stocker, but I was kinda thinking that with the kit form Bowtie (new shift indents and pattern indicator) that some swankfancy new shifter would be just the ticket. If it's at all possible, are there pros / cons? Pics, maybe?
So I have my sights on a swap as soon as I sell my spare car (96 cavalier, if anyone is interested LOL), and I was wondering if anyone who has done it has changed out their shifter - - - not that there's anything wrong with my stocker, but I was kinda thinking that with the kit form Bowtie (new shift indents and pattern indicator) that some swankfancy new shifter would be just the ticket. If it's at all possible, are there pros / cons? Pics, maybe?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
I was looking into that a while back, never found anything that would drop right in. I did find a coolio looking skull with light up eyes, but the button on our shifters appears to give the after market guys a hard time. Do a google search on shift *****, see what ya get.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
IMO, to be able to hold first gear is useless with any automatic and due to gear ratios totally useless with a 700.....so just change the indicator numbers, and forget the detents....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,465
Likes: 0
From: Orange Park Fl
I recently installed a 700r4 on my '81 and used the BTO shifter kit from Shiftworks. My experience was not good. The shifter bracket would not allow the shifter to move between park and reverse. I had to cut off a tang with my Dremel tool. Then the bracket would still not allow the shifter to move all the way back to manually select 1st gear. So, in the end, after a lot of work I had the exact same thing I started with. Now, having said this, I have heard others say they installed the kit with no problems. Unless you have a need to manually select first gear, my recommendation is to not bother with it. God bless, Sensei
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: Lenexa Kansas
Well, I hope your experience with the shiftworks kit is an exception, not the rule. I have the shifter kit and the 700R4 crossmember, and am getting ready to put in a 4L60E behind and LS1 style truck motor. I'm planning on documenting the install as much as I can, so hopefully I'll be of some help to someone else!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,695
Likes: 65
From: Kissimmee fl
Finalist 2021 C3 of the Year - Modified
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
I used the Shiftworks conversion kit when I did the 700R4 swap. I had NO issues with fit or function. That being said, I was told the same thing as stated above that you do not really need it to make the swap work. This was after I had spent the money for the kit. You get the cable mounting bracket for the side of the tranny as well as the OD shifter plate in the kit. Not sure if those items are sold outside of the kits.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
From: Wichita, KS
I used the shiftworks kit to convert my shifter to a 4 speed automatic too. The only problem that I had with the swap was under-estimating the quality of the spot welds on the old shift detent. Those are some strong welds. On one end the welds are close together and fused in to one long weld on my shifter.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 2
From: Montreal Qc.
My car has the 700r4 with the stock shifter/stock console, and I can drop it into 1st and leave it there if I have to (for burnouts and/or getting a good launch at the track). If you want to you can file detents into the stock shift mechanism, and any trophy shop can make you a new indicator with P-R-N-4-3-2-1 on it for less than 20 bucks.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 5
From: Minnesota
I did the swap and recall having to do some grinding but nothing major. AFTER I was done I thought about laying the 700R4 shifter plate on top of the TH400 plate to see exactly what was different. Maybe someone in the process of doing the swap could post some pics.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
I used the shiftworks kit to convert my shifter to a 4 speed automatic too. The only problem that I had with the swap was under-estimating the quality of the spot welds on the old shift detent. Those are some strong welds. On one end the welds are close together and fused in to one long weld on my shifter.
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento California
I swapped the th-350 in my 78 stepside for a TCI 700 R-4. The driveline needed to be slightly shorter, and the shift linkage will not engage first gear. The first gear in the 700's is low, and with the 3.73's in my truck I would never use the first gear position on the shifter anyway. As for the corvette swap, i know little if nothing. You may find a cable operated floor shifter you can make work, i think some of these mount to the trans.
I do have a Premier Performance 700 R-4 sitting on the floor of my garage now if anyone is interested. Needs a re-case and a new front seal, but operated perfectly when i pulled it out. I would likely be willing to let it go for or near the price of a core charge, so if there were something wrong mechanically you would have a useable core. Unfortunately for me, I let someone else be the designated driver one summer evening, and they dropped the trans in gear at above idle speeds. The motor was revving down at the time and they were off the throttle, but it backed up the pump and blew out the front seal and cracked the case at the bell housing end. no other damage was evident to me at the time of removal. PM me if you might be interested.
I do have a Premier Performance 700 R-4 sitting on the floor of my garage now if anyone is interested. Needs a re-case and a new front seal, but operated perfectly when i pulled it out. I would likely be willing to let it go for or near the price of a core charge, so if there were something wrong mechanically you would have a useable core. Unfortunately for me, I let someone else be the designated driver one summer evening, and they dropped the trans in gear at above idle speeds. The motor was revving down at the time and they were off the throttle, but it backed up the pump and blew out the front seal and cracked the case at the bell housing end. no other damage was evident to me at the time of removal. PM me if you might be interested.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,720
Likes: 12
From: Chattanooga TN
I swapped the th-350 in my 78 stepside for a TCI 700 R-4. The driveline needed to be slightly shorter, and the shift linkage will not engage first gear. The first gear in the 700's is low, and with the 3.73's in my truck I would never use the first gear position on the shifter anyway. As for the corvette swap, i know little if nothing. You may find a cable operated floor shifter you can make work, i think some of these mount to the trans....
I used a BTO kit in my car and I can get to first gear, but a good Dremmel tool will probably do the same thing. All C3 automatic shifters are cable operated.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 258
Likes: 1
From: Memphis TN
I have a 74 454 coupe that had a TH400 but now has a 200-4R from CPT. The shifter has been converted to a P-R-N-OD-3-2-1 shift pattern with the Shiftworks kit and works fine for normal driving but is not great for drag racing. While at WOT and manually shifting it from 3rd to 4th I accidentally went past 4th (and neutral) and almost went into reverse! I have wondered if there was an aftermarket shifter that would fit a C3 with a 4-speed auto, so I was interested to see that you used a B&M Megashifter. How exactly did you do this? What car was the shifter originally intended for if not for a C3?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,844
Likes: 99
From: Orrtanna Pa.
I did the Megashifter a few years back, and though the shifter has worked quite well,. I plan on redoing the console top for a better appearance.
This is what it looks like now.
I want to eliminate the plate that surrounds the boot, and install the window switches. (I never put switches in the first cover,cause the window motors are shot anyway, and I was mainly concerned with a tranny swap at the time.) This shifter was installed for the 700r4 convert, and later modified for the th400 full manual reverse VB. Been in for several years, and still very consistant positive shifts.
This is what it looks like now.
I want to eliminate the plate that surrounds the boot, and install the window switches. (I never put switches in the first cover,cause the window motors are shot anyway, and I was mainly concerned with a tranny swap at the time.) This shifter was installed for the 700r4 convert, and later modified for the th400 full manual reverse VB. Been in for several years, and still very consistant positive shifts.
