The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline need a shifter

I bought a '55 GMC motor and 3 speed trans. It came without the shifter. Can someone steer me to where I can buy a floor shifter for this?

The 3 speed uses a column shifter. Are you wanting to convert to a floor shift?

Yes, I'm putting it into a '38 1 ton that had a junk 4 speed.

I found that Mr Gasket makes a universal 3 speed floor shifter for fairly cheap.

Is this a workable replacement?

Ive never used one on a 3 speed but I understand they are not to good. I put the cheaper Hurst on a 4 speed one time & it was junk.I took it back off & sent it back.

I have been using Hurst Mystery shifters since the mid sixties and I swear by them. They appear on eBay ever so often.

I tend to swear AT them! But then again, most of the vehicles I've driven that has them were either 1, worn out, 2, installed wrong, or 3, worn and installed wrong.

They mount way offset to the driver's side and just about under the seat. You'll need to butcher up the floorboard to install one, and do some creative bending on the shifter handle to make it work at all.
Jerry

OK, so maybe I should sell this '55 GMC 3 speed transmission.

I could buy a 5 speed from an S10. If I decide to go that way how difficult is it to make it work?

I've used Mr. Gasket #7667A on 3 of my trucks. It has a taller shifter handle. 18". I've never had a problem with them. Always stayed tight cause of one small mod. THe thru bolt that goes thru the shifter and bolts onto the adaptor bracket is the normal problem. I drill a hole through the nut and bolt after I've snugged it up a bit and put a cotter key in it. It'll never get loose again. I could post some pics.

gotgasd,
Is there a problem with the shifter being too close like Hotrod Lincoln states?
Are you using a bench seat or buckets?
I'm just trying to picture the setup.
Pictures would be great!!
Thanks

Sorry. Thought I had pics of shifter close-up but don't. On my 65c10 and previous 67 gmc the shifter sat quite close to the seat and tucked close to my leg. Right hand fell right onto it.
I'm a big guy. 6'4". Seat all the way back. This shifter would be tight if you were short legged and needed to move the seat ahead. Hurst makes a bolt on shifter handle for 567 chevy cars that kicks ahead and then back to clear the bench.
Ultimately an s10 T5 would be the way to go. I saw a 62 chevy truck that had a 5 speed in it. Shifter was about 4-5 inches ahead of the bench and centred on the hump.

Well since I already own this 3 speed I'll install it with the motor and see how it lines up.

If it feels too tight I'll find that T5.

Thanks for your replies.:)

I had one of the Mr. Gasket shifters in my last 63 that was mounted on the floor, and after having to crawl under the truck every other day for stuck linkage....id never do it again. The Hurst Mystery shifter I have never tried. I did have several people look at my shifter to make sure it was installed right and everything seemed to be in order, just couldn't get it to work right for me, but Ive got buddies who got them and don't complain.