5 speed in a 4 speed question

[PRSgodzilla]

So I recently converted my 71 auto to a 5 speed. I used a tranny out of a 81-83zx and the manual diff from the stock manual 240. I had to cut about 1.5" forward in my tranny tunnel to make room for my shifter and a 72-78 inner shift boot. This all worked out fine and it shifts perfectly, however I put my console in tried to drive around the block...CRUNCH...it crushes the console in 1st 3rd and 5th. Do I need to get one of these modified shift knobs I see in this thread? Are they just cut off, bent, and welded? I dont know if I have the means to do any of this. What can I do?

[Curtis240Z]

Typically you trim back the fiberglass console to clear the shifter. The MSA short shifter does reduce the fore and aft throw considerabily, but I can't tell you if it will clear as I had already trimmed the console.

[PRSgodzilla]

How much do you have to trim and how do you trim it? I dont want to hurt my console Is the short shifter kit available for the late ZX trannys?

[sblake01]

Though I've never tried it, I would think, since the later ZX tranny has more room above the stock hole where the shifter mounts, you could drill holes that line up with the MSA short shifter lever from their kit and toss their little adapter plates and the hardware that goes with them.

[PRSgodzilla]

So you wouldnt need the specific year if you could rig it up? Has anyone just installed the shortshift kit to fix this problem before?

[PRSgodzilla]

I meant the specific year shift kit.

[Curtis240Z]

How much do you have to trim and how do you trim it? I dont want to hurt my console Is the short shifter kit available for the late ZX trannys?

The vertical wall of the console that contacts the shifter needs to be removed almost up to the horizontal surface. The mods does not look too obvious because the fabric shifter boot is still intact. A Dremel tool cuts the console like butter.

The later short shifter kit used to be available from MSA. The early and later kits are different as well as the new shifter rods. If you really don't want to cut the console at this point I think the only option is to reweld the stock shifter as in the previous posts.

[Walter Moore]

On my 71 the P.O. had installed a later transmission and just broke out the front edge of the console. It looked horrible so I "fixed" it with black painted sheet metal, then when I re-installed it in the car I found out the hard way why the console was broken.

I have bent and bent my sheet metal patch, but I still fear that I will have trouble keeping it in 3rd gear.

Only time will tell in my case, but I agree with Curtis240Z that you would be better off to cut the forward vertical wall pretty much the whole way to the top.

[PRSgodzilla]

Well I have two extra shifters lying around and I would rather not cut my new console so I guess im going to try and go that route. Thanks guys.

[Curtis240Z]

On my 71 the P.O. had installed a later transmission and just broke out the front edge of the console. It looked horrible so I "fixed" it with black painted sheet metal, then when I re-installed it in the car I found out the hard way why the console was broken.

I have bent and bent my sheet metal patch, but I still fear that I will have trouble keeping it in 3rd gear.

A nice touch is to cut open the transmission tunnel forward to fit the '72 tunnel boot and metal ring thus sealing off the outside and giving sufficient shifter clearance.

[PRSgodzilla]

That was the first thing I did but I still dont have clearance in the console.

[sblake01]

......The later short shifter kit used to be available from MSA. The early and later kits are different as well as the new shifter rods........

Like I said, I've never tried it so I'm not really sure that it would work. The MSA kit consists of a shift lever that is longer from the pivot hole to the base, a couple of adapters that fit on the ears where the stock shift lever mounts, raising the pivot points and the hardware to secure them. The early stock (78) shifter fits and works in the later (83) trans. That's combination I've been running in mine for the last 10 years or so. The 83 trans has enough room above the original pivot holes to drill holes at least one inch higher than where they are now. Unless the MSA shifter raises the pivot holes higher than that, I don't see why you couldn't just drill the holes and use the shifter that comes with the kit without the rest of the stuff that comes with it other than the side and base bushings.