Day 2 Shifters - 4 Speed
 

Five important questions being weighed as I once again consider the installation of a true Day 2 vintage shifter. I would really like to see some accurate responses from those with first-hand experience installing and cutting into the floor of a first-gen car and from those who have first-hand experience using them on the street.

1.) What shifters, mounting brackets, and linkages you have had the best experience with?

2.) What shifter mounting bracket requires the least amount of cutting of the floor to mount the shifter body to the trans (high mount vs low)?

3.) Who has used the heavy-duty straight arm shift rods with Heim ends and was the shifting any better or smoother using the straight H/D rods?

4.) Reverse lockouts, which was the best to use or should I say the least pain in the arse. I'm assuming the Super Shifter design was better than the manual lockouts?

5.) If you were considering a brand new installation, what performance-based shifter would you install when not using a console and what type of mount would you use?

I installed a Super Shifter in the Day 2 Nova a couple of years ago but used the old Hurst H/D shifter rods and what I think was a second-gen Camaro mounting bracket. That kept the shifter body lower down and allowed the use of the early HD rods. When I tried using the suggested Hurst Super Shifter mount, it brought the body up into the car and required me to use the straight arm rods which also meant cutting the sides of the tunnel laterally. I negated that by using the second-gen mount and got lucky in keeping it a bit more clean with a lower mounting position, but those old Hurst rods are very hard to find now.

Does anyone else have a success story in the mounting application that contributed to a good experience? If so I would love to hear about your project and would really like to see some pictures with other Day 2 installations and floor mods? Thanks in advance and here is the modified install that went into my old Nova.Yes...it got a pistol grip handle.

https://i.ibb.co/q72SYRT/IMG-2987.jpg

Jeff Harnish was kind enough to send me some pictures of his 67 Camaro which is a great example of a Day 2 car with an original early issue Hurst Super Shifter. This version has the red reverse lockout lever that is lifted or pushed down in order to engage or lockout reverse gear. He's going to send some pics of the underside in the coming days and that will hopefully show the mount, and the shifter rods as well. He said it all came NOS in a kit and he used the early HD straight rods that came in the S/S kit. The hardest part to find of course was the shifter boot which we all know are like hen's teeth and costly to purchase now. Also seen in his car are some cool looking day 2 pedals branded Moon equipment.

You don't see these items too often unless a guy is a real Day 2 gearhead!!! Thanks for the messages Jeff. Your 67 is bad ass! :3gears:


https://i.ibb.co/wJY0wzq/IMG-5508.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/BTt1zgX/IMG-5506.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/C8R5sV1/IMG-5507.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/gWF1X04/IMG-5511.jpg

If any of you can access his Facebook video, here's a little clip of just how well Jeff's car lays in out on the street. This is one of Jody's gearboxes and that shifter works really well in this combo. It also helps to have an aluminum flywheel and some serious ponies under the hood as well. Case in point...just click on that link.

Here's the video which I just loaded onto youtube. It's worth watching if you're into 4-speed cars. Myself, I love this clip even though he's short-shifting it at 5700rpm. The car makes 540hp and is powered by a Shafiroff built 406 small block. Jody Haag prepped the A/G M-22 trans and it has a factory 12 bolt built with a Moroso "Brute Strength" center section and 4:10's (for now).

HaHa thanks Graeme for the kind words

LOL...I think I'm gonna need to order another carpet set. Working on securing an older Super Shifter for my car and have already made the carpet cuts for the console. Oh well, easy enough to change.

I can only relate experience on a 70-72 Chevelle tunnel, but have tried every shifter available, from old Comp Plus, to Hurst Vertigates, to Hurst Super Shifter, and even a Dale Earnhardt Nascar billet Super Shifter, and what I'm using now, a Long Vertigate. Any straight line shifter will require tunnel surgery on a Chevelle, and others probably. Depends on the diameter of rods, whether you are using heim joints, how much surgery, tunnel clearance is very close. Have had to cut all the way to the gas pedal on some.
Have owned nothing but 3 pedal hot rods since the 60's. PITA, but worth it.
Youtube is with a H pattern Super Shifter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vMnf7EugAo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWk9NdlWxvM

If you like solid lifter cars, the Elky is an old school 427NA BBC, 13:1 Compression ratio, solid roller, [email protected]., 4 speed, 4.88s out the back with slicks, best of 10.45@129.
As old school as it gets.

Thanks for adding that info Doug. The Elky is pretty quick for a big car. Enjoyed the ride down the track.

Thanks, it still has it's original interior except for the seats, was a bench seat, but couldn't get the seat to go back enough with the roll bar. Still has the factory gauges, heater, etc. Just don't have the heart to cut it up any more than I have to, it's a real W code Elky.