I've got a 65 Jetstar 88 that I'm goin to put a four speed manual trans in and I was wondering if the pedals from a 65 impala or chevelle would fit in the Jetstar88? If not,which Olds pedals would fit? Thanks,Curt

 

Hate to tell you this but there are NO other GM cars that use the same pedals as Olds. Standard shift was very rare in Oldsmobiles from the mid 60's and up. Without the correct pedals and Olds only Z bar it will be difficult to build a 4spd B body.

 

Perhaps it is something you can manufacture yourself? Or are there universal/aftermarket parts that you could modify to your application? I'm just taking a shot in the dark. I don't know much about manual transmissions.

 

you could buy aftermarket pedals, with a hydraulic clutch setup, easiest would be just install a clutch pedal only and keep your brake setup. mount a slave cylinder to the trans, no z bar just a hydraulic line all it takes is money

 

True but you would really have to want it bad and be willing to deal with headaches. The brake pedal would be in the way as it is more centered and larger than a standard shift one. Any aftermarket stuff would need custom fitting. A hydraulic throw out and pedal assembly would be rather expensive. A longshaft trans would be needed and this is what was used by GM in these cars. Driveshaft yoke would need to be had and crank modified for pilot bushing. You would need to cut floor for shifter and boot.....it would be somewhat involved....

 

The long tail muncie 4spd was used on all 65-68 Pontiac full size cars with the 4 spd option and is the same trans as used in the 65-66 Olds 88 full size 4 spd cars. They were rather common on Pontiacs and they show up on ebay every once in a while.

Henry

 

Expensive as opposed to what? Finding the unobtanium original pedals? A hydraulic throwout bearing goes right over the input shaft. It's a bolt-on. The aftermarket pedal assemblies incorporate both brake and clutch, so the issue of the centered brake pedal is irrelevant.

Note that you can also get a second brake pedal, cut down the pedal pad surfaces on both, and head and bend them to fit. Fabricate your own attachment for a clutch master cylinder and you're good to go. I'm avoiding Z-bar linkages at all costs these days. The other option, which I'm using on my 62, is a cable clutch linkage. Late model Mustangs have them and they are easy to adapt.

 

Expensive as opposed to just forget it if you dont want to deal with the hassles and cost.

The brake and clutch pedals are not like A bodies in that they are a 3 sided channel and not a flat piece of steel. In my opinion very difficult to heat and bend without kinking. My response is based on the theory that the job is not as simple as some would suggest.

 

You might consider installing a manual valve body in your automatic transmission. This would give you full control over your automatic. I know it isn't the same as jamming gears in a manual, but the TH350 and TH400 are practically indestructible.

 

Simple is a relative term. Personally I think pulling an engine is simple. Many others do not. I have the same problem with my 64, which I also plan to convert to a manual trans. Aftermarket pedals aren't that hard if one has some fabricating skills. Adapting other pedals isn't that hard either. The pivot bolt is a pretty common diameter. Welding on new tabs or brackets for the pushrods is "simple" is one is conversant with an arc welder. It comes down to how comfortable one is with fabrication and whether or not one has access to the proper tools. Personally I enjoy fabricating over simply bolting something together. Others do not.

 

Well we dont really know the capabilities of those who post here for info, that's why more info given is the better. From the initial request the poster was looking for factory type parts which would be pretty straight forward for the conversion. I would assume also the poster thought it could be an easy thing to do with these items and not so costly.

 

I did a 4 speed conversion on a '65 Starfire some years back. I had ALL the required parts from an unsalvageable donor 4 speed car, also a '65 Starfire (including the floor hump area), which made things relatively easy. That donor car cost me $2K back in Y2K. It was essentially a bolt-in job, with the exception of some welding required for a fabricated z-bar pivot bracket on the driver's side framerail.

While finding a parts car with everything you need is unlikely, you might be able to find a 3 speed on the column car to donate the swing pedals and clutch linkage (the toughest parts, as it has already been pointed out that long-tail 4 speed transmissions can be sourced from big similar era big Pontiacs for example). Of course, these cars were also rare, yet they do pop up for sale from time to time.

Another alternative is to fabricate the parts. No small task, but I knew someone who did it based on plans supplied by a fellow Olds enthusiast, which I have attached below (sadly, these plans are incomplete and I cannot seem to find the original source). I've also included a pic of the '64 linkage I owned at one time, which is quite similar to the '65 setup and will at least give you a sense of what it looks like, should you happen across a set).

I guess ultimately its a matter of how BAD you want it. I doubt that the required fabrication work and parts sourcing would rank that high in the annals of hotrodding, but it may well be beyond the capability and budget of many.

All that said, I do know someone who did a 4 speed conversion on a '64 fullsize Buick using a hydraulic clutch setup as already mentioned previously as a possibility...I'm no Buick expert, but I'm sure its far from stock appearing. However it looked good to me, and apparently worked very well.

 

Thanks Fellas for all the info....Didn't mean to get anyone fired up,just thought I might get lucky and be able to get the stuff I need from an old Chevy or Pontiac........The auto trans works great but a 4speed would be more fun to me.Back in the day I hated to drive an automatic!

 

You should at least upgrade the internals in your automatic and install a shift kit in it. I'm sure you will be impressed in the improved shift points.

 

Just did a search for the terms "oldsmobile+dynamic+column"...amazing what's out there in terms of 60s Olds cars with manual transmissions:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/P-196...8?cmd=ViewItem

http://americandreamcars.com/1960old...82drht0308.htm
http://www.1960oldsmobile.com/?page_id=51