74 Slap stic shifter Ball shifter to T handle easy swap out?

Wondering IF a car say a 74 Road Runner that has the simulated wood ball shifter, How hard or easy is it to switch it over to the T handle shifter? Is it a matter of removing it and replacing with the other?

The stalks are different so it's not a simple change of the ball to handle.

Red

from my old memory, the ball shifters were round, while the t-handle shifters were either a rectangular stalk, or a round one that was a smaller diameter than the ball knob shifter. years ago, i machined a small, round, push button shifter knob to replace the cracked t-handle on my brother's sattelite/roadrunner from 1" [or so] round aluminum stock. worked as good, or better, than the t-handle, and looked good as well. it was a simple, two piece deal with a spring and retaining set screw. super easy to make. when the car was scrapped, i kept the knob. it resides in the "mess" somewhere.......

Your 74 came with the round knob from the factory. They went back to the round knob since the T handles were prone to cracking.

The entire mechanism is different. The round knob shifters use a round shaft. The T handles use rectangular shaft.(with rounded ends) The plastic shifter slide is also different. It matches the shaft shape.(round for ball shifters and rectangular for T handles)

I've heard the 74's were about half and half on the shifters. But maybe that was just e-bodies. T-handles are horrible. Don't swap unless you have to is my two cents.

Exactly.

Just a note on T-handles. I have several of them: one NOS Mopar replacement, a much taped up one that came with the car and an aftermarket reproduction.
The replacement and the original are identical in construction.
The aftermarket repop is remarkably stouter using much thicker plastic in the base of the handle where the cracks usually start. It still fits in the shifter slot but has not shown any evidence of wanting to fail. May be the only repop that came out better than the original.
Craig

The repro doesn't have a quality chrome and the relesase button spring, thats all. But original pieces ( spring and button/bezel ) fits on the repro handle the same. BTDT.

I guess it's like blonds or brunettes, personally I like the T handle much better.

Blonde or brunette, when it throws my car into reverse at 50 miles per hour because I slap it too hard... it gots to go.

I went with the redhead option and put a mopar auto grip in mine. Never skipped a gate since. That's the pistol grip style shifter made by quapman on this board.

I do see that classic industries says their T-handle is supposed to be engineered better than the originals, so I may give one a try again someday.

When I said it's a simple job I meant just that, but no where did I say you just take off t-handle and install ball type. You have to change the shifter mech. which is held in with 4 bolts.
Ron

I got the repro t handle and I'm REALLY satisfied with it! Perfect piece. You can't tell which on is original and which one not. Except for the chrome pieces, the handle itself is quite perfect.

After couple of years my repro T handle Chromed pieces were already with chrome gone by friction. I DRIVE my car daily. Is just like it somehow over sprayed paint, instead a chromed thick layer like the original one. I found a broken T handle locally with perfect chromed pieces and installed them. Also installed the preload button which repro didn't got.


Aaand about which one I likes more... T handle is the best looking one to me on an auto setup. I don't like the others on an auto floor console.