center console differences

[madkaw]

I thought i had read a thread once that discussed all the differences between the different years and their center consoles, but i can't seem to find it now. Can anyone help the helpless.

Specifically I have a 9/71 and the console I have does't seem to line up to the screw holes. It is most likely that the car was an automatic and I am trying to put a manual console in, but I know there has to be some info on this somewhere.

[Carl Beck]

Do you have a picture of the console you want to put in?

Carl B.

[madkaw]

Carl,

I will have to take some pics when I get home. As far as I know I am replacing a 71 automatic console with a console out of a 4 speed, also a 71. I thought the there would be subtle differences ,but I thought they would bolt down to the tunnel in the same place. My original auto console had two seperate choke levers and this one I have now has a single control. I guess I could have used the auto console for the 4 speed, but I thought I needed to find the 4-speed type console. There I go thinking again. I still have a lot to learn about these cars, but it's fun to be in school:)

[EScanlon]

The only difference between an Auto and a Manual Console in the 71 was the addition of the Shift Plate Selector Mechanism for the Auto. The Manual had the Vinyl Boot and lace.

From what I remember, the manual can be made into the auto style by cutting the forward section of the shifter opening, but not the reverse. I may be wrong, but I know that you can't just flip from one style to the other and back (i.e. there is a cut involved).

But from what you're saying,

My original auto console had two seperate choke levers and this one I have now has a single control.

you may have an early (Series I) style console, the one with the two choke levers (which are actually ONE Choke and ONE Hand Throttle) and you're trying to swap it out with the later console which was introduced in the Series III (Choke handle protruding from the side ridge and not the center flat).

If I recall Will (hls30.com) has a thread he wrote that details the differences.

FWIW

E

[madkaw]

"If I recall Will (hls30.com) has a thread he wrote that details the differences"

I've been looking for that thread but haven't found it yet. Thanks for the info

[Arne]

The only difference between an Auto and a Manual Console in the 71 was the addition of the Shift Plate Selector Mechanism for the Auto. The Manual had the Vinyl Boot and lace.

From what I remember, the manual can be made into the auto style by cutting the forward section of the shifter opening, but not the reverse. I may be wrong, but I know that you can't just flip from one style to the other and back (i.e. there is a cut involved).

Close. I've had both styles, and did swap a manual console into a formerly automatic car. The cut that will turn a manual console into an auto console is at the rear of the shift opening, not the front. Other than that, E is right on the mark.

My original auto console had two seperate choke levers and this one I have now has a single control.

The manual console you have is for a '72 or later. The proper '70-71 console will still accept the two-lever choke/throttle assembly you had on the automatic console.

[EScanlon]

I found a prior post of mine:

The very early Z's, which had TWO slots behind the shift mechanism for both the Choke and the Manual Throttle are different from later consoles that had only ONE lever for the choke. If I recall there was a change in the Automatic Transmissions or in the Manual Transmissions that necessitated a change in the location of the Shift Hole. I'm not sure if the following applies to later consoles, but it definitely DOES apply to the early ones (personal experience here).

You can convert an AUTOMATIC console into a MANUAL, but not the other way around.

The Automatic has a Gear Selector Indicator in place of the Leatherette Shift Boot. The Selector Finisher butts up at the front with the bottom edge of the a) ashtray or fuse box / indicator light panel, whereas the shift boot is essentially an inverted skirt that has had it's "hem" clipped to the four sides of the hole. The Forward edge of the hole has a higher edge than the other sides, whereas the automatic has the edge all even to the other sides. This difference is so that the joint between the shifter selector and the console does not leave a hole.

If you look at the forward edge of the shift finisher and the lower edge of the ashtray surround you'll see the "extra" bit of plastic that gets removed in order to make the console into a standard console.

Enrique

That was from having tried to use a "better" console in the car than what was in it originally and discovering the extra material that gets removed in the front of the shifter hole. Now we weren't swapping transmissions, we were just swapping center consoles. Additionally we were swapping INTO an automatic car a center console that had been used on a Manual car, and had been removed from such.

Could it be that in swapping the Auto to a Manual the shifter hole in that early car had to be moved further back and therefore....

Here are a couple of pictures of the "early" console:

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2596

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3865

and one of the "later" style, although not a very good shot:

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7700

Also ignore the armrest/cupholder as that's an aftermarket item.

Biggest point of difference is that the "later" style had the ashtray mounted behind the shifter, whereas the "early" had it in front of the shifter and that the "coin tray" in the "early" became a very large surround in the "later" style.

FWIW

E

[Arne]

Turns out we're both right, E. The automatic console for '71s had material removed from both the front and the rear of the shifter opening to accommodate the auto shift selector.

The first picture I attached is a normal manual transmission console in place, with it's boot. The second picture is a manual transmission console in place, w/o boot. (The fact that the car pictured was converted from auto to manual is immaterial. The console and boot and such all attach the same.)

The third picture shows an auto console w/o the shift selector or a boot. I marked the places where material is missing (when compared to a manual console) in red.

The key to this original question is this - a manual transmission console will attach to an automatic transmission tunnel exactly the same as the original auto console did, as long as you have the proper one. If the automatic car is a '71 (through 8/71 or so), you need a manual console from a '70 or '71 car.

[madkaw]

Okay guys , I'm figuring it out now.

"If the automatic car is a '71 (through 8/71 or so), you need a manual console from a '70 or '71 car."

My car is a 9/71 which seems to be a transitional month. I believe that my car ,the attachment points on the tunnel towards the rear of the console are the same as the early 70-71 cars. The console I have now(manual with the ashtray behind the shifter)) is probably from a later model since the mounting points back by the armrest area don't line up. So I need to find an early console if i want to use the original mounting holes. And to throw another curve ball in the mix I have installed a 82 BWt-5 which moves the shifter further forward. So from your descriptions of the shifter holes I need to stick with the manual console inorder to minimize cutting of the console. Please correct if I am wrong with my conclusion, I am easily confused:stupid:

[EScanlon]

How far forward are you looking at?

Too far forward and you may be getting close to the fuse box location. As such you may be better off building your own center console than trying to modify one of the early ones or later ones. That is because part of their mounting points are on that bar that runs in front of the shifter hole.

2¢

E