I'm in the process of converting a column shifter to console shifter in a 72 Skylark. Is using the stock side rod and backdrive rod the only way to retain neutral safety and backup lights, or is there something that can work off the new shifter?
You retain the column shift back drive regardless...you'll have to allow the ignition switch to function....you could tie it up I guess .but that would be ghetto
My 70 has the neutral/reverse switch on the console shifter. The same reverse drive will operate the column collar as you move the console shifter. When I switched to a 200-4R, I modified the switch but left it in the same spot.
Hope this helps (and is correct, LOL!) Before the locking column, console cars had reverse/neutral safety switch on the floor shift mechanism. The trans selector shaft had a flat steel tab with a hole for the floor shift cable. I've never played with a '69, but I believe in early 70 that switch remained on the shifter, while such floor shift cars also had the "backdrive," to lock the column, and the lower column was thus still turned mechanically "in reverse." The selector shaft on the trans had a "folded Y," for both the cable and the rod linkage to the column. My late-build 70 has the switch on the column, but the whole "backdrive" is still there to lock the column. So, long story short, on your '72 nothing changes except the lever sticking out of the column, and maybe needing the "folded Y" on the transmission selector shaft, to accommodate both the cable and backdrive.
My car is originally a column auto. Someone hacked a cutlass console and shifter in before I bought it. I ripped it all out and procured a 69 GS console and shifter, and all the brackets for the trans tunnel to mount the console. I then got a console wiring harness from someone on thr board here or on Ebay, don't remember. Then I bought that whole back drive rod so it could spin the original column collar and activate the reverse lights. The issue with the whole system is it was too stiff for the shifter handle and eventually the shifter handle broke off in my hand while driving one day. So I ripped that whole back drive system out and had an epiphany. The console shifter came with its own Neutral Safety switch. SO I connected the aforementioned wiring harness to all the lights and NSS of the console and ran it under the carpet, under the dash and grafted it into the dash harness and now when I shift into revers, the shifter mounted NSS activates the reverse lights. And, there's no strain on the shifter handle with all that extra crap it's trying to push.
When I converted my 69 Skylark I used the back drive brackets, to work with the neutral safety switch, adjusted the cable so the shifter is on the correct letter and it doesn’t start in gear. The only problem which I’m not concerned with is the column needle isn’t correct for the gears other than park. Neutral safety switch works great. I also didn’t want to extend the wires to the shifter.
Thanks for the reply, Ken! (I had also forgotten about the lighted shift quadrant on the 68-9... ) Even without the backdrive, I've never seen a 68 shifter not broken at the base, so don't blame the backdrive, LOL!
Regarding the "PRNDL" in the speedo, should you be inclined to solve (and sufficiently flexible,) there is a 1/4" head sheet metal screw attaching the wire from the "PRNDL" needle to the rotating column sleeve. It can be loosened and adjusted. (Indeed, you did add "...not concerned with..." but maybe helpful to others...)
