Shifter replacement

[Montie Henderson]

I’ve been looking into replacing my Ford automatic “T” shifter handle.  Has anyone removed one of these yet?   Am I in for anything going “”SPOING”” when I pull it off?  There has to be some sort of spring in there.  The Mustang site says to set the brake, loosen the screw, push the button put it into lowest position (D1) and pull the handle off.  I just don’t want a bunch of spring loaded parts flying out unexpectly. 

[Dan Rosa]

Montie ,it has been a long time ago but i do not remember any trouble or springs ,just a plastic thing in the shifter and it all stayed together and I changed the handle. Dan

[Rob Baker]

Montie I’m interested in your T shifter handle replacement project.  Some of those after market replacements can be expensive but would be a very nice change to our Ford based cars.

[Montie Henderson]

Well after searching about every web site and parts store around I finally found out I can’t use any of the so called universal top button style shifter knob.  I did fine a guy that makes some really nice custom wood knobs, but waaay too rich for my budget and he ONLY make them for screw on style standard shifters 3,4,5,6 speeds.  Sooooo I decided to make my own…

Using the old T handle as a model, I didn’t want to use the parts from it (I may have to got back to it sometime).  I started with a piece of birch I found while on a hike, a few pieces of copper tubing left over from a plumming repair, a 1″ belt sander and about ???? hours of sanding, cutting, filing, drilling etc.  I didn’t plan out the shape it’s just how the piece of wood came out.   Now remember guys I am a driver for Fed Ex, not a machinist or cabinet maker, so some of this may look well, a little crude.  Theres about 10 pictures starting with the stock T to the almost done knob.   If I can figure out how to put all of them on here.  If not they will be in my gallery.    

[ray10]

Montie if you get tired of being a fed-ex driver you might want to take up wood working.

Very nice  

Now can you make one for a chevy …… just kidding

                         Happy halloween every one

TDREPLICA Map

http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=7f9174ad614e43b680deba085b0abf48

[Larry Murphy]

 Montie, I’m with Ray10. Looks great and definitely one of a kind. Best of all, you made it yourself from something that was already special to begin with. There are somethings that money can’t buy.

[Dan Rosa]

 Looks Good  Dan

[edward ericson]

Montie: Great job! This is why I love this hobby–duffers like us can just, ya know, try stuff. And more often then not, the result is something to be proud of. Very cool.

[Bill Gould]

Unique, and truly excellent! I like the shift boot, too.

1981 Lafer TI
1600 cc Type 1 engine

[Dennis Brock]

Lends a little class to being “shiftless”!

[Montie Henderson]

dbrock, maybe a little shifty too. 

 I have to make another one now.  One of the guys at work has a 65 Nova with has a 4 speed all I have to do is put a sleeve inside and a place for set screws at the base.  This one should be cake, no engineering a button to push.  Now I’m glad I grabbed several pieces of wood to play with.      

[Rob Baker]

Montie very well done about 3 dollors in material cost and probably about 300 dollors of labor but you had fun and have something you should be very proud to own.

[Author]

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