Reverting a B &m style shifter to stock

[74 challenge]

Hi Guys,

I am doing some research into potential cars I could pick up once I put my car up for sale and I am seeing a lot of cars with B &M mega shifters or ratchet style shifters, can they easily be reverted to stock type shifters? I know absolutely zero about these things but I hate the look of them.

Thanks

[anlauto]

Adding factory linkage to any automatic car is fairly easy I guess, most parts are pretty common and easy to fine. I would bet a large percentage of cars with those aftermarket shifters started life as column shifted cars, so you would most likely want to go with a console/floor shift which would be an extra expense. 

[74 challenge]

Adding factory linkage to any automatic car is fairly easy I guess, most parts are pretty common and easy to fine. I would bet a large percentage of cars with those aftermarket shifters started life as column shifted cars, so you would most likely want to go with a console/floor shift which would be an extra expense.

I predicted I'd have to buy the console, mounting bracket and all the shifter related parts (base plate, knob etc...) What I am more looking at is should I be eliminating all of the cars from my search with b&m Style shifters cars since this mechanism requires significant medication to revert to a stock looking shifter.

I am not concerned if they started life as column cars, I am not looking for a numbers matching car. 

[Chryco Psycho]

Depends on how bad the mounting was for the ratchet shifter ,, usually it is relatively simple to mount the ratchet shifter without significant damage so I would not eliminate them for that reason  there will be 4 screw holes mounting the shifter & a hole for the  cable to feed through

[Sinatra]

Keep in mind, even the lever on the transmission's shift shaft has to be changed for one of those cable shifters, so you will need literally every piece of linkage and bracketry.  Also, you'll want to make sure the tailshaft housing on the transmission has the two-bolt boss for the console shifter's pivot bracket.  Not all transmissions have them, so know what you've got going in.

On the bright side, you'll be able to recover a few bucks by selling the B&M shifter.  Most of them are universal for 3-speed applications, though the bracketry on the transmission end will be Mopar-specific.  Some brand X and Y transmissions don't need additional parts, though.  My old B&M went into a Bronco with a C4 using factory bits he had lying around.

[74 challenge]

Perfect thanks for the information.

I assume this stands true for most mopars and not just e bodies since all the transmissions were essentially the same.

[DocMel]

The stock automatic linkages are not that easy to find, and tend to be expensive when you do.  A couple of years ago I saw that Year One (?) had the linkages from the tranny up to the console, and it was somewhere around $300.  And that didnt count the tranny mount, or the kick down/carb down parts.  I used to see linkages on ebay, there still maybe some left.    I have a set for a 727, RB, 71 E body, shift console, all parts from the tranny all the way to include the KD arm at the carb

[74 challenge]

I feel like between this forum, my parts guy here in Ottawa I can find some if I end up with an e-body.

[Sinatra]

I assume this stands true for most mopars and not just e bodies since all the transmissions were essentially the same.

Yes.  In fact, I've seen the E-body console and shifter used in earlier and later cars; the shifter mechanism is the same as the floor shifter used in B-bodies through '79, although they did not have the "Slap Stik" ratchet mechanism and the handle was taller and uglier.  I put a Slap Stik mechanism and T-handle in my '79 300 way back in 1989.

[Brillo1974]

I will have the entire 727 slapstick setup for an E body in the next couple months for sale, console (no cracks) top plate, 70 style shift handle (the round one not T handle) linkage, everything to set it up right down to the kick down linkage in excellent condition. Just in case anyone is looking.