4 speed shifter question

[overdrive]

The 4 speed Montes came with a Muncie shifter and I'm looking for anyone that can verify what the shifter knobs looked like for '70 and '71. The '71 I recently bought has the shifter shown below. The original owner replaced it with a Hurst in 1974, but he put everything he took off the car in the Hurst box, and I have it. I believe it has the original knob, but I'd like to have more to go on. I know the consoles had the shift pattern on them, so the knob didn't, unless the 4 speed was ordered without a console. 

The last photos are of a '71, and as you can see, no console. A member here sent me those pics. He talked with a very knowledgeable member at the Western Meet and they also both believe the black knob is correct, at least for a '71. 

I believe the '70 used a chrome ball, like the Chevelles, but I'm not positive. 

If anyone has solid information, please reply here. It would be great to find a few pics from Chevrolet to verify. I know Camaros had a knob like these, but it was likey not a Camaro part only. 

[Vaughn]

From what I have seen over the years, the  70 and 71 with console, the knob was chrome. The 1970 without console had the White knob with the shift pattern and for 1971, I always believed that it was the black round knob with the shift pattern.

I started looking into the 1971 without console a few years back and I now believe that you have the correct shifter knob Dan. I have a 1971 4 speed that has never been restored or painted and it has the exact same knob as yours Dan. Of course I took it off as I thought it was wrong and now need to find it, duh.

I am not an expert, just voicing what I have seen.

 

[MCfan]

There's certainly something to be said for originality but there's probably a good reason that Muncie shifter and knob came to you in a Hurst shifter box, Dan!  Mine also came to me with a Competition Plus Hurst shifter (but no Muncie in a box).  Of the literally dozens of changes and upgrades I have done to that car over the past 12 years, replacing the shifter knob was the very first one done on the first day! That white Tootsie Roll lollypop quickly gave way to a fist-filling, gear-banging Hurst T-handle and there will be no return. 😁

[Vaughn]

Dan,

I have attached a picture of a 1971 350 4 speed bench seat car that I have. This car is a one owner all original, never been painted so I am pretty confident that this is the original shifter knob. This car also came to me with the original Muncie in a box.

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I do agree with Dennis and the Muncie shifters, just awful. When I restored my Mulsanne Blue 402 4 speed I went all original including the Muncie shifter linkage. It was all great until we drove the car. At the Western meet in Spokane, WA  the shifter stuck in between 1st and second on a major road with bumper to bumper traffic. I had to basically hide under the car (to avoid having my legs run over) with a 9/16' wrench to force it back into neutral. Burnt my arms on the exhaust. Ah good times with the ole Muncie, lol. 

 

 

[Vaughn]

One more all original 1970 402 4 speed with console. 

[overdrive]

Thanks for the information and the photos! That's helpful. I'm pretty confident that the chrome ball in a '70 console car is right. I've seen that in the past, but not in a '71. For '71, the black knob with the pattern for a non-console car is correct, I believe. The same knob with no pattern would be right for a '71 console car. 

If anyone else has some good information to share, please do.

Dan 

[714024SPEED]

The reason the console cars got the ball with no shift pattern was because the pattern is on the plate on the console. From what info I have found 71 was a black knob 

[overdrive]

Kevin, agreed, the only knob or ball that got the gear pattern on it was in the non-console cars.

Do you agree that the '71 black knob with a console looked the same as the one in my original post? 

Dan