pistol grip in a 69 rr

[69runner55]

back in 70, my uncle and i went to the local plymouth dealer to check out a superbird sitting in the show room. then went outside to look at the new (70) roadrunners. i asked the salesman if there were any 69s left. he said there were some across the street and i went over to look at them. there was a blue 383 car with a pistol grip. the only one i had ever seen. years later a friend of mine said he had a 69 rr he bought from the original owner, and it had a pistol grip in it. this has got to be pretty rare, how many of you have seen this?

 

[droptop]

No 69's came from the factory with a pistol grip. Dealers would do anything back in the day to sell a car. It only took about 5 minutes to change the shift handles.

 

[69hemibeep]

None. But most of them have it now LOL

 

[69runner55]

ok, to play devils advocate here. this car had not been prepped yet, it was still dirty from transport. also, it was probably one of the last 69s built. i worked in manufacturing for 38 years, and i know when we had a model change, we had to use up the previous parts before we used the "new and improved" not trying to start an arguement here, but guess it could be possible?

 

[TOMRR]

ok, to play devils advocate here. this car had not been prepped yet, it was still dirty from transport. also, it was probably one of the last 69s built. i worked in manufacturing for 38 years, and i know when we had a model change, we had to use up the previous parts before we used the "new and improved" not trying to start an arguement here, but guess it could be possible?

I saw a 69RR about 4 years ago at Carlisle that had a pistol grip in it .when I ask the owner he told me it was and end of the production car and he bought it new and that's what was in it .

But then again I tell every one my 69RR is the only one from the factory in 1969 that came with a HP 440 LOL !!! Just Kidding:banana:

 

[droptop]

ok, to play devils advocate here. this car had not been prepped yet, it was still dirty from transport. also, it was probably one of the last 69s built. i worked in manufacturing for 38 years, and i know when we had a model change, we had to use up the previous parts before we used the "new and improved" not trying to start an arguement here, but guess it could be possible?

With these old cars, you can never say never, but it would take a lot to convince me that it happened.

 

[Ranger]

I'm with droptop. As far as I know they all came with the simulated wood shift knob.

 

[69hemibeep]

Never say never but this was a model change year where they had to retool for the 70 model which makes it more unlikely new stock arrived during the 69 run. Is it possible the last run of 69s one or two had bad chrome on the shifter and there ran out of the 69 style at the end of the line inspection? As you can see on just this thread it will be hard to convince everyone. Mine had an after market wing window but that was because it was broke into before the dealer delivered it.

 

[RoadRunnerJD]

I have been involved in this hobby since my first new car which was a 69 Runner bought 9/8/69. It had a plastic woodgrain ball and Hurst shifter with the "block" Hurst letters. I never heard of the factory running out of shifter handles at the end of the 69 model year? A pistol grip is definitely the nicest shifter handle ever made. However, no matter what the story, a pistol grip just will never look correct in a 69 to the purist.

 

[Ranger]

Just a personal thing, but I never liked a pistol grip shifter. I guess I'm just too much of a traditionalist.

 

[Basketcase]

and that's what makes this hobby great. plenty of room for the factory correct, Day Two, and even some of the modern touches. but Just Say NO to Donk Wheels....
I had a Pistol Grip in my last '69, and '68 Charger. Loved it. Like to have another, but they've gotten too pricey.

 

[mahoney0_00_3]

the seats were a fast swap too! the buckets 68 69 to 70 no 1969 made year car came with a p,grip shifter! you could buy a 1970 car in 1969 though!

 

[A12]

ok, to play devils advocate here. this car had not been prepped yet, it was still dirty from transport. also, it was probably one of the last 69s built. i worked in manufacturing for 38 years, and i know when we had a model change, we had to use up the previous parts before we used the "new and improved" not trying to start an arguement here, but guess it could be possible?

But using leftover parts for the next NEW model year is a little different than using NEW parts for a previous under stocked part for the production line. If they ran out of the ball shifter for production for a few cars it would have been very easy to go to spare parts or another assembly plants stock and do an internal order for what was needed and then replace the spare parts department's stock and move the car out the door to the dealership. Another possibility was someone stole the shifter ball and the dealer replaced it with a pistol grip. I never did like the pistol grip too, it just never felt ergonomically correct and probably the reason why few ever copied the design for a shifter. I would think that if it were a ergonomically correct or better design we would see computer mousse in a similar design :tennis: and a joystick is not the same movement or throw as a long 4-speed shifter. I heard some people complain when they use it in a floor mount 4-speed in the '68/'69 B-bodies that they hit the dash with their knuckles on a hard, fast shift to 3rd gear, any truth to that? (also agree with the dealer dress up to a late model year car to try to move it). The "manufacturing" company I worked for, for 33+ years, dealers and customers would do this all the time. Just saying it would have been very easy to get the needed production line parts from the company's spare parts department or another manufacturing plant to get it completed correctly. Also how would the assembly line have had the new part at the assembly point at that time. I thought the plant and assembly lines were down during the change over to the new model year start of assembly. Be a huge mix up if new and old parts were in the same area during final previous model production and most likely no room for both old and new parts for the most part (pun intended) :apple:

 

[RoadRunnerJD]

Hit my knuckles shifting to third in my 383 all the time even after installing special bushings in the stock shifter mechanism where the shifter rods go into the holes in the mechanism and transmission side plate levers. My A12 had a Hurst Super Shifter in it. It had a long handle that reached above the lower dash with a a white ball and adjustable stops built into the mechanism to limit the shifter handle throw. It was still a long throw but I never hit my knuckles in that car! Hitting my knuckles shifting to third brings back a lot of memories. I power shifted through a lot of gears in my time...

 

[Ranger]

I've had people at car shows reminisce and ask me if I ever bang my knuckles on the dash. I have yet to do that on this center console shifter and don't recall doing it on my first one (47 years ago) with no console (slightly different shift handles on each).

 

[droptop]

A set of these will shorten the shifter throw if your knuckles get sore. These 71-74 B body linkages will solve that problem. Or, you could do what I did a long time ago, just drill a new hole in your current linkages.

 

[ALFERALFER]

If you are going to put the wrong one on, use this one.

 

[quikbird]

T handle was very popular back when. my routine was usually 1-2 shift and then slap the glove box back closed that just popped open, and shift to 3 and yes, smack your knuckles on the dash and then off to 4th. aah well, seriously fun times!! :cheers:

 

[ACME A12]

If you are going to put the wrong one on, use this one.

View attachment 9895

Yeah, I like the T-Handle too. Bambi has a Hurst Competition Plus shifter with the stock '69 stick (yes, I had to drill holes in the base to mount it) and a T-Handle. I absolutely love that set-up.

 

[Basketcase]

one time banging my knuckles going to 3rd, and I learned to push the pistol grip....and a lot better in a '69 than hitting the plastic dash in a '70.