Steering Column Cover

[565bbchevy]

I have a tilt steering column with the shifter on it and eventually want to convert to a floor shifter but those steering columns are pretty much non existent around here and if you do find them their pricing makes you think they were made of gold.
So I am wondering if anyone has used this column cover or something like it to cover the hole left by the shifter.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Column-Shift-Covers,2049.html

 

[oldsmobile joe]

i checked your link, not much info. i like the idea. it will require complete disassembly of steering column. no way that can be slip fitted up from the bottom of the column.

 

[565bbchevy]

i checked your link, not much info. i like the idea. it will require complete disassembly of steering column. no way that can be slip fitted up from the bottom of the column.

It's plastic I wonder if you can put a cut in it lengthwise and spread far enough to get it over the skinny part farther down the column.

 

[oldsmobile joe]

It's plastic I wonder if you can put a cut in it lengthwise and spread far enough to get it over the skinny part farther down the column.

i like your thinking. i assume no matter which way it goes on, the column shifter handle pivot area will need to be ground down or cut off.

 

[pagrunt]

A few years back I converted a column shift to a floor shift by grinding & filling the spot for the shifter. Everything functioned as before. It was a tilt column.

 

[Injectedcutty]

I did as pagrunt as well. I chopped the shifter handle nub off, filled with a metal plate and epoxied it in from the outside while holding the filler plate tight from the inside. After some sanding, and a teeny weeny bit of filler, sanding, primer and paint it looks like a factory floor shift column.

EDIT: This is the best pic I could find until I get to the Cutlass next week....

 

[airboatgreg]

I am facing the same thing since I converted to a 4 speed. There are floor shift automatic columns that will work. I think I am going to see if the part is still available from GM. I have to pull column anyways so may swap then. It is a pretty big chore to do so if you have not done one. You need a steering wheel puller and a lock plate depressor. I also thought about grinding off the lug and filling it.

 

[tc1959]

http://www.steeringcolumnservices.com/