The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Steering column that will work?

While I know the aftermarket columns out there are high quality, they just seem so darn expensive. I have removed my column from my daily driver 66 Fleetside, wanting tilt, column shift for anticipated automatic. I bought a column from 85 G van(has PRNDL display on top)but the darn shift lever lower column is on the wrong side, just wont work. I can fabricate my way around alot of things and am just on a budget, and now my driver is columnless. Does anyone have suggestions for a donor column? Thanks all!

THE cheapest way is to put your original column back in the truck and get a Lokar cable shift kit to change your standard shift column to an automatic shift column. You won't have tilt, but you will be able to steer and shift. Just sayin'. (how often do you actually adjust the tilt wheel on your modern vehicle with tilt?)
Oh, you can get an automatic shift indicator and dial from the likes of Eckler's and others for pretty short money.

I had a 1963 C20 with a TH400. The PO had bolted in a 1970 truck column. The only problem was that it was about an inch longer than the original. Which the steering wheel closer. I've also read that 67-68 tilt column will bolt in.

Larry

Thanks K10, good advice, shoulda asked before hand. Had my smartypants on I guess.
I took the present donor column apart tonight thinking maybe I could cut and re-index the shift tube, but that aint gonna happen. Thanks for your thoughts.
Dan

Thanks shop shark. Yea, part of this was hoping to get the wheel a little farther away from me, I even have picked out a 4-spoke 92 P/U wheel I like. I don't mind fabbing up stuff and know there will be challenges with donor columns,but this one I bought was just a bad choice on my part, dang, been aroung GM stuff all my life, had never noticed the shift lever on the left side of column before, bonehead.

Hey Dan. Congrats on acquiring LILRD66. As I told you on the phone, I have a few hundred photos of the truck, via my website. Good luck with LIL RED and let me know if I can answer any questions about her.