TCI® Outlaw™ Shifter Install

#1 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009, 03:38 PM

This is the installation of a TCI® Outlaw™ Shifter (courtesy of www.Fordmuscle.com) in a '65 fastback with a TCI® C-4 transmission. The TCI® shifter has a really cool pistol grip for a comfortable feel and a very rugged and precise construction. It has an NHRA/IHRA legal reverse lockout feature, and a park/neutral safety switch. It will work with any 3 speed Ford automatic like a C-4, C-6 or FMX transmission, plus 4 speed shift gates are available. It comes with all hardware, 5 feet of heavy duty shift cable and a comprehensive set of instructions.

Here is the shifter without the optional aluminum cover:

An optional quick release aluminum shifter mount is available (part # 618003), but it was not ordered in time for the installation, so I made my own mounting plate using some 1/8" thick x 2" wide steel plate:

The shifter is set on top of the plate, and a 1/4" transfer punch is used to mark the mounting holes for the shifter:

A total of seven 1/4" holes will be drilled in the plate, four will mount the shifter, and three will bolt the plate to the floor of the car:

The three holes that will mount the plate to the floor are drilled in the car floor using the plate as a template:

Seven 1/4" x 1" long studs are cut from some all thread to be welded to the mounting plate, three on one side, and four on the other side:

The studs are "plug Welded" to the plate by inserting them slightly into each of the holes:

The plate can now be bolted to the floor of the car using the studs:

The shifter can now be bolted to the plate using the four studs:

The shifter was mounted further back from the original shifter hole for a better position. The Mustang floor had the perfect indention for the shifter cable to go through, so a hole was drilled and a knock out punch was used to make the 5/8" hole to accept the rubber grommet the cable would pass through:

The wire going to the starter solenoid was hooked to the neutral safety switch to prevent starting the car in gear:

The cable was looped on top of the transmission tailhousing and hooked to the shifter arm that was provided with the kit:

The completed installation looks good. Removing the shifter is as easy as removing the four nuts holding it to the plate:

Story courtesy of FordMuscle.com.