I'm looking at a '70 Duster that is for sale. It has a 3 spd floor shift. I only want the car if i can EASILY swap in a 4 spd. I have the equipment to fab something up if I had to, but I don't have the time.

Charlie S has a 833OD, bell and flywheel, no shifter, that he may be able to turn loose of.

What other options do I have?
How hard is it to find a 833OD shifter?
Is the car and truck shifter the same (except handle?)
Would the 3spd handle work on an OD shifter?
Is the A body crossmember the same, 4spd/ auto?

The low down on the Duster is;
FL car, solid floors and frame rails, rust in the cowl, windsheild frame and rear quarters. SBP rallye wheels, extra set of LBP, headers w/duals, Offy intake, Holley 390cfm list# 8007, 198 motor (I have plenty of 225s laying around), black ext, white/blue bucket int. He's asking $800.

P.S.In '97, two years before I got my first S6 car, I sold a freinds early A body 833, 3.09:1low/1:1 high at a swap meet for $25! Where are the deals like that when I'm buying???

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Slant Cecil

That should be most of the battle right there...
www.car-part.com might turn somethin' up for you. They don't index "Shifter", so do a proxy search by looking for Transmission, 1976 Dart, 4-speed manual. Most any car shifter ought to work (I know A- and F-body 833 shifters will work in an A-body, and I am guessing other-body shifters would also work).
Believe the answer is "no", but could be mistaken.
Usually not hard to have whatever handle you want on whatever shifter mechanism you want.
Thought you said the car already has a 3spd manual...!
Save the conrods! (New bumper sticker, a la "Save the Whales!")
Yeah, I know, I hate that. It works the same way when you go from not looking for a car (at which time the model you want is available by the tens of examples, cheap, in your choice of colors, options, etc.) to looking for a car (everything instantly dries-up!)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks Dan,

I was thrilled when it had the 7" rod motor in it!

I know B body 4spd and auto crossmember is different, I don't know the A body. So 3 spd is the same as 4 spd? Is 3 spd same as auto?

My old '72 4 spd Duster had a bolt on handle. My '70 4 spd Cuda has the clip in handle. I don't know how this '70 3 spd handle is attached.

I just remembered, I do have an extra E body pistol grip shifter, no rods or shift arms. Maybe it will work with the rods/arms from a truck.

One more question, most of the '70-up 318/3spd A bodys I've seen had a 8.75 rear, did any S6/3spd cars get the 8.75? I forgot to took at the rear housing while there.

I don't need this car, but $800!, it's worth more than that in parts! It's hard to pass it up.

Charlie S, I'm outta room for another car, you got any?

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Slant Cecil

OK, I didn't know that (limited experience w/B-bodies)
Pretty sure "yes"; I'll check the FPCs tomorrow at the office for you.
8-3/4" rear was available with any engine/any trans in the A-body from...ummmmmmm...I don't remember the first year of the 8-3/4". '66, '67? through '72. What actually got ordered/supplied is another story. There were plenty of \6-3spd cars in taxicab service, and those mostly had HD everything, including rear axle, but they've also mostly been crushed by now!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

In the A-body, the tranny mount location is the same for all transmissions. In '67 or '68 the cross member changed to accomadate dual exhaust on the v8s.

I recently parted out a 65 Dart GT 273/4 HiPo 4 speed factory AC with an 8 & 3/4 3.23 rear end and . Build date on it was really late in the model year -7/23. I'm guessing because they might have had problems with 273 4 speeds tearing up rear ends (and 8 & 3/4's were probably available by then) this car got it. Buiild moth on the rear end (as best I can tell thru the rust) is 5th or 6th month 65. Also many years ago I pulled an 8 & 3/4 out of a 273 2 barrel 4 speed car. I also parted out a 71 Valiant 4 door sedan that had an 8 & 3/4 in it. I knew the original owner who ordered HD everything possible - except for the motor - a good ol' 225 slant

...a 225 Slant sounds like a heavy-duty engine to me!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Isn't that the truth!

Checked '68, '69, '72 FPCs.

Different 4-speed floor shifter mechanism P/N for each body style. That doesn't mean you can't make a non-A-body shifter work; lots of people successfully use F-body 4-speed shifters in A-body 4-speed conversions. Just be aware that they're not identical so there may be some adaptation work to do. I can't imagine it being major.

Same trans crossmember for all '67-'72 A-bodies, regardless of engine, trans, or exhaust system.

Looks like Z-bar, swing pedal etc. are same between 3- and 4-speed manual-shift A-bodies.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Except for the shifter, which seems to be a minor problem, all answers are what I was hoping to hear.

Which 3spd trans was used in '70? Is it a tough as the 833? I might want to thrash it at the drag strip a few times before changing it out.

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Slant Cecil

Chyrsler changed between Hurst and Inland for the shifters during the years. The Hurst shifters are perfered. The only other differance is that the shifter handles were differant for bench and buckets seats. The floor pan tranny hump are the same for any floor shifted transmision..

The Z-bars and the bars mounting points, along with the bellhousings are differant for '66 and early as opposed to post '67. The arm for the throwout bearing is dependant on the bellhousing. The adjustable linkage is differant, but can be swapped. The plastic bearings for the Z-bar are the same, as well as the bearing retaining clip. The push rod from the clutch pedal can be interchanged.

Luckily, the pressure plate, clutch disk and throwout bearing are the same for the complete 16 year production run. The flywheel changed in '68 when they increased the crank flange diameter. The flywheel is also neutral balanced and can be interchanged between all \6s, with regards to the crank flange change.

Thanks kesteb,
I might find a shifter at the Mopar Nats. I'll be there, swap space M31. I'm going to look the car over a little closer today. I may offer $600 and take it from there.
The seller has only had the car a short while. It belonged to a Chiropracter new, a freind of his was the second owner and had it a long time. Then his freind chose the "Long term solution to a Short term problem". His tool of demise was a .357. Besides bad memories, the seller needs the room to work on his '68 442 Olds. I feel somewhat bad trying to bargain down it this circumstance but I have to do what I have to do.
Charlie S, I'll give you a call about the OD trans.

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Slant Cecil