Inliners International Forums General Discussion Drive Train 200-4R or 700R4 and column shift

Hi all,

At the advice of some here at inliners.org, I'm considering replacing my current Powerglide with either a 2004r or 700R4 instead of the TH350 that I was originally planning. I like the idea of a lower 1st gear for acceleration in conjunction with an overdrive gear. Anyway, my question is this: What mods would be required to the column shifter to accommodate the extra positions? Would I need to swap it out completely for a more modern column or can I modify the stock one? (1963 Belair sedan, for reference) With the TH350, my plan was just to lose access to L1, which was really not a big deal for me. I guess I could do the same thing with the OD transmissions, where my marked 'D' would actually be 'OD' and my 'L' would be 'D'. I'd lose access to low gears entirely, which again might not be that big of a deal. Does anybody know a more elegant solution than this?

As far as the shift indicator plate goes,replacements are available to comply with the trans you select.Almost any Chevy aftermarket
dealer(Danchuk,Year One,CARS,etc.) sell them.You'll have to remove the steering wheel, dismantle the upper part of your column(maybe), part of the lower dash(maybe) and the gearshift jacket to switch it out.The "maybes" are because I can't picture the column and I'm giving you general info from my experience.It's really not that hard especially if you have a shop manual.

Ahh, ok. I've seen the replacment lenses, but only for the PG. The part I wasn't sure about was the gearshift jacket switch.

Lokar makes a cable conversion that allows the use of the column shifter with a modern tranny. I believe it will allow access to all of the "gears".

Wide, You might find some useful info at
www.bowtieoverdrives.com

Classic Chevy has the Indicator lens for a 4 speed turboglide. Also you will need to consider the Nuetral safety switch which they also have.

Did you get the 200r4 in? Did you find the parts for your column shift and where?