What is inside a column shift steering column?

RedFish said

I don't quite understand the question or what it is you expect to find inside the column tube. There's a steering shaft, with or without a shift tube. There isn't any insulation or anything else between upper and lower bearings.

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Hi RedFish, I want to retain the original look of the car ie column auto, however for driveability I need more clearance between the engine and the steering column so would like to strip it down to nothing but the column. Because what I have been told has been done before is to relocate any shift mechanism off the column and relocate it under the dash and then set it up like a floor shift. I know it sounds complicated and crazy but it should be possible with some engineering and probably a few headaches along the way.