SA FIA shifter kit

[souzape]

Question for any of you who bought a toploader from Southern Automtive for your 289 car. SA's add sez the shifter kit looks indentical and is similar or better in quality to the original with Hurst linkage. Mine has an Indy shifter which is part of Hurst but the shifter itself does not look like the original. Comments??

Phil Souza

[GeorgiaSnake]

Mine works great and it looks close enough for me.

[souzape]

GeorgiaSnake- does yours have the reverse lock-out bar on the shifter? Mine does not and the shift rods look like welded up thread stock. Not like any Hurst I ever owned in the past.

Phil Souza

[eliminator]

Phil,

They use an Indy Shifter that does not have the heavy duty rods like the Hurst Competition Plus shifter, then to make it work they cut and weld one of the linkeage rods, (reverse) I think. Does your shifter handle bolt on with 2 bolts , horizontal or 2 bolts vertical? You could get the correct handle, ring, and boot. The correct ring is stainless steel, about 3/16" thick, the other is stamped steel that has been chromed. I got all my stuff from Dan Williams Toploaders, handle, boot and ring, the the shifter linkeage and mount from Butch Capps.

We used the competition plus on Juan's 289, the problem is we had to cut an installation panel in the side of the transmission tunnel to get it all to work with the short tail shaft. Depends on the tail shaft if you have a top - loader. The short tail shaft requires this type of install. After the toploader came out and when they were put in 289 cars it was a long tailshaft with a deep indention in the tail shaft that put the shifter in the correct position.

Your handle should be the short, straight type with a reverse lever to be correct.

Look at this thread, shows the correct position, and handle, "juanone 289 carbuild 23".

[souzape]

Eliminator- thanks for the input. I have the two vertical bolts with the Indy shifter. The ring and boot look correct. I really don't know what tail shaft my tranny has. (My drive shaft is about the same length as a Coke can). I have had problems with 2-3 shifts being pretty notchy. 1-2 and 3-4 shifts are smooth. I was definitely used to the Competition Plus type linkage rods and had expected to see the short handle with the reverse lock out bar.
Thanks again.

Phil Souza