Alright, I was able to get the shift lever off. I looked down inside and didn't see anything broken. I guess I will have to pull the top and look into it more closely. Is there anything that will fall out when I pull the top? Or is it as simple as pulling the bolts and lifting it up?

For the curious, here's a couple pictures with the shifter removed:

http://i47.tinypic.com/333g2nl.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/98vree.jpg

1953 Chevy 3600