Hacked up Transmission tunnel & Doors

jadesville

the polarbear conservation corps protects a polarb
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
Oct 8, 2003
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Gresham, OR
I noticed this evening while removing the aftermarket B&M Megashifter the previous owner routed the cable was through the transmission tunnel brace. In the process of routing the cable, the brace had been cut through and was seperated by a 1" gap give or take in between the spot welds on top of the transmission tunnel. I'm not sure how it is affecting the integrity of the car (it only took me 8 years to find it! :rolleyes:).

I'd like to get some opinions on a repair. The obvious repair would be to seperate the brace from the floor pan and then replace it, however I'm not able to drop the transmission. I would also then have to find an alternative shifter, or move this shifter up 1 1/2 inches, which would put it out of my reach and then I would also have to patch the original shifter hole to remount the B&M. Since the hole is in between the spot welds in the tunnel, I was thinking of trimming the hole, taking some 19" gauge flat stock and boxing the hole on the inside. I would then be able to keep the same shifter location. What do you guys think?









The previous owner also had installed some speakers into the doors. I wanted to try and save these doors, so if they were to be patched, is there a way to replicate the texture on them?


 
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I have no idea how to patch the doors and recreate the texture. I don't think that would be an easy task. I think your best bet is to just put speakers back in for now.

As far as the hole in the tunnel goes, I think unless your attatched to the BM shifter, I would patch that up and put a stock shifter back in.
 
I have no idea how to patch the doors and recreate the texture. I don't think that would be an easy task. I think your best bet is to just put speakers back in for now.

As far as the hole in the tunnel goes, I think unless your attatched to the BM shifter, I would patch that up and put a stock shifter back in.

Don't have the speakers, the previous owner took them out before he sold the car. It had some 6x9's in the package tray, but even with the stereo turned up, you couldn't hear anything. I'm not attached to the shifter, but I'd have to find another one that could be used with a reverse pattern, and most are cable operated so it leaves me with that problem.
 
Don't have the speakers, the previous owner took them out before he sold the car.
Too bad they cut so far up on the door. Weld in a repair section, top and bottom. Use body filler to smooth the repair. Spray with high-build primer, and immediately press a piece of seat vinyl on the primer to create "grain". Paint the door, and install the speaker grill you are supposed to have (see below).

It had some 6x9's in the package tray, but even with the stereo turned up, you couldn't hear anything.
That tells me most or all of your soundproofing was removed by the idiot who chopped the doors. When all the sound deadener is in place, which is a lot, these cars are pretty quiet inside, even if the exhaust is not.

I'm not attached to the shifter, but I'd have to find another one that could be used with a reverse pattern, and most are cable operated so it leaves me with that problem.
No, just put the proper Mustang style lever (you can buy these new) on the trans, then you can use a stock shifter. A properly assembled stock shifter works perfectly, which is more than I can say for any B&M shifter I have ever driven in these cars. Patch the hole, and when you have time, repair the floor and crossmember properly.

DD004.jpg
 
Don't have the speakers, the previous owner took them out before he sold the car.
Too bad they cut so far up on the door. Weld in a repair section, top and bottom. Use body filler to smooth the repair. Spray with high-build primer, and immediately press a piece of seat vinyl on the primer to create "grain". Paint the door, and install the speaker grill you are supposed to have (see below).

Thanks. That door looks great, I'll give that a shot.

That tells me most or all of your soundproofing was removed by the idiot who chopped the doors. When all the sound deadener is in place, which is a lot, these cars are pretty quiet inside, even if the exhaust is not.

There was no reason for the previous owner to ever install a stereo/speakers to begin with. The car doesn't have sound proofing, insulation, interior panels, carpet or a back seat. It was very seldomly driven on the street too and had one chambers.


No, just put the proper Mustang style lever (you can buy these new) on the trans, then you can use a stock shifter. A properly assembled stock shifter works perfectly, which is more than I can say for any B&M shifter I have ever driven in these cars. Patch the hole, and when you have time, repair the floor and crossmember properly.

DD004.jpg

Thanks, It is an idea if I ever return the car back to a street driver. I really do not like the B&M shifter since I have to extend my arm quite a bit to pull through all the gears. I'm going to take a look at a TCI outlaw and see if I could relocate it further back so I could route the cable differently.