TKX Shifter Location

[Duster360LA]

Working on my 74 Duster restomod and have a bit of a unicorn question. I am installing a Tremec TKX 5-speed behind my small block and have to re-shape the tunnel and relocate the shifter opening further back (the car was a factory 3-speed). I opted for the pistol grip shifter that has a setback and am wondering if the shifter may set too far back. The TKX does have the option to mover the shifter forward about 4-5 inches. By chance has anyone done a conversion like this and can share their experience in relation to the shifter location?

 

[ESP47]

Why not just roll the transmission into place and throw a seat in and see which position you prefer? You're going to need the transmission to be in place to know where you need to place the center hump sheet metal so you might as well just test the two shifter positions while you're at it.

I used the shift position toward the rear of the car but I made my own bracket to offset the shifter a hair toward the driver side and a few inches forward because I needed to get it centered in my 4spd console top plate.

 

[Duster360LA]

Thanks, definately going to do that. I have new seats and brackets on order, but the original bucket seats should work fine to get a sense of shifter position. It just seems like it would be too far back if I leave to shifter in the rear position.

 

[72bluNblu]

I think you'll be fine. This is a picture of a Dart with a TKX installed, courtesy @Arthur Sperotto

This is the shifter location on my T56, it appears to be pretty much in the same location as the TKX shifter, a few inches forward of the reinforcing rib in the floor board for the front seat mounts. If anything the T56 shifter location might be slightly further back

This is the '71 non console B body pistol grip shifter I used with it...

And where it sits with the Procar buckets I use

I don't think it sits too far back at all, and I've been driving the car like that for over 4.5 years now. The only thing I did to the shift handle was to shorten it, I drilled new mounting holes and cut the bottom couple inches off of the shifter. But the set back stayed the same.

 

[Duster360LA]

Thank you everyone - the images have been very helpful!

 

[SlantedDart]

Mines in the front position with a bench seat. First pic was when I had it initially but was too close to seat. Flipped it 180 then made a shifter

 

[Duster360LA]

Got it, thanks for the pics.

 

[matthon]

Mines in the front position with a bench seat. First pic was when I had it initially but was too close to seat. Flipped it 180 then made a shifter

First pic I've seen with a TKX and a bench.
Are you still able to move the seat as forward as before the TKX?

 

[Dave999]

you can buy the stick relocate kit but its in no way a cheap option.
id try to deal with any problems first by offset or swan neck lever.

if the stub of the shifter is under a bench seat you can bolt a stick to the tunnel further forward, mount it in spherical joint bolted to a block of ally, and use a flat bar between it and the shifter stub. if it worked in the production TVR supercar all hidden under a console it can work here. basically reverse is part of the normal gate there ain't no push down reverse.... so the shifter can be a basic stick mounted in a swivel wherever you need it and linked robustly to the shifter stub.

TVR used mustang or camaro T5 rear stick trans in an application that needed a chevy S10 right forward stick position, for a year or so until they got supplies of s10 style T5s

seemed to work fine
Dave

 

[darndart]

I’m putting the Tremec 3550 in my 72 Duster. The shifter is very similar location to stock, but of course more centered in the tunnel. I believe on a TKX you can just unbolt the shifter and rotated it 180 degrees to move the shifter about 5 or 6 inches forward.

 

[Duster360LA]

Great - thank for the pics!

 

[darndart]

Great - thank for the pics!

After the tunnel patching.