I had a member PM me regarding Hurst shifters so I thought I would go ahead and post up a few pictures of the lever differences and some other minutia. Here are two factory shifters. on the left is a 70-72. The one on the right is a 68-69 If you look closely, you'll see the levers are different. The 70 and up shifters have notches cut into the holes to accept a rubber bushing- GM#1234418 which are readily available. Here's what they look like- The earlier shifter takes the common white nylon bushing that is available in the Hurst "Pit pack". The shifter handle is a push in/ bayonet style. There is a notch cut in the left/ driver's side of the handle that locks it into the receiver- And if you look into the handle receiver, you can see the stainless clamps and rubber isolators. If you look closely you can see the corresponding clip on the side of the clamp that clicks into the notch in the handle. In order to remove a handle, you have to slide a feeler gauge between the clamp and the handle down far enough to depress the clip. Sometimes easier said than done. They sometimes put up a fight. And here's a bit of trivia- Hurst shipped their shifters with a round Hurst decal covering the center pin so it wouldn't fall out. Although it says "remove before installation" hoe many line workers just jammed the bolt through and tightened it down? And here is a gratuitous pic of the 70-72 shifter I just rebuilt. Came out sweet! Next one I rebuild, Ill post up a tutorial. They aren't that bad to do.
I have a question. I have a Hurst comp plus shifter that the stick isnt removable from the shifter assy. Its made as 1 unit. I see your 68 69 is removable. Any ideas what year the removable handle came along?
Let me preface this by saying Im no expert on Hurst shifters. I just know the 68-72 factory shifters. I suspect your shifter is an early aftermarket/ over the counter style you would buy at a speed shop. Whats the 4 digit number on the mechanism? Is it 2085? Are there stop screws in the front and back of the box? A factory shifter has "3138" stamped into it. In this picture, you can see there is only a small hole in the mechanism. If its an aftermarket Hurst, there will be a 5/16" bolt screwed into this area. The bolts acts as a stop for the levers.
Yes sir mine has the lever stops on it. Definitely over the counter. The handle works perfect in my 67 gs with bench seat, but we think it may have been ordered for a 64 impala. Dads had the shifter since the 60s. Its just the only 1 ive seen as a 1 piece unit
The chrome handle and receiver are basically one piece. There are quite a few on Ebay at any given time. To take the handle off requires a total disassembly
Interesting- 65 Wildcat 4-speed shifters have the 1 piece stick, they are labeled Competition Plus, have bolt stops front and back. I have one apart now, the bottom part of the stick with the tabs is broken. I’ll get some pictures.
I had one of those in my 61 vette the shortest stick and throw bought it at a speed shop for $59 hahahaha
Jason, What the going price (not yours) for a 68 GS Buick bucket seat short console factory hurst shifter?
Good question Marty. For the record, its the same shifter for both the console and non console applications. The 5335 handle is where the bulk of the value is. Not so much the mechanism. A used mechanism after 50 some odd years will most assuredly need a total rebuild and a set of handle clamps and isolators. A Hurst master rebuild kit is $100 and the clamps/ isolators are $50. I would probably change the selector pin carrier which is another $15. So right off the bat, your going to be into a used shifter mech for $165 in parts. A new, plated mech is $349 complete. There's a good, used Buick shifter on Ebay right now for $325 buy it now. I would say that about market value. The chrome handle looks usable in the auction as is or would probably make a good core for a re-chroming. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-72-BU...ash=item3afd52a349:g:ZbQAAOSwuShaVUnB&vxp=mtr
My brother has one from a 68 GS that we sold to Roberta years ago. It only had 46K on it. Nice and not too worn out yet. Should have kept the console, maybe the whole car. He's also got the Muncie tranny too. A few nice divots in that last pic of the ebay listing.
Jason, Thanks for posting this information about the differences in the shifters. I always enjoy reading your post and thanks for the tip on the shifter on eBay. It is headed my way for my 70 GS. Marv.
Just in case you ever wondered what's inside a Hurst Competition Plus shifter. This is actually Brad's (tubecatgs) shifter. The only parts getting re-used are the three levers, the main case and the handle receiver. Similar to Ted's, this is typical of the grunge and rust you will see on an original shifter. Caked on dirt and dry as a bone. And the old parts that get replaced in a complete rebuild- And the same assembly ready for re-installation- And ready for another 50 years of service-
I'm working on my 4 speed. The shifter is pretty good but very dirty. What kind of lube should be used on it upon assembly? I'm thinking lithium grease or graphite.