I would like to put a hurst pistol grip shifter in my 76 vette. I have a 700r4 transmission automatic w/ overdrive. Has anyone done this install? will the shifter go in without any major modifications. Or does anyone have any suggestion on a different shifter? Pictures would also be greatly appreciated.

 

 

nobody has done this????

 

I have! I put a Hurst quarter stick into my '77 with a 700R4. I don't know what your definition of "major modifications" are, but it will require modifications. I installed it about 4 years ago and I thought it worked and looked good the way I did it. I made an adapter plate (2" wide x 1/8" thick) to mount the shifter too, then mounted the adapter plate where the stock shifter mount holes were located. The metal reinforcement infront of the stock shifter needed to be cut to clear the shifter and cable. I had to modify my shifter boot as well.

With that said... I saw this post earlier today and started to think of how I did it 4 years ago and did not like it anymore. My adapter plate was flat across the stock mounting holes, it made the rear of the shifter sit pretty high and looked weird under the boot in the park position. I've gained a lot more experience working on cars and fabricating things over the past four years, so I went out in the garage this evening, took it all apart, asked myself "why I did it the way I did", and have started to redo it. This time I am using the same material for the adapter plate (2" wide by 1/8" flat stock) and I'm bending it to fit like the base of the stock shifter. This will allow the rear of the shifter to sit down further. I'm expecting it to turn out much better than the first time I did it.

As for the gear indicator, 4 years ago I covered the area with some sheet metal, added some LEDs to indicate if my e-fans were running, a couple of toggle switches, and called it done. I didn't really need the gear indicator because I know which gear I'm in. However... just this past winter I decided I would clean up that area of the console and make it functional, so I made a plate out of sheet metal, installed 7 LEDs, and wired up the GSS-2000 from Dakota Digital which is a programmable position switch mounted to the trans pan and linkage that sends a signal to the LEDs indicating which gear you're in. I think its pretty neat.

I know pictures are worth a thousand words but all I have is one or two not so good pics of how I did it four years ago on my website. 77 vette interior

Thanks for making the post so I could think about what I had done and do it right this time. I'll try and take more pics. My car is a mess right now though! I've stripped it down to repaint it.

 

thanks for the reply. nice work on your car from what i could see from the pix. PM me with pix of the redo and the led lights if you can. thanks again.
ken