ChrisM Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Hey everyone, so I know I have seen this on here I just can't find it. I am putting buckets and console. The person how owned the car before me, was planning the same thing, and has taken the shift off the column and put a cover I guess? To close it up? I am putting in the console soon, and I am wondering how having the column shift steering column and floor shifter will work together. Do I have to keep the steering column in neutral, park? This confuses me Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 With the back drive still attached to the column where the shift arm was at on the column it will rotate. Depending on the shift you are using you will have to make an extension so the NSS works as you are moving it from the column to the floor shift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealRed70 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 What year do you have? The collar on the column where the shifter was located rotates even on a floor shift car. That is how they were built. If the floor shifter is in park the collar on the column will also be in the park position. It then will rotate to what ever position you put the floor shifter in. This will only work if you keep the back drive linkage hooked up from the trans to the steering column. If you have a 72 you do not need to move the reverse light wires or the neutral safety switch wires to the shifter. In 72 the neutral safety switch was mounted on the column, not on the shifter. If you have a 72 you just need to run a gray wire to the shift indicator plate for a power wire for the shift indicator lights. That gray needs to tie in with the gray for the dash lights. You will also need to run an orange wire for power to the rear courtesy light on the console. This orange wire needs to tie in with a constant hot wire in the dash harness. I would tie in with the orange glove box light wire. You will also need to run white wire to the rear courtesy light for a ground. This ground must tie in with the door jamb switch. Use the white door jamb switch wire, which is behind the dash in the glove box area. The easiest way to tie the wires for this in, is to use Scotch locks. You can also open the harness up and solder these wires at the factory solder joints as the factory would have. If you have a 70 or 71 the neutral safety switch would be mounted at the shifter. For a 70 or 71 to do it correctly you will need to purchase an extension harness to connect all the wires I have talked about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stangeba Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Question, (or comment) If someone (like me) were to take their column shifted Monte (does year matter?) and convert it to a floor shifted Monte, did the Speedometer have the PRND21 or was it just a blank flat area. I believe I remember there was a different speedometer. Since the floor shift moves the steering column collar to properly LOCK the shifter into PARK, why didn't they leave the PRND21 in the speedometer and have the floor shift area blank? Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealRed70 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 The year really does not matter, unless you want the wiring the way it was from the factory for that year. You can actually leave the N.S.S. and reverse light wiring right on the column for all three years. There really is no reason to have it on the shifter. In 72 That is what GM did. The factory console extension harnesses for a 70 and 71 are the same, but the 72 is different because of where the N.S.S. was located. The speedometer has no cutout for the shift indicator on a floor shifter automatic car. They could have just left the indicator for a floor shift automatic in the dash. If you had a console shifted 4 speed car, should the shift pattern be on dash somewhere, or should it be on the console where they put it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Ok that was a lot of information to take in, so, I am doing a complete rewire of the car with a kit, I bought from opgi. I have all the peices, wiring, extension harness etc. This steering column doesn't look like it even had a shifter mounted to it, only thing I see is the arm still mounted to the column in the engine bay, so does this sound like this car had a floor shifter before? If it does that the wiring kit I have should wire it all up no problem. Thanks Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbolt Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 The wiring kit you purchased should pop right in, no problem. I converted mine and removed the back drive mechanism from inside the engine bay. The difference being I also swapped the column and the speedometer. In your case It really shouldn't matter what position the steering collar is in since all the rest of the stuff will be swapped over. Question. Since you have a kit, did you also purchase a speedo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Awesome thank you very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealRed70 Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 If you have no column shift lever inside the car on the column and you have the shift linkage lever on the firewall side, then you have a floor shift column. That linkage should be in place regardless of where the shifter is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Awesome thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted June 16, 2016 Author Share Posted June 16, 2016 Cbolt. Sorry I missed the last part of your post, no I did not buy a speedo, going for the all factory look on the dash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbolt Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 So your speedo will have a gear indicator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted June 16, 2016 Author Share Posted June 16, 2016 That is correct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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