Why did someone do this???

[Silverback]

More on the continuing saga of my basket case, caugh project car. I found that I couldn't keep it from rolling, I knew that the parking brake was hosed (more accurately someone cut the lines going from it and the back ones were missing entirely), but I coudln't get it in park either.

I finally managed to get it up in the air (on a sloped driveway, without killing myself. No, it wasn't easy) and found this when i got to the shifter linkage:

I guess the significant part is the section welded into the middle. It looks like it's too long by just about that section. it looks like the slotted part has been lengthened, but not enough to actually adjust it to where it will work.

Why the heck did someone do this?


Unless someone out there knows what's going on I either need to cut it and reweld it or find another. I have what I thought was another laying around but it's _completely_ different, similar ends but MUCH shorter and all twisted around.

Also, I guess it would help if I got rid of some of the slop on both ends:

• Anyone know how the stud on the transmission end is held in? it has some slop and I can't see the back of the bracket, and honestly, it was dark out in the driveway, about 28* and my fingers were too cold to feel if there was a nut or something to tighten on the back of the arm (and was a bit afraid of loosening the nut on the arm to pull it out because i don't know what that will leave me with on the shaft and how big a hassle it is to reassemble)
  
• is the bushing/clip for the shifter other end available? My bushing has seen better days and the hole in the middle of it is about 1/8" bigger in ID than the OD of the arm, and whatever clip was originally on it is completely gone, don't even know what I'm looking for, the groove is a bit too big for an e-clip but I suspect that it would hold if I put one on there.
  

 

[turtle5353]

I got rid or all that stuff when i installed my B&M shifter. Its now cable shifted with a bracket that bolts to the tranny. Still use the little arm on the tranny but thats it. I dont run a kickdown for mine. if i want it to downshift quick i just drop a gear manually. otherwise it shifts like a tranny should. You can still run a kickdown linkage but i always found them a pain in the arse to get to work with aftermarket intakes and carbs. Just my 2 cents.