Hurst Ram Rod in 2nd Gen F Body

[MECTransAm]

Does anybody have any photos of the Hurst Ram Rod installed in a second Gen F body..i have a 70 Trans Am That i'm considering installing one in,but....i don't want to brutally hack the floor and was wondering if the rods clear the tunnel and if so...how big a hole and any problems with hitting the dash in 3rd gear?Thanks, Mike C.

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Go for it!!!

Ryan

[njsteve]

You will have to drastically cut up and remove the side of the tunnel for the rods to fit. I did it to my 1st Gen Camaro back in high school and it took a ton of hacksawing and prying to get the shifter to fit and not bind against the side of the tunnel. In addition, the shifter itself comes out of the floor in a totally different area than the stock opening so you will be sawing that area away as well and then you'll have to cover the old shifter hole. The second gen is not much different than the first gen in this matter.

The shifter tower does not move more than a couple inches fore and aft (no side to side movement) so there is no way it will get any where near your dashboard during operation.

I remember my shifter fondly (other than the hacking up of the car) as it was really cool and a great anti-theft device since no one else knew how to operate it.

Look at the photo of the green Chevelle installation here to get a sample of how much has to be removed: http://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=147921&page=2

[big gear head]

I put one in my '69 Camaro and I didn't cut the floor as much as some people did. I cut the hole larger for the shifter to fit, but I didn't cut the side of the tunnel for the rods. I hammered the side of the tunnel so the rods would clear. I didn't have to hammer on it much and you can't really tell that I did it. I have a big block cross member in my car which moves the transmission to the right about 1/2 inch, so that might be what made the difference.

[MECTransAm]

appreciate all the feedback,However the Green Chevelle in the V gate thread is exactly that, a V Gate , Not a Ram Rod , which sure looks like it would take up alot more space....i've never had the v Gate, had a Ram Rod Years ago...so i don't know...any more thoughts on the space required for the Ram Rod is greatly appreciated!!!! Thank you all!!!

[big gear head]

Mine was the Hurst shifter, not the Mr. Gasket.

[njsteve]

appreciate all the feedback,However the Green Chevelle in the V gate thread is exactly that, a V Gate , Not a Ram Rod , which sure looks like it would take up alot more space....i've never had the v Gate, had a Ram Rod Years ago...so i don't know...any more thoughts on the space required for the Ram Rod is greatly appreciated!!!! Thank you all!!!

This is the exact shifter I had in my Camaro. The Ram Rod was the Hurst "street" version of a vertical gate shifter. It only move forward and back. To engage first you pull the finger grip handle up and push it forward. Second is a direct yank back. Third you push forward and the spring drops it into the lower gate, and for forth you pull back. The separate handle activates reverse once the shifter is placed in the center neutral position.

The reason these contraptions require so much metal carnage is that the rods are completely straight from the transmission levers on the side cover to the shifter mechanism. As a result, the shifter is mounted far left of the factory position. All I can tell is that from experience I had to cut a lot to make it clear everything.

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

To confuse things further:-) my A body had a Street Super shifter with straight rods but no tunnel cutting.

Ryan

[MECTransAm]

Hey Ryan 1969 Chevelle, would you happen to have any photos? they probably mount very similar...

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Hey Ryan 1969 Chevelle, would you happen to have any photos? they probably mount very similar...

Yup, I will find some pictures.

The gate/body is mounted higher and closer to the driver so the rods are straight. This one is a push down for reverse model :-)

Ryan

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Al only cut the “hump” (the piece welded over the factory torch cut hole) and banged some areas for more room.

This is a 1969 Cutlass so the “hump” is low profile.

Ryan

[MECTransAm]

yes,i presently have that shifter ,but i'm using competition plus linkage and mounting bracket,,i like the push down reverse,...i'm thinking i might not have to cut the tunnel just cut for the shifter,but all these floorpans are different... and another dilemma..Finding a boot...without taking out a loan..lol.....Hey Big Gear Head...Do you have any photos????

[big gear head]

I'll have to dig through some boxes and see if I have anything. I haven't had those old pictures out in a while.

[MECTransAm]

If you get time ,that would be great,big gear head and Ryan1969 chevelle ,that 69 cutlass looks like it was originally a Manual Trans ,would that be correct?

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

If you get time ,that would be great,big gear head and Ryan1969 chevelle ,that 69 cutlass looks like it was originally a Manual Trans ,would that be correct?

Yup 4 Speed W31 :-)

I am installing an original hump but it will bolt in, this way I can bolt in a different hump for performance shifter later.

Ryan

[MECTransAm]

Hey Ryan 1969 chevelle ,is that the cutlass in the photo you are referring to?and...is that in the barn find section of MCACN?

[njsteve]

The Super Shifter that Ryan has in his car is the one that my brother had in his 69 SS396 Camaro back in 1979. His had the Super Shifter III with the extra reverse lockout lever that you had to pull up to allow the shifter to go into reverse. If I recall he did not have to do much of any hacking to get it to fit other than enlarging the actual opening in the hump for the shifter handle to come up through.

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Hey Ryan 1969 chevelle ,is that the cutlass in the photo you are referring to?and...is that in the barn find section of MCACN?

Absolutely!!!

http://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=131025&page=265

Ryan

[big gear head]

If you get time ,that would be great,big gear head and Ryan1969 chevelle ,that 69 cutlass looks like it was originally a Manual Trans ,would that be correct?

It didn't take long to find the picture. I made a cover to go around part of it to cover the original shifter hole. The part that isn't covered was going to be more difficult, so I just left it. The carpet covers it up. I didn't leave this in the car for long. I replaced it with a Super Shifter like the one that Ryan has in his car. I made another plate to fit around it. Last month I bought a Super Shifter III like the one that njsteve has pictured above. I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to have to make more modifications to get it to fit in the car and how I'm going to fit a boot over it.

[MECTransAm]

ok Big Gear Head,so you are actually going to install the Super Shifter 3 for good, care to tell me why you didn't leave it in the car very long...pain downshifting??? ..i like the cover you made for it..thank you for the photo..greatly appreciate it...

[big gear head]

My car started out pretty much all street, and I thought I would get tired of pulling up on the T every time I down shifted, so I changed it. Now I'm starting to drag race some and I want the reverse lock out of the Super Shifter III. I still have the Ram Rod and some day I may put it back in.