Recurving a 4 speed shaft

A buddy of mine made a purchase about 2 months ago. Bought a 72 Roadrunner off eBay...it arrived here and he is having a hell of a time driving it. Its a 440 4 speed with an air grabber. He is a big boy. About 6'2 and 350 lbs...He complains he cant shift into gears correctly because his legs get in the way of the shifter.

I told him to bring it by this week and have a look. I am going to relocate his seat mechanism back about 6 inches, weld in some steel square tubing and plant it back down...Afterwards...I want to remove his shifter and get a 5/16" rebar...curve it around his leg and where he can still grab the shifter ball comfortably. I'll take the rebar then and heat up some 1/2" steel rod and bend it up with the rebar template....attach it back into place...and if he likes it and can use it correctly...then I will send it out for a chrome finish and figure out the ball assembly on the end..

Am I going about this correctly though? I have never done such a thing but he knows I am the most qualified in the area to tackle this feat.

Sounds like the right approach. Some of these cars (even the bigger ones) are a tough fit for big people. I get a kick out Shaq in the Buick commercial as he looks very uncomfortable with his knees in his face, etc.

Is the shifter in the bench seat location or bucket seat location.If bench seat get a bucket seat hump and everything to move the shifter to the back of the transmission.

I know the car has buckets but it is unknown to me which of the two locations it is installed at...I didn't know there was a difference really. Never owned an old school manual.

The bench seat and bucket seat with a buddy seat or fold down arm rest has the shifter all the up at the dash so the seat can go back and forth and clear. The bucket seat with a console the shifter is way back like an E body car. And the tail shaft housing will have two shifter mounts also,if its a late model trans. one forward and one almost at the end.So that means that the humps are also different. If its in the forward location, he can buy the other hump and swap them. Move the shifter and buy the longer shift rods, and then there will be a lot more room.

Took a picture of the shifter today...I havent touched it yet. I am going to relocate his seat back 6" and then we will go from there. Which version is this?

Is this how they actually came because that looks alot like a hacked up automatic console

That looks like an E-body pistol grip to me. I am sure others will chime in. The b-body bench seat ones are taller and move to the right about 2-3 inches. FWIW attached is a pic of a 71-74 B-Body Bench seat handle in my A-body

Quote:

---

Took a picture of the shifter today...I havent touched it yet. I am going to relocate his seat back 6" and then we will go from there. Which version is this?

Is this how they actually came because that looks alot like a hacked up automatic console

---

FWIW, The console top plate shown is a 4-speed top plate, not an automatic.