I’m mounting a Hurst 4-speed ratchet shifter to my 69 convertible and could use some insight. I put in a 700R4 Transmission and wanted to mount a Hurst 4-speed ratchet in there. I'm trying to figure out if the person who mounted it at the transmission shop did it correctly or just guessed. Picture 1 shows where the transmission shop decided to mount the shifter. According to the assembly diagrams it appears to me that the shifter is well behind the seam halfway in the middle of the Bell flare of the transmission tunnel. Picture 2 is where I would like to put it. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice. I'm not too worried about the Hurst shift cable in picture 3, it’s long enough to move rearward. Thanks in advance

 

Looks like he put it far enough forward for a bench seat car. Where you want to put it is close to where a factory floor shifter would be and thats where I would mount it for a bucket seat car.

 

Agree. I guess I left some details out. I do have bucket seats now. I have to put the seat all the way back for proper leg room. My arm is fully extended to use the shifter in its current position. I don't have a console so I'm not really sure where the factory floor shifter went precisely except for this assembly diagram so I think I'm going to put it where the shifter is depicted in picture 2 which is my interpretation of the assembly diagram. Thanks for your input. Hope I'm doing it right.

 

You may have to drill a new hole in the floor to loop the cable to reach the new shifter location. I don't see an issue with what your trying to do.

 

Just curious how user friendly the Vmatic 3 is? I had the TCI Fastgate, a PIA to use daily. Isn't that shifter a combo of a ratchet and gate shifter? As long as the cable will reach, it can go anywhere you want, just loop it in a nice arch and zip tie clear of exhaust or moving parts.

 

Thanks for all of your input. I learned the hard way a couple times. First time the shop that installed it didn't clear the exhaust and the cable melted. The second time the cable kinked somehow and sheared internally near the exit hole. This is the third cable but I haven't really used it much since I've been tearing different pieces apart all the time. When it works it works well. Just need to think through cable placement.

 

Oops forgot to answer. It can be used as a ratchet shifter and regular floor shifter from like a 1980 olds. You pull up on the plunger and just shift it vertically to what ever gear you want.

 

I guess I should have used the words "shift it forward or backward to the gear position you want"

 

It sounds like a good floor shifter.

 

When I installed my console and pro-matic ratchet shifter, I used the assembly manual like you are referencing to roughly place the console brackets and shifter, then sat in the car and adjusted them to my liking. Like it’s been said, you will need to drill a new hole for the shifter cable but it’s no big deal.

 

Thanks for the scoop