Dilemma----console or no console?

[69bronzeT5]

I've been thinking hard about putting a console in my Charger. It's a factory column shift auto with a buddy seat. Since I'm making it pro touring I've been thinking a column shift might put a damper on the whole outlook of the car. So I decided to search for a console and I managed to find a great deal on one from Kelly since he was replacing the one in the Liz. I'll be picking it up sometime in April. Anyways, my view on the car and putting a console in has slightly changed and now I'm considering keeping the column shift. See, my thing is ever since I got the car, I've always loved that buddy seat. It's always had a special place in my heart for some reason. It's just such a cool thing for me. The Duster has a split bench with the center armrest and a column shift so I figured that would just suit by "center armest column shift" need but I don't know, I just have always been a fan of the buddy seat in my Charger. If I do decide to stick to the column, I'll keep the console from Kelly for my Coronet as that'll be a floor shift but I'm stuck between two sides when it comes to the Charger. What do you guys think?

[b5blue]

Keep it stock then. 

[moparstuart]

do what you want it's your car , console's are great i love mine .  My convertible was a column shift also ,had to have buckets and a console.  

[PocketThunder]

Column shift.    That will give you more head room.   


where's by buddy krylon when you need him..

[G-man]

Hi Bronze (sorry dont remember your name).

Im still one of the young people, 26 (not saying others are old but from memory id be closer to your age than others, so we probbably think more like younger people  )

Well what should you do?

Like you said, you are building a pro-touring car and hence a console/floor shift? would be great and correct, so the answers simple. Do that.

BUT.

Im in the same situation as you. The whole column shift/buddy seat is a love/hate thing at the same time.

You see I want to build my car pro-touring also. My first muscle car (1972 valiant VH charger - after my 87 trans-am) was a column shift buddy seat car.

Now I want a 4 speed manual box in my car. When I baught Allens QQ1 blue charger for a very very (extremely?) fair price (Thankyou Allen will always appreciate you for that) it was a Column Shift auto, not the 4 speed I was looking for, however because it was such a fair price i was left with some extra money to buy myself a 4 speed. The reason I wanted a floor shift 4-speed was because I had one in my red charger and I thought it was fun. Didnt have a console though, just had the rubber thing around the gearstick on the floor and that was it.

Having said all this though, there is a niceness to the fact when you sit in a column shift car the entire front section under the dash is clean and open. No stick, no console. (still pretty open with stick only - console is the part I would recomend against). There is just a nice feeling about it being nice and open that I like and with the middle seat which isnt that common adds a nice rare feel to the car aswell.

Im gonna build my car pro-touring style but Im gonna keep the 15" wheels, just make the sway bar t bars etc for handling while leaving the 15"s on.

Im going to drive this blue car as is for time being and see how it 'feels' to me being column shift. I know the valiant was great like that but it was a while ago and wasnt a big V8 either.

Im surey ou feel like "Well I have always liked the buddy seat, it is nice and open in the front, it adds a vintage feel to it, a 'cool' factor to the car and I could always replace 2 bucket seats in the front and add a nice bench seat in the front like the B body superbees and that would just be awesome, but will it work"

Im actually considering a 4-speed on the 'column'. That way you can have fun shifting gears still (fro pro-touring) but have the niceness of the clean front look with no dash, no stick etc and a beautiful bench seat (or 2 buckets + buddy) in the front.

Should you get a console?

Considering its in your heart open feel with buddy seat I would say stick with that, you can always add a manual gearbox to the column. Who can say they got that? , that would be so cool. Open the car, has this real open muscle car feel yet when you start to drive it, its driven like a sports car with that gearstick.

I think that would be great. As said before, I wanted floor shift, Allens isnt, now im also considering KEEPING it column shift and since I want manual, just add the manual to the column, im not sure yet as my hearts not on it 100% but its a good possibility. If your heart is set on it, do it.

But remember, if the main reason you like the column is because its clean and has a buddy seat that can still be done if you get a floor shift manual with NO console, you can still have the buddy seat and still have it nice and open feeling like a column shift car and yet the sticks on the floor to have real fun with (hmmm, having said this, its probbably why i liked my red one so much, it was floor shift no console so it 'felt' like a column car [clean, middle seat etc] but was fun like a floor shift car cause it was on the floor).

Sorry for the long reply but thats kinda what im thinking/conteplating. I guess the closest you can  get to both is a floor shift and NO console.

Here is how it looks as a column though (my blue one)

And the red one is the floor shift manual with no console.

As you will see they both can run a buddy seat comfortablly as there is no console in the way, they both prety much look open and clean like eachother with the gearstick being the only difference (but if the floor shift feels awesome then thats the way you go)

Hope that helps!

[HITMAN 149]

hahahaha lmFao @ pocket... "head room" im almost spit out my milk!!!  

ummmmm lets see... GET IT RUNNNNNNING FIRST!!!!!! for the 10000000 kaziiilionbillllionth time!!!  

go USA!!!!!

but im a console guy... (no offense to you column guys) BUT i don't know why they even made a charger or any other muscle car w a column shifter?!?!?  sorrry i think it's looks horrrrrible in such a beautiful car!!!

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Mine is a column and even though I like it I am planning on going to a floor shift. But the price of consoles, top plates, console door, and lights is just insane. I want a console but I am probably going to get a b&m shifter or something like it and keep the buddy seat. That is the simple and cheaper option for me. 

[tan top]

 Cody , i think  i would put the console in it  as your not doing a stock type rebuild  going with the pro touring thing !  just save all the parts you take off  , so if & when you decide to put the car back to stockish , you have the hardware already & just a bolt in deal 

[mikesbbody]

Console    Pro Touring and Column just dont go together IMO

[BIRD67]

Im all for the "head room" idea, cody, just get the damn car roadworthy first, then, give me the coronet, then keep the buddy seat, you dont see them as much

[richRTSE]

I really like consoles, and I changed my '69 R/T SE over from column shift/buddy seat to console. I really like the floor shifter better than the column. But on long trips, the chrome light bezel on the side digs in to my leg. Pretty annoying after a while...but it looks good.

[bull]

How long do you think it will be before you really have to worry about it?

[A383Wing]

If you come down Cody...I have 2 66's here...one with console, one without....both are 4spd cars....you can get an idea then

[Back N Black]

Can someone define " Pro Touring" for me? 

[PocketThunder]

Can someone define " Pro Touring" for me? 

Off the top of my head, and this is not all inclusive becasue it depends who you ask.

Upgraded brakes, suspension, wheels.  Usually EFI drivetrain, custom interior, etc...  A/C.  Basically a muscle car on the outside with new technology comforts on the inside.

[70charginglizard]

Well if my car would have had that cool little buddy seat I would have stuck with that as well because as you said it's a cool little option. I only converted mine over because it was just a very boring front bench seat with shift on the column and with the recreation projected I was tackling the complete conversion from shift on the column bench to shift on the floor buckets was a no brainer. But you got to do what you feel works best for the look and feel you want. Go with that and I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.

Either way it's all good and long as it's a charger Cody. 

[Patronus]

no no no. no buddy seat, no console... too hard to get into the back seat...
btw... i just cut out my buddy seat (w/brkts) if anyones looking..

[elacruze]

Hey, how about throwing away all those levers, and installing this

http://www.turboaction.com/17255E%205-20-04.pdf

With paddle shifters? Should be easy to sequence the solenoids with relays. Then just find yourself a used Ferrari steering wheel and you're off!

[G-man]

Hey, how about throwing away all those levers, and installing this

http://www.turboaction.com/17255E%205-20-04.pdf

With paddle shifters? Should be easy to sequence the solenoids with relays. Then just find yourself a used Ferrari steering wheel and you're off!

[paironines]

I have a T7 69 that I drove in high school that was a factory column shift car. It was comfortable to lean on the buddy seat when driving but back then, no way was I going to have a column shift car! I got a console, shifter, column for practically nothing and thats the way the car still is, but once in a while I wonder if I should switch it back as my other 69 is a console auto as well. Maybe I want it different just to be different?? Idk. One thing is for sure, those factory auto columns suck to upshift!

[Khyron]

Column shift.    That will give you more head room.   


where's by buddy krylon when you need him..

he's young, I let that one slide

[moparmoynihan]

My 69 was originally a colum shifted auto, with a buddy seat. I converted it to 4 speed. I was going to convert it to a console, but when I drove it with the buddy seat, it was heaven. 4 gears and a buddy seat in my opinion is the way to go. The pro touring look is sweet, you'll will have to run a Tremec 6 speed in that thing. 

[six-tee-nine]

My 69 was originally a colum shifted auto, with a buddy seat. I converted it to 4 speed. I was going to convert it to a console, but when I drove it with the buddy seat, it was heaven. 4 gears and a buddy seat in my opinion is the way to go. The pro touring look is sweet, you'll will have to run a Tremec 6 speed in that thing. 

I have the same idea if you really love the buddy seat and want to get rid of the column shift then weld in a 4 speed hump and buy a 4 gear tranny.
4 gear Chargers are the top imo

[Nitrox]

My vote goes to the bench seat.

[472 R/T SE]

How long do you think it will be before you really have to worry about it?

This...



...and this

[joflaig]

How long do you think it will be before you really have to worry about it?

This...



...and this

That's the ticket. Go for a floor shifter and keep the buddy seat. That's the conversion I had done over the winter. I love my buddy seat, but manually shifting a column shifter is just no fun.

[nakita7]

Doesn't matter if it's pro touring, stock, daily driver, Hemi car, General Lee, wife's car or parts car out back...

...nothing cooler than a buckets/console car, period. 

[Lennard]

Doesn't matter if it's pro touring, stock, daily driver, Hemi car, General Lee, wife's car or parts car out back...

...nothing cooler than a buckets/console car, period. 

[69DodgeCharger]

I just traded away a very nice 68 floor shifter column for a 69 auto on the column setup and got rid of my floor shifter. I just like the clean uncluttered look of no console/buddy seat cars (that's what I have) and the ease and comfort of the shifter on the column. 

[moparmoynihan]

In my honest opinion, the B-body console is terrible looking with an automatic shifter. There absolutely hideous. Column shift or 4-speed, nothing else.