Pistol Grip Shifter

[Cudadust]

Is anyone using the pistol grip shifter in their A-body?  Harms Auto 801-940-2689 and Shift-R-Arm 723-388-7454 both sell these items for the same price but the shifter-r-arm kit comes with a shifter gate.  Wondering if there was any experience with quality, ease of installation and service associated with either or both vendors.

[cu440da]

If my memory serves, those products are for automatic shifters, right? The gate makes the factory shifter into a SlapStick shifter, and the Harm's handle is a replacement for the stock handle. I've seen the Harm's piece and played with it. I didn't like the feel of it, it's angled funky and doesn't look quite right. The guy seemed pretty arrogant about his stuff after he asked me if I liked it and I told him no. Just my take on it, though.

[Cudadust]

Thanks, I am looking for any in-put positive or negative.  the asking price is $239.oo plus shipping whih is pretty steep.

[Dart67]

I am using a Slap Stick out of an E Body with a GunSlinger pistol Grip in my Dart GT convertible. I had to Shorthen the lever its self (for dash clearance when using the GunSlinger Pistol Grip) and then made my own sift gate (took 3 days of cut, file, weld,cut, file, weld, ect. to get it right). It is not a bolt in as it would appear. All the levers are different between the A and E bodies. I did not have any of the associated levers and rods from the E body, only the shifter. With the lever and rods from an E Body it MAY be a bolt in, I DON'T know.

Herb

[Cudadust]

Thanks, notice Mopar has the shifters for sale slightly less than the vendors and with a 30% discount its even better.  Mopar does not have any listed for the A-body but both vendors say they will fit.

[69 GTS Clonvertible]

Go original, Go 4-speed.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[BB_cuda]

I saw a picture in  Chrysler Perfomance Uprades by Frank Adkins. On page 86 (lower left pic), there is a cool thing where a guy has an A body console but an E body pistol grip shifter is stickingout of the console boot. The caption says "Although Pistol Grip shifters were never available in A bodies, this Dart uses an E-body Pistol Grip handle grafted to an A-body shifter. (Welding was necessary)".

I have a Hurst console shifter handle that is sort of ragged out and needs rechroming. I'm tempted to cut the round stock part off right where it is welded to the flat stock and get a E body pistol grip handle in need if service/rechrome and mate it up. Then have the whole thing stripped and rechromed. I would think that the flat stock would need to have a rectangular slot milled into it so that the handle fit tightly for a high strength weld.

I have a primo rechromed Hurst handle to use so I have nothing to loose with the other handle other than selling it to someone in need of a console handle.  Anyone have a E body pistol grip handle that needs a new home?

[69 GTS Clonvertible]

I've got an A-body 4 speed with an E-body pistol grip on my Dart.......No welding required.........

[Capt Jack]

anyone tried one of the http://www.duncan-motor-sports.com/prod01.htm shift-r-gate items?
supposedly sets the std console auto to work like a slap stick. 

I guess for $30 you cant really go wrong

[BB_cuda]

ok, 69 GTS Clonvertible, we have got to talk.  How did you fabricate the lower handle. It doesn't look like you took a console handle and modified it. Not unless you really bent the hell out of it. Can you possibly give some instructions. I like the idea of not having to butcher the E body handle so that it can be used elsewhere later if need be.

I do have another shifter mechanism that accepts the bolt in style of handle. I could get some rectangle bar section and heat/beat/bend to correct shape and then drill the holes on the bottom end to attach to hurst mechanism and then drill the holes on the top end for the bolt in E body handle.

Your shifter looks great in the console.  Is it more of a reach to shift since the handle is further forward from the drivers seat?

[69 GTS Clonvertible]

ok, 69 GTS Clonvertible, we have got to talk. How did you fabricate the lower handle. It doesn't look like you took a console handle and modified it. Not unless you really bent the hell out of it. Can you possibly give some instructions. I like the idea of not having to butcher the E body handle so that it can be used elsewhere later if need be.

I do have another shifter mechanism that accepts the bolt in style of handle. I could get some rectangle bar section and heat/beat/bend to correct shape and then drill the holes on the bottom end to attach to hurst mechanism and then drill the holes on the top end for the bolt in E body handle.

Your shifter looks great in the console. Is it more of a reach to shift since the handle is further forward from the drivers seat?

The lower part of the shifter is a Mr. Gasket shifter, I believe it is a period item of the 60's and 70's aftermarket console shifter, the previous owner actually did the mock....... up he even gave me the top part of the Mr. Gasket shifter........ that is how I know it is a Mr. Gasket.
As far as the reach it is like shifting a regular ball type handle shifter, I actually don't grip the shifter like a pistol handle, I grab the top of it to shift.

[Capt Jack]

anyone tried one of the http://www.duncan-motor-sports.com/prod01.htm shift-r-gate items?
supposedly sets the std console auto to work like a slap stick. 

I guess for $30 you cant really go wrong

update:
got one.  installed.  a one eyed chimp with a broken finger could install this in less than an hour.
this thing is great!! 

if for whatever reason you want to retain the stock shifter in your ride but want it to function 10x better, get one of the shift-r-gates. 
best $30 I ever spent.   

CJ