Transmission / Overdrive: New Shifter for Our '64 Hardtop

[t1003nl]

I finally got tired of the vague shifting on our 4 speed trans so I decided to upgrade the factory shifter to a Hurst Competition Plus. The Comp Plus shifts great but I really didn't like how it looked with the rest of the stock interior. I spent this weekend grafting the lever off the stock shifter onto the Hurst shifter. It came out pretty nice. The ball is about an inch or so higher but it looks stock and it allows me to keep the stock boot and trim ring. Now it shifts great and looks great. It is amazing how much better the Hurst shifter feels.

Now I need to hunt down a twin trac unit for the Dana 44. Always another project.

[BRUCESTUDE]

Nice work, Neil! I too, am ready to get a Hurst unit as the stock one always seems to need adjusting or repair. How does it shift now compared to before??? Inquiring minds want to know....and I need a project for this winter!

[nwi-region-rat]

Neil, look for a dodge diplomat police car, they have a dana 44 with limited slip, 10x3 drums and a 5 on 5.5 pattern....

[sals54]

Ditto on the Hurst shifters. You'll never want to go back to the slushy shifting of the stock unit. I've had one on my 4 speed for decades. Still as crisp as the day I installed it.

[t1003nl]

Bruce,

The change from the stock shifter to the Hurst was huge. I had spent a lot of time welding and grinding on the stock shifter to minimize clearances but it didn't help much. I wanted to keep the stock look of the shifter lever so I found a Comp Plus unit that had a welded, one piece lever instead of the bolt on style. That let me graft on the stock lever a lot closer to the pivot point and it kept everything under the stock boot. There were too many times when I wasn't certain I was in gear using the stock shifter. There is no issue at all with the Hurst shifter. It is well worth the effort to put one in.

[cliffh]

Neil,
Do you have the Hurst part number for the shifter you used? Did you buy an installation kit with it? I was just going to order a Hurst shifter for my 63 GT Hawk with T-10 4-speed when I saw this post. I like the idea of keeping it stock looking.
Thanks,
Cliff

[jlmccuan]

Neil, look for a dodge diplomat police car, they have a dana 44 with limited slip, 10x3 drums and a 5 on 5.5 pattern....

I thought the MOPAR pattern for the Diplomat platform was 5 on 4.5", same as the Studebaker.

[BobPalma]

Man, that is nice work. BP

[SN-60]

Those Hurst shifters really are 'top shelf'....and I really like the look of the stock shift lever!

[t1003nl]

Cliff,

Attached is a great article on Hurst Competition Plus shifters from Turning Wheels. It has numbers for kits with the bolt on shifter lever. I was worried I wouldn't be able to weld on the stock lever low enough to one of these to fit everything under the stock shifter boot. So I used the interchange listed to find a used shifter that had a one piece shifter lever. I cut the Hurst lever off below floor level and ground a notch into it to nest the Studebaker lever. I tack welded it together and made small adjustments until it fit nicely. I don't doubt the bolt on style could be modified but the one piece lever was easy to work with.

[nwi-region-rat]

I thought the MOPAR pattern for the Diplomat platform was 5 on 4.5", same as the Studebaker.

It is, my mistake...sorry.

[cliffh]

Cliff,

So I used the interchange listed to find a used shifter that had a one piece shifter lever.

Neil,
I've new at working with these shifters and don't know how to identify them. Can you help? I can't find an interchange to help identify the used shifters I see on eBay. There are lots of shifters listed but the sellers usually don't list what car/transmission they fit. The only identifiable used (or new) ones that I see with a welded on stick say they are for a 65-69 Mustang.
Cliff

[BRUCESTUDE]

Bruce,

The change from the stock shifter to the Hurst was huge. I had spent a lot of time welding and grinding on the stock shifter to minimize clearances but it didn't help much. I wanted to keep the stock look of the shifter lever so I found a Comp Plus unit that had a welded, one piece lever instead of the bolt on style. That let me graft on the stock lever a lot closer to the pivot point and it kept everything under the stock boot. There were too many times when I wasn't certain I was in gear using the stock shifter. There is no issue at all with the Hurst shifter. It is well worth the effort to put one in.

Thanks for the info., Neil. I found the shifter and install kit at the Summit website, looks like around $425 for those parts now. I will put it on my winter-time list of projects! (The shifter is part #391-7308, and the install kit is #373-4734.)

[t1003nl]

Cliff,

Here's what I know. The one i bought was listed for a Chevy pass car '60 - '63 or Pontiac Grand Prix '62-'64. Look where the shifter adapter bolts to the tail housing. There are different 3 bolt patterns, a front one and a rear. You want a shifter that attaches to the front 3 bolts as shown below. The kit and individual lever part numbers are listed below. Let me know if you are interested in how I notched the Hurst piece to accept the Stude lever and I'll post some more detail photos. Hope this helps.




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[cliffh]

Neil,
Thanks for the info. I found a few on eBay that look like this one but the sellers don't seem to know what they fit or have any part numbers. Will keep looking.
Cliff