4 Speed Tunnel - Is it factory?

[PocketAces]

I recently acquired a 65 Barracuda. The fender tag says it's a factory 4 speed car, and the hump in the tunnel looks factory original from inside the car. The factory seam sealer is still intact and the paint looks totally believable.

But when I look under the car, the cuts that were made in the side of the tunnel before the 4-speed hump was installed look very rough, like they were made with an acetylene torch. I've never seen the bottom of a 4-speed tunnel so I don't know if that normal.

Also, some bonehead cut the cross member. Don't know why. I also don't know why they tack welded a piece of sheet metal to cover the shifter hole.

So how did the factory install the 4 speed hump? Did they start with a narrow tunnel like an automatic car, and then cut big holes in the side of it with a torch? Did they use the same cross member as the automatic cars?

 

[RustyRatRod]

That pretty well matches all of them I have ever seen that were factory. Like cars with vinyl tops, they cut corners especially where something was out of sight.

 

[65Val]

Yup...my '65 Valiant convertible factory 4 speed cars' floor looked the same. I think they let 5 year-olds cut the floor pans on 4 speeders!

 

[PocketAces]

So they cut the hole with a torch?

 

[chryslerfat]

Yes that is the way the factory did it.

 

[chryslerfat]

I will add that the crossmember should not have be cut someone did that after the fact.

 

[PocketAces]

How is the hump attached to the tunnel? Spot welds?

 

[65Val]

How is the hump attached to the tunnel? Spot welds?

No...basically just 1-inch mig beads about every 6 inches or so where the hump meets the floor pan/tunnel, then seam-sealed to death.

Wish I could show you a pic I had of mine, but I lost a whole whack of pics at my last harddrive crash!....Grrrrrr

 

[66340SEDAN]

That is a correct 4-speed hump for 64-65 A-body cars......

 

[kt340sport]

I had a 69 Barracuda 2 door htp 340 S and it was the same way, cut with torch.

 

[AJ/FormS]

My 69,too looked hacked.

 

[toolmanmike]

Yep, my 66 is the same. Do you have a Inland shifter or a Hurst? I believe a 65 should have a Hurst. Apparently my Hurst was added later but my hump looks crude. I even have weld slag hanging from the joints. lol

 

[bamacuda]

That is correct. They had ONE floorpan stamped for the a-bodies and they cut the hole using a template to mark it, stuck the 4 speed hump on, welded it, seam seal it (also done by 2nd graders) and later they added a stainless steel guard by the gas pedal when the carpet was installed because the hump was so close to the gas pedal that the driver's right foot was wearing a hole in the carpet next to the gas pedal. For safety, they didn't want shredded carpet jamming the gas pedal.