There is no difference between auto and 4-speed,meaning there were no special parts made for the column. The column parts were pre-made and all have the slot in the lower bowl. My original column from my 455 4-speed has it,and I just recently restored two other columns for original 4-speed cars,and they had it too. The only real difference was the switch at the bottom of the column,for the reverse lights. The switch had to be different because the column is in a different clocking position when it is in reverse for an auto vs 4-speed. Now,there were two different lengths of lower bowls,but they all had the slot. Buick and Oldsmobile had the shorter one with the notch,and Chevy and Pontiac had the longer one. The longer one will fit in a Buick,but you will need to modify the linkage for the speedo selector needle. If you want to talk 1969,there was an early style that had a shorter lever at the bottom of the column for the transmission linkage. This was NOT specific to manual or automatic either,as I have seen plenty in both of them.
Thank you all for the great information. "GS Spoken here", very interested in the column. I PMed you with my contact info. Thanks
Thanks. What about bet. column and floor shift other than the obvious part where the shifter attaches? I know the difference bet. the '70 vs. '71-2 columns has been discussed on here, but can you reiterate that as well?
When it comes to the tilts,the only difference between a column-shift and a floor-shift is the lower bowl. The non-tilt pretty much has the same difference except there are two slide plates inside that are slightly different,but will function for a floor shift conversion. The main harnesses inside the columns are the same for tilt and non-tilt. Some of your full-size cars had an extra wire for a different option,but the harness itself will fit either one. The ignition switch is specific for tilt and non-tilt. They lay on opposite sides.
There are other columns that will work in a 69-72,but are not 100% correct in appearance for the 69-72 A-body. One obvious part is the lever at the bottom that connects to the transmission linkage. This is specific for 69-72 A-body. As I mentioned earlier,the very early 69’s had a short stubby lever that was eventually phased out through production. Details are everything and you will want a column with this lever,if you want it right. This examples pictured is for a tilt. The non-tilt has the same lever,but the tube is different.
