CONSOLE WITH SHIFT DELETE - PICTURES

[Ross Wooldridge]

Hey all, this is a follow up to those who are interested in seeing what the standard centre console for 66-70 B and C bodies looks like with the ultra-rare console shift delete plate. A number of you have said they've never seen or heard of this option. Apparently it was used on cars that came with consoles as standard equipment (like 66 Sport Fury or 66 Dodge Monaco 500) where a 3 speed column shifted manual trans was also standard issue, and people either chose not to upgrade to automatic (which almost never occured), or even more unusual, when a 4 door was ordered with console and column shift

Thanks to some helpful members here and at the Drydock, I have managed to get all the parts to put one together - it uses a 4 speed console top and the shifter delete plate.

Here's some pics of it mocked up on my Monaco 4 speed console...

...

 

[twostick]

A buddy of mine had a 66 SF, /6, auto, column shift with that console.

Kevin

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Cool!

Do you remember if the block off plate was ribbed or woodgrain?

 

[Big_John]

Wow... Never saw one of those!

 

[twostick]

Cool!

Do you remember if the block off plate was ribbed or woodgrain?

That is forever ago but I'm pretty sure it was ribbed and the lid was too. That would be correct for a 66 C-body.

Kevin

 

[polara71]

Ive only ever seen one or two, certainly not a common item ....It amazes me how much these boards have access to rare parts

 

[polara71]

But I ain't looking

 

[LeBaron1973]

Ok.

 

[polara71]

Why would you delete that?

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Hey Kevin - Fury would've had woodgrain console - it was just Dodge and Chryslers that got ribbed consoles.

That's why I am curious about the delete plate for a Plymouth application

 

[CBODY67]

A good while back, I bought a C-body center console at a swap meet. My '67 Newport CE23 has the factory buckets (same upholstery as the '67 300 had), but with the "Buddy Seat" and column shift. One of my (then) desires was to do the floor shift conversion, so it'd look "more right", than with the column shift. But then I decided to not do it, but to possibly put it in with the column TF column shift still in place.

I'd looked at my '66 Chrysler Service Manual many times, but never noticed the little inset above the console and floor shifter illustration. THERE IT WAS! THE FACTORY BLOCK-OFF PLATE for a column shift TF console! Later, I found the part number in the '66 parts book.

On the Chrysler with TF, the plate was long and narrow, as the shifter slide would be. Being the inset on the Chrysler was brushed aluminum, the plate would match that. Still have the console with black carpet on the side. "Archived". Never did figure out what it would take to make the tach work.

Yes! They did exist, but were probably very rare as "console and floor shift" just went together like "ham and eggs", or "butter and toast", etc.

CBODY67

 

[twostick]

Hey Kevin - Fury would've had woodgrain console - it was just Dodge and Chryslers that got ribbed consoles.

That's why I am curious about the delete plate for a Plymouth application

Well like I said it was forever ago so I can't swear to it but I'm pretty sure the delete plate was ribbed as well as the top so I would assume the lid was to. I can't see them mixing the styles. I have only ever seen the one.

My buddy bought it from the original owner who was about 100. This was early 80's and he swapped the /6 stub for a V8 one and got a 318 from a new wreck with only a few thousand miles and ordered a new not used 727 from the local Plymouth dealer. It was his daily driver for about 10-15 years. It was originally that gold metallic that was all the rage in 66 and he repainted it Cadillac Nottingham Green Firemist Metallic. He painted everything Nottingham Green Firemist Metallic...

He's passed on now and so is the guy he sold it to. I don't know where it ended up but the last time I saw it, it had at least 30 Canadian winters under it's belt so it was getting rough.

I do know a couple of people that might know it's fate so I'll ask around.

Any chance that they would have substituted a Monaco console when the rare request was made for a column shift? Canadian Monacos got the SF dash and interior so maybe the Monaco console could find it's way into a Plymouth.

Kevin

 

[Mr C]

Thank you! I knew they made these but had no proof. Often seen in the equally odd/ rare bucket console 4 dr 300/ New Yorkers.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Any chance that they would have substituted a Monaco console when the rare request was made for a column shift? Canadian Monacos got the SF dash and interior so maybe the Monaco console could find it's way into a Plymouth.

Kevin

Hmmm... possibly I guess, but from what I've heard, no. I think the ribbed block off plate was used whether the rest of the console was woodgrain or ribbed - but the parts book is very cryptic in 66, and I think there might possibly be a woodgrain topper listed for the block off plate though I can't be sure I'm deciphering that section of the parts book properly. That's what I'm trying to find out... (coz I prefer the woodgrain console).

 

[Jet440]

Hi Ross , the girl walnut wood on C body consoles till 67 and then in 68 . But I’ve had a few 66 Chrysler New Yorkers with floor shifts and they have the straight grain wood on the outer parts of the console that’s normally frosted silver to match the dash . I removed it on mine as it looks better with out it , but even the vacuum performance indicator had the wood on the housing on one of the cars which looked stupid , but I think it was dealer done .

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

It's interesting how many variants there are. I've noted the following:

Straight woodgrain with black outer sections:
66 Plymouth, 66 Canadian Dodge

Ribbed with frosted silver outer sections:
66 Chrysler 300, some other Chrysler models (Newports and NYrs).

Frosted silver with black outer sections:
66 American Dodge

...and that's just in 66 alone!!

I love the burl woodgrain tops that came in
67(?) and 68.

 

[SGT FURY]

A freind of mine had a 64 ford galaxie with XL console ,but had the swing away steering option that used a colum shift only. It had a console shifter delete.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Yeah, I've seen that in Fords with swing-away.