Is my 69 Hurst shifter mech useable in a 70?

[19bee70]

Happy Superbowl Sunday!
Gents and ladies.....I unpacked some old parts to recondition and I have what appears to be a 1969 b Body shifter (by virtue of the levers attached) that is supposed to go into a 70 Superbee. Is this possible? The mechanism does have the slot for the pistol grip shifter to slide into. This is a NON console car. The mechanism also has the rods and shift levers that attach to the 833. Its a really nice piece as far as that goes. Can I drop it in and use it or am I absolutely gonna have to have the 70 shifter AND rods?

 

[Sam69sat]

It will work. Only question is whether you'll smash your knuckles on the dash. Some say you won't, other say you will. Might also depend on which shifter handle you use.

 

[19bee70]

Hey Sam...thank you for the input. Well, it is the long arm, chromed, pistol grip for a bench seat.....if that helps with personal experience!

 

[Sam69sat]

Hey Sam...thank you for the input. Well, it is the long arm, chromed, pistol grip for a bench seat.....if that helps with personal experience!

Wish i could help but i haven't tried it. I think there are some posts on the subject you may be able to find with the search function.

 

[moparedtn]

I've got a Hurst Competition Plus shifter in Fred the GTX (1968) non-console and it works great.
Knuckles nowhere near the dash.
Point is...A833's don't change between those years (other than the addition of the e-body shifter
mounting points on the trans from 70-up); neither did the floors in the cars.

Is your 4 speed "hump" located correctly in the floor? Are the engine/trans using the stock mount locations?
That's all that determines where the shifter winds up in the car - and if a shifter worked in a '69,
it'll work in a '70.

(This is mine in 1st gear - '68 GTX - right after I bought it a dozen years ago. Raggedy-assed shifter boot is gone
now. That was on a 23-spline out of a '70 e-body but utilizing the front shofter mount on the trans; same location as
the only shifter mount on a pre-70 b-body).

 

[hunt2elk]

Is your shifter the 69 bayonet style or the 70 style with 2 bolts. As far as I know, all pistol grip handles had the 2 bolt holes.

 

[19bee70]

I've got a Hurst Competition Plus shifter in Fred the GTX (1968) non-console and it works great.
Knuckles nowhere near the dash.
Point is...A833's don't change between those years (other than the addition of the e-body shifter
mounting points on the trans from 70-up); neither did the floors in the cars.

Is your 4 speed "hump" located correctly in the floor? Are the engine/trans using the stock mount locations?
That's all that determines where the shifter winds up in the car - and if a shifter worked in a '69,
it'll work in a '70.

View attachment 1417675
(This is mine in 1st gear - '68 GTX - right after I bought it a dozen years ago. Raggedy-assed shifter boot is gone
now. That was on a 23-spline out of a '70 e-body but utilizing the front shofter mount on the trans; same location as
the only shifter mount on a pre-70 b-body).

Hi MoparEd,
Truth be told....the floor was replaced but the hump was not replaced. I left the tunnel and the original hole right where the factory had it. The trans is supposed to be the original but the stampings are right on top of each other. I can't really read them! Either way, the tailshaft housing does have both mounts, so it's probably a 70. It's good to know that I can use it but I do have one additional question. It appears thru the Brewers website that the "fingers" and I know they have a tehnical name but I can't think of it right now.....are marked 7122/7123/7124 for the 1970 application and mine are not! Mines, again, has the 1968-69 "fingers" which are a little shorter. Do these need to be changed out for the 1970 specific ones?

 

[19bee70]

Is your shifter the 69 bayonet style or the 70 style with 2 bolts. As far as I know, all pistol grip handles had the 2 bolt holes.

Hi Hunt...actually, it's the blade style handle with the snap/click into place attachment. Mine has no bolts to attach the handle to the mechanism. Does this style make it more unlikely that mine is a 69 since I already know it can't be a 70 based on the attachment levers in the mechanism?

 

[Sam69sat]

I'm pretty sure the 70 pistol grip shifters came in both bayonet and bolt in styles. I have an original pistol grip that's bayonet style. I've also seen 70 shift mechanisms with both bayonet and bolt in styles.

 

[Dipstick]

The '70 B-body shifter (on right) has longer levers than the '68-'69 (on left) which shortens the throw. Knuckles in the dash is a possibility when using the earlier shifter in a '70.

 

[hunt2elk]

I'm pretty sure the 70 pistol grip shifters came in both bayonet and bolt in styles. I have an original pistol grip that's bayonet style. I've also seen 70 shift mechanisms with both bayonet and bolt in styles.

Thanks, wasn't aware of that. Every pistol grip handle I have seen or had has been the bolt in style. I don't mess much with 70 stuff though, I have always had 69's. I did put a pistol grip in my 70 Duster and bought the shifter and handle from Brewers. They were bolt in, but I think all after market pistol grips are.

 

[moparedtn]

The '70 B-body shifter (on right) has longer levers than the '68-'69 (on left) which shortens the throw. Knuckles in the dash is a possibility when using the earlier shifter in a '70.

View attachment 1417747

Thank you for clarifying that on the "factory" Hursts!
Since mine is aftermarket, I had no idea and therefore should have hushed...

 

[19bee70]

I agree....there's a point where some facts and references are needed and there's those times when practical applications demonstrate that sometimes....exceptions do work. I like all the info! Thank you guys!

 

[moparedtn]

I wish I had the skill to make up a pistol grip that fit my shifter as is - you know, threaded down on the
stem at top or sandwiched around the top or some such.
Yes, I know there's replacement handles - that cost more than I ever paid for a new entire shifter, I
might add - but I think somebody could make a few bucks if they came up with a "retro-handle".

 

[moparedtn]

The '70 B-body shifter (on right) has longer levers than the '68-'69 (on left) which shortens the throw. Knuckles in the dash is a possibility when using the earlier shifter in a '70.

View attachment 1417747

I had a look at the current Competition Plus shifters being sold by Hurst for Mopar just for fun...
There's two offerings (what is a "New Process 422"??) and looking one up for both a '68 and
a '70 shows the exact same shifter for either - and they both appear as the one on the left in
Dipsticks' pic does, with the shorter "legs".
That's what mine has as well (remember, bought new a dozen years ago).

 

[Dipstick]

I had a look at the current Competition Plus shifters being sold by Hurst for Mopar just for fun...
There's two offerings (what is a "New Process 422"??) and looking one up for both a '68 and
a '70 shows the exact same shifter for either - and they both appear as the one on the left in
Dipsticks' pic does, with the shorter "legs".
That's what mine has as well (remember, bought new a dozen years ago).

Which begs the question, are the levers on the transmission longer or shorter than the factory? This would also affect the throw.

 

[19bee70]

This might help...here's the shifter in question.

 

[moparedtn]

Which begs the question, are the levers on the transmission longer or shorter than the factory? This would also affect the throw.

According to Brewer's, the 70 shifter incorporates the longer shift fingers to compensate for increased height of the pistol grip.
AHA!
That would explain the use of the same rods and levers as prior years, eh?

 

[19bee70]

Yeh, I think so. As much as I can see and having emailed with ShifterDoc, those mechanism levers are critical in NOT bashing your knuckles!