66 cuda from 3/tree to 4 speed? Hard?

[Budget mopar guy]

OK everybody I need some input advice and opinions. Am currently building my 1966 barracuda into a gasser. I just ordered the speedway straight axle kit for it. I’m currently patching the front floor pans. And there is not a whole lot of trans tunnel left. But the patches should look pretty darn good when I’m done. The question I have is should I throw a four speed in this thing or built 904? The car will mostly be used for racing and going to shows that are relatively close to my house. The car was originally a three on the tree so it is outfitted with the Z bar and I have the clutch pedal set. I also from years ago acquired a four-speed scatter shield And I have 2-4 speed transmissions that probably need gone through, but they are there. I think the only thing that I would need to do is cut the Trans tunnel for the shifter but these early A bodies aren’t necessarily like the later model ones and I don’t have the experience with these. As far as modifying the transmission tunnel how much am I cutting to make this work? For those of you that have done it I would greatly appreciate some detailed advise. I literally have everything I believe to do it aside from the trans tunnel modification I even have a set of pedals. Also I have drove many manuals in my life on the street and had some street cars that I could rip gears in, but I don’t have any experience really racing a four speed. I’ve raced manual valve body automatics. The pans are not welded in yet but they are fitted and ready . Here’s a. Few pics. The paint is por15

 

[RustyRatRod]

You're gonna have to add a four speed transmission floor hump. The four speed will not fit the early a column shift floor tunnel.

 

[66fs]

Not hard to swap the 4 speed stuff in there. See post #2. You mainly just need the 64-66 four speed hump and bolt the rest in. Brewers Performance has the rest.

 

[matthon]

Does one really need the floor hump?
And gasser, not factory original.

Serious question, coming from someone who installed a hump in my last auto to manual conversion.

Not until I owned a Mopar did I find out a hump was a requirement.

I've had plenty of cars I converted to 4 speeds and just cut a hole and put a Hurst boot over it.

 

[Kendog 170]

Here's what you want. Post a Want ad here for a used one maybe you'll get lucky.
Body Components - Floor - Shifter Tunnels

 

[junkyardhero]

if you want to do it "right" then you'll need a B&T unit and the "early" shifter rods. that all tucks neatly under the hump with minimal cutting on the floor.

however you have an entire argument of: but gasser

so i'd source whatever cog box you can get your hands on, hack a hole in the floor, figure out the shifter mount or handle situation and ship it.

 

[slickchick]

???

 

[Dan Brewer]

If you decide to go the 4-sp route (Gasser = 4-speed IMO) I would use the 66 style 4-speed hump. This way, all the newer A-body shifter/linkage will fit & work. We only have them available in fiberglass. Finding OEM steel tunnels for the early A-body is difficult. 1963-66 A-BODY FLOOR TUNNEL FIBERGLASS - Mopar A833 4-Speed Transmission & Component Specialists

 

[Oldiron440]

For some reason the song from the Flintstones came to mind when I saw this photo. lol

 

[RustyRatRod]

For some reason the song from the Flintstones came to mind when I saw this photo. lol View attachment 1716500391

...from the courtesy of Fred's two feet!

 

[barbee6043]

I would bang gears till my legs give away!

 

[harrisonm]

Does one really need the floor hump?
And gasser, not factory original.

Serious question, coming from someone who installed a hump in my last auto to manual conversion.

Not until I owned a Mopar did I find out a hump was a requirement.

I've had plenty of cars I converted to 4 speeds and just cut a hole and put a Hurst boot over it.

View attachment 1716493890

@matthon does have a good point. If I were building a gasser race car, I wouln't bother. If you are building a gasser street car that will have a decent interior in it, then I would.

 

[matthon]

Matthon may be an idiot.

After looking at my own 4 speed car, originally an Inland shifter, the Hurst aftermarket 1/2 and 3/4 rods go above the torsion bar crossmember, with the cut out, where I'm pointing, for the lower rod.

That would put both rods above the floor.

So at the least a hump of sorts in the floor is needed, but not necessarily a factory hump.

 

[Budget mopar guy]

One pan in and I found a hump out of a 65 cuda I cut out

 

[Budget mopar guy]

Finished pan

 

[RustyRatRod]

I would bang gears till my legs give away!

I have pains here and there, but I am thankful my knees, ankles and feet can still work a clutch. The car would likely be faster with an automatic, but it'd sure be boring to drive.

 

[RustyRatRod]

One pan in and I found a hump out of a 65 cuda I cut out

View attachment 1716504497

View attachment 1716504498

View attachment 1716504499

You definitely got ALL of that four speed hump! LOL

 

[Budget mopar guy]

You definitely got ALL of that four speed hump! LOL

It sits easier to cut. Away than to add lol

 

[JDMopar]

Is that A body 4 speed in the pic a later slip yoke trans? If it is, bolt it up in the car to see if the shifter hits the hole in that 65 hump before you weld the hump in. I read on here somewhere that shifters for 64-65 Early A's were specific to those 2 years and they changed in 66 when the hole in the hump was oval instead of round. Looks like someone has done a little surgery on the hole in that hump already.

 

[66fs]

Is that A body 4 speed in the pic a later slip yoke trans? If it is, bolt it up in the car to see if the shifter hits the hole in that 65 hump before you weld the hump in. I read on here somewhere that shifters for 64-65 Early A's were specific to those 2 years and they changed in 66 when the hole in the hump was oval instead of round. Looks like someone has done a little surgery on the hole in that hump already.

Good Eye!

 

[Budget mopar guy]

So I have the floor pans, welded in and trimmed. I’m going to use nut serts To bolt it to the floor so that I can take it out to work on it, especially if I’m at the track. It seems like it lines up pretty decent. I reused the slant 6 three speed crossmember. When I installed the transmission, it seemed like it sat a little bit too far forward so I spun the mount around and it moved the transmission back about 1 inch. I looked on Rock auto and cross reference the parts for the transmission mount and they are the same between the slant and four speed transmission. I guess it really doesn’t matter if I moved it back an inch because I’ll be mounting the engine with solid mounts because I’m eliminating the K member because I’m making this car a gasser With a solid front axle. The one thing I did notice is the Z bar is probably different from the slant engine comparing it to the four speed. It’s way too long. Also the bobble knobs for the Z bar don’t seem to line up. I’m not sure if I need to take one off of a four speed car and install it or if there’s different variations that I need to look at to make these lineup. I could always just modify the one I have it wouldn’t be very hard, but I don’t know if the Z bar would function correctly if I had to move it. Any Teck information would be greatly appreciated on the Z bar matter.

 

[Dan Brewer]

You are using later model 10.5" bell. That's why the ball studs don't line up. We make clutch linkage parts to use the later bell in the early A-bodies.
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