rktolds

Can the column be converted if it's a column shift? I'd like to keep the tilt column that came in my convertible. The car is floor shift.

joe_padavano

What is your question exactly? Converting column to floor shift, or converting non-tilt to tilt?

You can convert a column to floor shift, but you need to find the correct shift bowl (the collar) for your year, and tilt and non-tilt shift bowls are different. These are difficult to find for the 1968 columns. You are likely to be forced to buy a complete column to get that one part anyway. Also, you pretty much need to completely disassemble the column to swap the shift bowl. You cannot convert a non-tilt to tilt.

marxjunk

or you can clip the **** off, and fill it....done it a few times, the cutlass column has a correct looking bowl once you clip it and fill it. just wack off the lever at the bottom.

gotta do something with the neutral switch

wr1970

The answer is yes!

rktolds

Thanks guys. It's a tilt column in my 68 looonnnggg term convertible project. Previous owner was in the process of putting buckets and console in.
The shifter arm is off the column already. Sounds like grinding,patching and painting is the easiest way to use this column.

Matt

Octania

A good way to solve that would be to procure a floor shift tilt column. Your N safety and backup lights switch will be in the console, and tie into the under-dash wiring harness.

If budget prevents using the correct factory tilt f/s column, then, sure, cut and fill and remove the offending protrusion on your c/s tilt column and use it like that. You should still get and use the console mounted P/N/R switching and wiring.

1968 won't neeeeeeed a backdrive to the column lock because there isn't a column lock, though you could leave the column to trans linkage in place, use it as a backdrive, and then use the column mtd N/P/R switch rather than the in-console switching.