I know I'm not the first one to do this and I should have researched a little before I spent $600. BUT, has anyone completed a Dual Gate conversion on a stock 73-77 Cutlass console with the kit from the parts place. I'm hearing the cable is too long and the bracket is wrong for my 77 Salon. I don't mind the extra work as long as I have the right information on what to do. I was going to keep my original mint console and buy a used one that I can cut up. I would like to save the original parts in case someone or myself at a later time wants to put it back as new. I am the original owner. What am I getting into and where can I get the parts necessary to install this properly? Any help is appreciated. Rusty

 

I have done the conversion, however I didn't acquire another console. Noticed decent used ones on ebay run $150 and up, then depending on color...

Parts Place's dual gate shifter - doesn't come with the correct base brackets for the trans hump, nor a correct shift cable.

Shift cable you can call Rock Auto and tell them what you are doing as I did and acquire one for around $80 if I remember right.

Shiter brackets - I acquired them from Ron's Classic Cutlass in Montecello IN. 574 583 9763. He is a one man operation, so he may or may not answer and can be slow to return call.

I will look in my binder to see if I have the copied pages for the console modification, wasn't to bad using a small die grinder and mini cut off wheel. These consoles are brittle, be careful.

Trans hump brackets I bought from Ron worked great, may have to adjust one scew hole. Massage the trans hump hole, and modify a little the transmission cable bracket on the transmission. Then adjust the pin on the transmission bar so that the shifts align with the plate.

I may have had to widen the hole on the shift cable - trans side for it to reach. As did the other forrums member. Has made it locking into park a bit interesting. May have to weld a small washer in place on either side. Would recommend making all the adjustments to cable, the trans bracket, and that set bolt on trans lever before battening it all up.

 

There's no need for that as the bottom side of the console has molded in lines where it is to be cut to widen the hole for the Dual Gate. As said, cut slowly with a low RPM tool as otherwise the plastic will melt instead of cut cleanly.

 

There are no molded lines on a 73-77 console. I used a dremel and worked slowly but only had to make a few cuts as the console I got with the dual gate had been hacked up, none to carefully to get the dual gate to fit and a couple of needed pieces of plastic had been removed. I made a small metal bracket to mount the front of the dual gate top plate that screws to the front top of the shifter. Got the cable from SuperCars Unlimited. I still need to make a slight adjustment to get it perfect but I didn't want to chop on the floor board and it is so close to perfect. I plan to pull the dual gate to recolor the console and attempt to get it better adjusted, I'll get some pictures, but it may be a couple of weeks.
I too saved my original console and have a couple others I got years ago in the wrecking yard for cheap, planning ahead for the dual gate. Also I have another dual gate from a 75 H/O with the correct mounting bracket sitting in the garage if you need some pictures of that. There was a member on the 73-77 Olds website who owns one of the 76 H/O proposal cars and he had some of these brackets made for the 73-77 consoles but that was in 08 or 09 and he hasn't been active on that site in nearly as long. He had a blueprint of the bracket posted but it was lost when the site lost all picture attachments.

 

Doh! I live in the 70-72 world and read right over the year. Thanks for educating me.

 

I found, on ebay, a complete used stock console and a new reproduction mounting bracket for a dual gate in the 73-77 Olds. It is one piece and rolls from the front to back. I did see a drawing of it on one of the web sites for the 75 H/O. This one looks correct. It doesn't come with any holes drilled through the bottom to mount to the tunnel. And I know I will have to drill those. I know that this alignment is critical for the shifter to fit through the dual gate cover plate once it is mounted in the top of the console. I still have to paint the console Firethorn Red to match the interior. I know I will still need to replace the 48" long sleeve cable that came with the kit that I bought. I'll check with the places that were mentioned.

Has anyone figured out a way to install the light from the console to light the indicator bar on the cover plate. I've seen light bezals that were for the Camaro and Firebird that are reused on the Dual Gate for those conversions but haven't found anything on the Olds.

I appreciate the help from everyone so far. Any photos of any ones installation would be great. I'll be taking my time with the installation. I just want it to look as if it came with it.