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Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter #2656324
05/17/19 05:00 PM
05/17/19 05:00 PM
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Spahn Ranch
RMCHRGR Offline OP
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I'm converting my Coronet from column shift auto to floor shift manual and am ready to cut the hole in the floor for the shifter. How much of the area under the hump is supposed to be cut out?

I laid the hump down on the tunnel to check fit and it basically only goes in one spot - check. I traced around the outside of the hump then removed it then drew another line about an inch inward for a flange - check. Does everything inside that flange/margin get cut away or can I get away with cutting less?

BTW, I plan to drill some locating holes up through the floor to prevent cutting the cross member.

Thanks for any input.


'71 Duster
'17 Ram 1500
Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: RMCHRGR] #2656345
05/17/19 05:41 PM
05/17/19 05:41 PM
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topside Offline
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That's about right.
Access to the shifter tower is pretty tight, so the more room you make in the hump area the better.
Before you secure the hump, mock up the shifter & check travel including the lever.
Had an early-B that was really tight in 2nd & 4th, had to nudge the hump rearward from its happiest spot for proper clearance.

Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: RMCHRGR] #2656352
05/17/19 06:01 PM
05/17/19 06:01 PM
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Rio Linda, CA
John_Kunkel Offline
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If you want to duplicate the factory cutout you'll need an axe and a hand grenade. laugh2


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Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: John_Kunkel] #2656356
05/17/19 06:19 PM
05/17/19 06:19 PM
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Stanton Offline
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If you want to duplicate the factory cutout you'll need an axe and a hand grenade.


an' he ain't lyin' !!!

Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: Stanton] #2656361
05/17/19 06:48 PM
05/17/19 06:48 PM
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This is what I got. I’m cutting everything out within the inner line. Disregard the other scribble there.

1200C938-279B-4CC1-A14E-EC14C86F7A51.jpeg

'71 Duster
'17 Ram 1500
Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: RMCHRGR] #2656365
05/17/19 07:08 PM
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Sniper Offline
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That's what I did on my last 4 speed conversion

Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: Sniper] #2656408
05/17/19 10:20 PM
05/17/19 10:20 PM
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topside Offline
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Maybe I've been lucky, but none of my 68-69 cars had crudely cut openings, and the 2 most recent that I can recall clearly look like a punched hole.
I did once have a '69 Camaro whose shifter hole was cut open with a torch, unlike a later '73...

I'd recommend that the inside corners be drilled with a hole saw, which will give a nicer contour.
Use different sizes depending on the curve you need.

Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: topside] #2656565
05/18/19 01:22 PM
05/18/19 01:22 PM
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charge70 Offline
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The hole under the 4 speed hump in my 70 Charger looks like it was done with a hammer and chisel.I actually had someone tell me he thought that the car was a converted 4 speed because it was done so crudely,fender tag says otherwise.


1970 Dodge Charger R/T S.E. 1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440 M-Code 1970 Dodge Charger 500 383/4-speed w/A.C.
Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: charge70] #2656568
05/18/19 01:26 PM
05/18/19 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by charge70
The hole under the 4 speed hump in my 70 Charger looks like it was done with a hammer and chisel.I actually had someone tell me he thought that the car was a converted 4 speed because it was done so crudely,fender tag says otherwise.
Both factory 4-speed 64 Sport Furys I've owned were the same way. When I converted my most recent auto SF to 4-speed I made a much cleaner cut, and after welding the hump in I peened the underside of the floor pan to the bottom of the hump. Much neater, but not stock.


'64 Sport Fury, 528 Hemi, FiTech EFI, 4-speed, 4.10 Dana 60
'57 Belvedere 2dr sedan, current project in process
'19 Cherokee Trail Hawk Elite
'03 Ram 2500 CTD HO, 6-speed 214,000 miles and still going strong
Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: HemiSportFury] #2657028
05/19/19 09:22 PM
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Cut the shifter hole today. Started out by drilling a series of small holes along the cross member flange from below to indicate where it was. That was helpful because if I relied on the lines I drew on the floor I would have ended up cutting a big chunk out of it. I drilled a few more indicator holes along the perimeter of the hole to "connect the dots' when I was making longer cuts through the floor. After the cutting I ground down the edges and like mentioned above rolled the sharp edges down with a body hammer.

Also spent some time working the hump flange with the body hammer to get it nice and tight to the floor contours. Not sure if I'm going to do what HemiSportFury suggested and hammer the overlap to the inside of the hump, no one will ever see it. I can understand why you might want to do it though, hard to leave that little extra material alone!

Not that it matters now but how's it look?

IMG_2410.JPGIMG_2409.JPGIMG_2412.JPGIMG_2411.JPG

'71 Duster
'17 Ram 1500
Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: RMCHRGR] #2657033
05/19/19 09:29 PM
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Sniper Offline
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So far, so good, but he proof in the pudding is when you put the trans in and the shifter mechanism is in the right spot. I usually do that before I tack the hump in place.

Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: RMCHRGR] #2657043
05/19/19 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by RMCHRGR
Not that it matters now but how's it look?


Looks great, it should werk.

Think about the poor schmukz on the line, that actually did the job back then.
I have no doubt a lot of 'em, if not all, were cut out on the line with a hammer and chisel.

Things were not perfect in the pits in the 60's and 70's.


I have mechanical Aptitude.
I can screw up anything.
Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: Sniper] #2657046
05/19/19 09:44 PM
05/19/19 09:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Sniper
So far, so good, but he proof in the pudding is when you put the trans in and the shifter mechanism is in the right spot. I usually do that before I tack the hump in place.


That's the plan. Going to try and mock things up this week. I have the giant Hurst console shifter with the #4084 handle.


'71 Duster
'17 Ram 1500
Re: Cutting floor for 4 speed shifter [Re: RMCHRGR] #2657285
05/20/19 06:15 PM
05/20/19 06:15 PM
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Lee Co. Fla.
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Looks real nice so far.If the mock up goes well then weld it in.







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