Inliners International Forums General Discussion MOPAR 52 Dodge floor shifter

Hi all I need some help with finding a shifter for a 52 dodge 3 speed manual behind a flat head 6,I am building a 26 roadster pickup with a 59 desoto flathead 6 and would like to know if its possable to get a floor shifter for my 52 dodge box

I'm not sure if the bolt pattern on Dodge and DeSoto are the same but I'm sure some Dodge pickups had floor shifts. I made an adapter to put a Studebaker Borg Warner T86 overdrive behind my Chevy 4cylinder. I put a floor shift top from a Jeep T90 on it. Three speed floor shift with OD. Where there's a will there's a way.

hi the 52 dodge box has side linkage so I need something that will fit that as I need to use this box Cheers

So, One of the after market floor shift adapters should work. When properly adjusted they work fine. My T86 is side shift but is a top loader, gears go in from the top. The Jeep BW T90 top plate with the floor shifter bolts right on. I don't know if Dodge used BW transmissions.

Does your trans have one long arm and one short arm? if so you can make a shifter better than anything on the market. With two handles and a spring. Let me know if you need directions.

Hi Guys the trans I want to use has 2 levers one selects 1st and reverse and also second and third and the second lever selects witch set the first one is selecting. I am having problems getting my head around this so I was hoping a shifter was availible for this aplication if not I will have to modify a standard shifter or try to make up one from scratch. any help would be great

You can build the worlds fastest shifter for that trans mission you just build single lever to move the big lever then you put a spring on the small one that will pull it in position to go to 2nd gear as the lever moves out of first the spring will cause it to shift to second then you pull it straight back for high. impossible to miss a gear. Then you have to install a second lever or a cable to pull the small lever the other way (against the spring) to shift back to reverse or low. We raced a flat head six roadster that would put 57 chevy 270s on the trailer. It broke a lot of hearts.
A nice T handle cable fastened to the shift lever is the most convenient way to go. This thing will sound like a built Torque-Flyte if you can move the clutch that fast. Have fun.

Thanks Big Bill that is the way I was thinking too with a trigger on the shifter like a reverse lockout on an auto slap stick shifter to engage 1/R. Cheers

If your interested the roaster pickup is based on a 1926 Studebaker cowl and doors from a tourer it is fitted to a narrowed and shortened 37 dodge chassis with a 37 dodge tube front axel on shortened springs a 46 dodge diff,52 Desoto gearbox and bellhousing and a 59 desoto 250 inch flathead with 3 Holley 2 barrels and headers ,63 studebaker wheels and cycle guards trying for a true vintage look with a bit of punch Cheers

That sounds like fun. Do you have pictures?

It sounds like you will have a fantastic roadster. I am certain it will surprise you at how well it runs, not fast compared to todays high performance cars but will still be a mind blowing ride. I love it. Keep everything as low as possible, remember a tall windshield is like pushing a wall through the wind.

Thanks Bill I drove the engine in the 59 Desoto a mate of mine hand built the 3 carb manifold and headers from heavy gauge steal plate and boiler tube and added a progresive linkage for the 3 Holley 94s and an upper cylinder lube at that time it was fitted with a toyota 4 speed, and where I live in Dunedin New Zealand we have the steepest street in the world and it did it in top gear with a car load of car guys and thats a heavy car. he sold the car to another mate who fitted it with a V8 and I picked up the engine for a song I have fitted the 52 gear box I have a mini HEI coming for it. I found a shifter for it today that was built for a Holden [local chevy] stock car it has 2 levers as the stock cars only run 2nd and 3rd the second lever was for reverse so that will work for the second gear set this saves me a lot of work as I will only need to change the linkage and it was only 60 Bucks. If I can work out how to post Photos on this site I will as I assemble the car. Cheers Bruce 36ford@actrix.co.nz

You still want the spring to shift the small lever so make sure it is strong enough to move the second lever or on a fast shift you will get in trouble.