Floor shift automatic

[rkapteyn]

Has anyone installed a 1963/64 Hawk floor shifter on a Flightomatic?
Normally these cars used Powershifts.
The shift pattern is different.
Are there plastic shift indicators available for the old shift pattern?
What linkages will fit?
Bob Kapteyn
studebaker@mac.com

[Rerun]

I have never seen a floor shift indicator with the FOM pattern. I'm sure that one could be fabricated, but that would take some work.

Another consideration is that the "operating lever" is different with the floor shift. This is the part to which the selector rod connects. Changing this lever would require disassembly of the transmission.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

[JLasvegas]

there is a salt flat lookalike car on ebay and the seller describes the very thing your talking about, he claims a floorshift FOM trans


1964 Daytona Wagonaire
259cid flight o matic

[Rerun]

Another consideration would be the "reverse lockout". On the column shift, you must pull the lever back and down to get into reverse. This is intended to prevent shifting into reverse accidentally. On the floor shift, there is a similar lock-out that requires you to push the button on top of the shifter to go into reverse. Unfortunately, this lockout on the floor shift would keep you from going into neutral, not reverse, since the FOM is PNDLR and the floor shift is PRND21. There would be no reverse protection using the floor shift linkage on a FOM.

Have you considered swapping out the FOM for a Powershift? Better yet, how about a GM automatic with overdrive?

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

[Kurt]

To get a floorshift on my Fligtomatic I used a Hurst Indymatic shifter I bought off Ebay. It works, but has no reverse lockout, nuetral safety switch, and the lever works backwards. RLDNP. Observations are that all of these problems can be overcome with modifications. This is how it works "Out of the box" If I had it to do over again, I think I would start with a Chevy Power Glide floor shifter and modify the detent plate and the nuetral safety switch.