Corvairs didn't have a column shift: period. The closest they came was the automatic shifter stuck out of the dash. Chevy vans, NONE with column shift manual 4 speeds, were popular with the three on the tree but remember the Corvair engine was just in front of the back bumper so running multiple shifter rods the length of the vehicle would have been impractical. A single rod run from the floor shift lever to the transaxle unit where the transmission sits at the very front. This rod rotated to select the gear and moved forward or back to engage them. Same setup was used on the 61,62 Pontiac Tempest IIRC, only the Tempest had the engine in the front with just the trans in the rear.
