"A" body console assembly

[Michael Brisebois]

I'm wondering if anyone has a technique for assembling a 4 speed console. I replaced the shifter boot ( MIA as I received the car), securing it from inside the console...with the 4 speed plate also secured from inside the console. The Inland shifter handle secures from under the console...I don't think that it's possible to wrestle the assembled console and pass the lock-out wings of the shifter through, without damaging the boot. I've had the shifter handle apart before and threading the cable through the lock-out wing wasn't a picnic doing it on a work bench...it will be harder in the car. I think that I might have to pull out one of the front seats to maneuvering the console to thread it over a "wingless" shifter handle.

Can it really be that much effort to change a shihter boot? Maybe David Copperfield is a Mopar man.

Any advise, procedure would be appreciated. The book shows it as passing easily through

 

[Frnknsteen]

I wondered the same thing. Fortunately, when I bought my car, it came with a heavily pitted Inland shifter, and a nice clean Hurst shifter. I put the Hurst shifter in, but I still wondered the same thing about how you get the wings of the Inland shifter through the boot.

The issue I had was the previous owner drilled out the front bracket, so the only way to tighten down the front of the console was with through bolts through the console body and bracket. I struggled with how I was going to attach the console top plate to the console AND tighten the nuts inside the console for the front bracket. Fortunately, I was able to barely get my arm up into the side access hole to reach those front bracket nuts.

I will be interested to see what people say about the Inland shifter!

 

[HemiSSDart]

I always had my seats out when installing the console, 8 nuts are pretty easy compared to trying to wrassle that console in. You have to put the shifter through the boot then assemble the shifter in the car, no other way to do it.