by Jon Mikelonis

Introduction
Do you think you could make an accurate guess at what some of the best selling performance products are? Don't contemplate the answer in terms of individual manufacturer names or broad product categories like camshafts, carburetors, or wheels. Try thinking about product types, or more specifically, try thinking about exact Stock Keeping Units (SKUs). Thumbing through the Summit catalog and evaluating your own consumer habits might help you come up with an educated guess. Do you think the Mr. Gasket open plenum four-barrel carburetor gasket would make the top ten list? How about the Edelbrock Performer Series Carburetor? Or, what about the MSD 6AL? Unfortunately, FordMuscle doesn't know the answer but you can bet your life that on some computer within Summit Racing headquarters resides an Excel spreadsheet that would tell the story, and more. For now, we'll have to rely on our own market observations if we want to speculate on an answer. Observations like the fact that one week before the start of Hot August Nights in Reno, Nevada there sat two strategically positioned end-displays at the massive Summit Racing Retail store. One with a stack of 20 Edelbrock Performer Series Carburetors and the other with a stack of B&M Megashifters. And what about products like the legendary Hurst Quarter Stick which still receives dedicated shelf space at most nationwide automotive chain stores? Does this tell you anything about the popularity of certain performance products?

Let's stop intellectualizing speed part sales and begin discussing our
individual need for an item that must fall within one of the performance
aftermarket's most popular product categories. Automatic Floor Shifters. Top names in the industry including B&M, Hurst, TCI, and Turbo Action all offer floor mounted shifters for Ford applications. In our case we were eager to convert the factory column shifter in Project Torino over to something better suited for quick shifts. Most importantly however, we wanted the feel of positive engagement while retaining some period accuracy in the Torino cockpit. The Hurst Quarter Stick, part number 3160009, was the logical choice for this 70's era project car.

The Hurst Quarter Stick is a relatively universal kit suited for Fords
equipped with a C4 or C6 and Chryslers with the Torqueflite 727 or A-904. The unit we required was designed for a forward shift pattern, or stock valvebody. Those wishing to accommodate a reverse valvebody would need to use Hurst part number 3160014. Either way, both are universal kits meant to fit many different Ford cars. Experience has taught us that any performance product that is not absolutely specific to a particular make, model, and year, can pose some surprises on installation day. We'll cover the audibles we had to call during this installation in the following pages. Before we begin, let's take a look at the shifting operation of the QuarterStick.

Detent Operation
One of the best features behind an aftermarket floor shifter is the ability to "slap" your 1st-to-2nd gear change without a thought or concern about overshifting into 3rd. The chart below shows the detent operation of the Quarter Stick with a forward valvebody, like the one in our big block C6. If you study the chart carefully, you'll see that the only trouble area is the shift from 3rd-to-Neutral (step 9). Under hard racing conditions, it is possible to slip a shift from 2nd straight into Neutral. Perhaps there is a reason for this design that FordMuscle is unaware of.

detent (def.)
A catch or lever that locks the movement of one part of a mechanism.

For those who wish to have worry-free shifting from 1st-to-2nd and from 2nd-to-3rd, the Quarter Stick for Ford C4 or C6 with reverse valvebody (part number 3160014) is the way to go. Of course, your tranny will need to have a reverse valvebody to benefit from the built-in detent stop action for both shifts. Regardless of which shifter you require, both come with a reverse lockout to comply with NHRA safety rules which prevent you from accidentally shifting into reverse.

The following chart, showing the detent stops, is based on a diagram provided within the Quarter Stick installation instructions.

Forward valvebody Shift Pattern

If the chart above is more than you care to know or study, this video demonstrates the detent stops quite clearly.

Test Fitting
Probably the most important part of installing any aftermarket shifter is making sure it's going to agree with your seat(s) and dash. In our case, we had a bench seat and a forward slanting dash that appeared to cause some conflict. In the end, our test fit caused our seat to come about one inch from full forward and created no interference with the dashboard. Most floor shifters are installed in bucket seat cars, in our situation the decreased seat movement was nominal since a full foward bench seat places the driver much too close to the steering wheel.

Here is the contents of Hurst Part No. 3160009. The kit also includes brackets for a C4 transmission and a Chrysler Torqueflite 727. The two brackets shown here are for a C6.		We ordered the optional quick-release aluminum mounting bracket. Hurst Part Number 1950210. The bracket is not required since the shifter can be bolted directly to the floor. However, the wider footprint makes for a more rigid installation.
Don't get fooled, the aluminum cover shown on the QuarterStick retail box does not come with the shifter itself. This is the optional aluminum cover, Hurst Part Number 1950225.		We got started by removing the pin that retains the neutral safety switch. Since we were using the optional mounting bracket and cover, the forward quick release pin would now be retaining the switch.
It was time to mock up the shifter on the floor and examine the throw. First, we slid the shifter into the optional bracket. The shifter and bracket made a perfect interference fit.		We placed the shifter in a comfortable location and moved the seat through all positions.
By placing the shifter all the way forward and into the Park position, we confirmed there would be no conflict with the lower dashboard.		Likewise, we confirmed there would be no interference with the bench seat when the shifter was all the way back and into First gear. We sacrificed a small amount of forward seat travel to position the shifter in a comfortable location.