Restoration E-news Volume 1 Issue 4

OPGI Manufacturing News:

Product: 1970-72 Chevelle Wheel Opening Moldings
Product Code: WMK97C (Full Discounted Set)
$109.95 complete

Now In Stock! Finally, after 2+ years of R & D, and with your valuable input, we’re pleased to announce the arrival of 100% original design wheel opening moldings. Why compromise? Factory correct extruded contour and width guarantees an edge at car shows where everything must be precisely matched to the GM factory originals. These have been produced the right way, with new stamped forms (not stretch dies) and premium chrome anodizing, insuring a perfectly simple install. Can be purchased separately (see website or catalog), or in a complete, convenient discounted kit. ORDER NOW >>

Get A Grip

Put the shifter where it belongs with a
column-to-floor-shift conversion.

By Jefferson Bryant / Photography by Jefferson Bryant

The classic musclecar horseshoe-style shifter not only looks good, but brings a certain racy flavor to driving. grabbing that handle and slinging it back to first for a little self-shifting, burn-out inducing fun is a mandatory practice for owners of classic muscle cars.

Doing the same thing with a column shifter is, well, a little weird. It just doesn't have the same adrenaline-inducing machismo that comes with a floor shifter. It actually puts your body in an odd position, all hunched up, shoulders tense, as you carefully move to the next gear hoping you don't miss and go to third or, worse, neutral or reverse.

But what are you going to do about it? If your ride is a GM product, then Original Parts Group has the answer
for you — convert it from a column to floor shift.

If your plans for a floor shift conversion include a factory console, then you must also have bucket seats. We recently covered the process of converting a 1970 Chevelle to bucket seats (see Musclecar Enthusiast, December 2008). While we were at it, we swapped the column shifter for a floor shift and console. You could simply install an aftermarket shifter, but those don't have the same feel or look as the factory unit.

Installing a factory console requires that you have one. Original Parts Group sells all the necessary parts for this conversion, right down to the screws that are used to assemble the console. With the right parts, the job is fairly simple. One area that gets a little tricky is the column itself. There are a few options when it comes to the column. The most obvious is to replace the column with either a factory or aftermarket non-shift column. For those who want to retain the original column, all is not lost. The shift lever can simply be removed and the small stub left in place, or you can modify the original column to make it smooth.

Smoothing the column requires the shifter stub to be sawed off. It may be a little scary to start sawing on the column, but it's not that big of a deal. Once the stub is removed, any remaining stub is ground off and the remaining hole is filled with either Duraglass (a fiberglass reinforced body filler) or better yet, Magnum Steel.

Magnum Steel is a steel-reinforced epoxy putty that is available at any auto parts store. The putty mixes by hand and is pressed into place. Once the putty cures, it is sanded smooth and painted. The one major issue with modifying the column is that the shifter ring on the column can still rotate, if it is not locked. This can cause the ignition switch to lock. Not a big problem as long as you are the one driving, but if anybody else ever drives your car and it gets locked, it is sure to cause some frustration, so keep that in mind when you are making your decision.

In all, the total conversion took about a day. The team at Red Line Auto Sports let us spend the day at their shop in Wilson, Oklahoma, and watch as they tossed the column shift and put it on the floor where it should be.

There are a few options when it comes to the column. The most obvious is to replace the column with either a factory or aftermarket non-shift column. For those who want to retain the original column, all is not lost.

Distributor Tuning with MSD

Your engine’s distributor does a lot more than simply distribute sparks to the right spark plug at the exact moment, which is quite a feat in itself really. Along with this spark distribution it also has the responsibility of triggering the ignition. Whether this trigger signal comes from a set of breaker points opening or an electronic amplifier or magnetic pickup depends on what type of distributor you have. One more function the distributor provides is an ignition curve through a mechanical advance assembly (pre-computer controlled days) which aids in the overall performance of your engine.

One timing setting is not ideal for the variety of rpm an engine runs through. As rpm increases, the engine requires different ignition timing due to a number of changes such as the dynamics of the air/fuel mixture entering the cylinder or the reduction in time that the mixture has to completely combust and burn.

MSD Pro-Billet Distributors feature a mechanical advance assembly that lets you easily tune it to meet your engine’s specifications. This assembly is always mounted on top of the distributor shaft for quick access to make adjustments easy. The advance assembly is made up of precision weights, springs and a stop bushing to limit the amount of advance. As rpm increases the weights are pushed outward by centrifugal force. (MSD added nylon pads to ensure smooth movement of the weights.) The advance plate is attached to the reluctor assembly which triggers the magnetic pickup. As the weights push out, the reluctor moves forward resulting in triggering the magnetic pickup sooner resulting in advancing the timing. Also note that the rotor is attached to the advance plate so rotor phasing is not affected.

To control how quickly the weights are pushed out, MSD supplies each distributor with three pairs of advance springs. These springs hold the weights in until a point when the centrifugal force overcomes the spring tension, which controls the slope of the advance curve. Heavy springs with higher tension slow the rate of advance while the lightweight springs allow the timing to advance rapidly with rpm.

The amount of mechanical advance that occurs is controlled by a changeable stop bushing. These bushings feature different diameters which limit the movement of the advance plate. MSD includes four different advance stop bushings that will limit the mechanical timing to an additional 18°, 21° 25° and 28° (crankshaft).

When setting your timing remember that adjusting it at an idle is only part of the job. The mechanical advance that you set with your distributor will be added to this initial timing to produce your total timing. For example, if you have 10° initial, and have the 21° stop bushing installed in your MSD distributor, the total timing will be 31°.

MSD offers a Ready-to-Run Distributor that produces a nice hot spark to improve combustion and performance. The cool thing for restorations is that this distributor does not require and external ignition box, so they drop right in and you can retain the stock appearance of the engine! You can even remove the MSD red cap and install a points style window cap to be extra stealthy!

Taking the time to tune your distributor’s advance will be beneficial to your vehicle’s driveability. Timing may not be everything, but it a big part of overall performance.

Mechanical Advance
MSD Pro-Billet Distributors feature an adjustable mechanical advance assembly. The advance is always mounted on top of the distributor so you never need to disassemble it to make changes. By changing the supplied springs you can alter the rate that the timing advances. Four different stop bushings can be installed tocontrol the amount of advance.

Timing Chart
This timing chart illustrates just a sample of the different ignition curves that you can create with an MSD Pro-Billet Distributor.