'55 Customline 3-speed on the column shifter position

[Rusty Pancelode]

I recently bought a '55 Customline that has the 3-speed shifter that has been flipped to the left side of the column. The pattern is still the same, just flipped over (so reverse is close and down, and first is close and up), and the shifter operates as normal, it's just "clocked" wrong.
I've looked all over the internet, but no-one seems to have typed anything about this particular "mod", at least not that I can find.
The car has all kinds of other mods, but this one is something I want to put back to normal.
I'm wondering if the shift tube comes apart near the shift linkages at the bottom so that it can be reoriented, or what?

Any information you guys can give me will be of tremendous help.

[paul2748]

This was a back in the day mod so we could use our right arm to hold the girl friend. Never took one apart so I can't help on putting it right.

[miker98038]

Out of curiosity, is something modified that they flipped that to clear something under the hood? Exhaust manifolds?

I would have taught my girl to shift, if I’d had a girl.

[Rusty Pancelode]

Originally Posted by paul2748

This was a back in the day mod so we could use our right arm to hold the girl friend. Never took one apart so I can't help on putting it right.

Interesting.
I would have never guessed that.
I would have guessed that someone from Europe owned the car and couldn't stand shifting with their right hand. LOL
Or, that it was some moonshine running thing (since some other mods point in that direction).

Originally Posted by miker98038

Out of curiosity, is something modified that they flipped that to clear something under the hood? Exhaust manifolds?

I would have taught my girl to shift, if I’d had a girl.

That's a good thought, but the shift linkages and stuff are toward the engine (which I think is how it's supposed to be), and the exhaust is all stock at the manifolds (272 V8).

[KULTULZ]

First I have ever heard of it -

Maybe a previous owner was disabled and didn't have use of his right hand?

You say it is clocked over so that rules out anyone installing a CANADIAN assembled car column assy meant for RH drive in the commonwealth.

[Rusty Pancelode]

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The aftermarket turn signal lever is on the right hand side, so...

[Ford Freak]

I am a life long car enthusiast & have never heard of this modification. Perhaps a previous owner only had one arm? The '56 I bought last year was messed up, but nothing like this! lol Your '55 looks like a nice car, so personally I would hunt down another column and put it back to normal. F F

[Rusty Pancelode]

Originally Posted by Ford Freak

I am a life long car enthusiast & have never heard of this modification. Perhaps a previous owner only had one arm? The '56 I bought last year was messed up, but nothing like this! lol Your '55 looks like a nice car, so personally I would hunt down another column and put it back to normal. F F

My dad was a life long auto mechanic and he'd never seen it either.
He was really intrigued when I told him about it, but he couldn't remember how the shift mechanism came apart and he's not up to messin' around under hoods anymore.

The car is pretty decent, and I'm happy with what I paid for it, but it's definitely been modified in several different ways.
Some are good... some are like this shifter. LOL

I did find a PDF document this morning that describes how the shifter assembly comes apart, so it looks like I can partially disassemble it at the bottom (under the hood at the shift levers), flip the shift rod 180* to clock the shifter correctly, then reassemble it to put it back to normal.

I figured it had to be something relatively easy to do, or else it wouldn't have been done in the first place.

Once I get around to tearing it apart, I'll come back and let everyone know the results.
Right now, there's another project in the way.

[Ford Freak]

Rusty- yes, please do keep us informed on this project. My '56 has lots of mods done also. Some were done very professionally, & some done as if a "1st grader" worked on it! Mine has been quite a project since last Oct. Still not road worthy, but I am making progress. F F

[Rusty Pancelode]

Maybe the same guy owned both of our cars? LOL

Mine has a 12V conversion that looks like it was done by an aircraft mechanic, but has a secret compartment, a trick trunk release, and blacked out chrome... Like it was used to run moonshine. LOL

[cousinjd]

It must have been an easy update, changing right to left on shift lever, as I remember doing the same thing to my first car, 1946 Ford 2 door sedan. A friend influenced me as he had done the same to his 1950 chev. I also remember changing it back when I traded to a 1953 Mercury 2 door hardtop. But alas, 65 years is a long time and a lot of cars later. Good luck, you will figure it out.

[Throck Morton]

I remember doing this modification over 40 years ago to my '40 Ford. My older neighbor suggested it, he said they did it to gain a faster shift from 1st to 2nd.
You just had to 'slap' the shift lever down and towards the dash to gain an advantage when racing. He also said you could hug your girlfriend while driving!!
However, I have forgotten the details, but it was fairly simple to do, and to reverse.

[Lamar Wadsworth]

Never saw a '55 Ford car with an aftermarket add-on turn signal unit. I would have thought that all states would have required turn signals on cars by '55. I know some trucks as late as '55 came with a single taillight and no turn signals from factory. I used to have a second series '55 Chevy pickup with a non-matching passenger side taillight and add-on turn signals.

[Rusty Pancelode]

Originally Posted by cousinjd

It must have been an easy update, changing right to left on shift lever, as I remember doing the same thing to my first car, 1946 Ford 2 door sedan. A friend influenced me as he had done the same to his 1950 chev. I also remember changing it back when I traded to a 1953 Mercury 2 door hardtop. But alas, 65 years is a long time and a lot of cars later. Good luck, you will figure it out.

Originally Posted by Throck Morton

I remember doing this modification over 40 years ago to my '40 Ford. My older neighbor suggested it, he said they did it to gain a faster shift from 1st to 2nd.
You just had to 'slap' the shift lever down and towards the dash to gain an advantage when racing. He also said you could hug your girlfriend while driving!!
However, I have forgotten the details, but it was fairly simple to do, and to reverse.

It's cool to get some history as to why someone would do this.
It almost makes me want to leave it.

Originally Posted by Lamar Wadsworth

Never saw a '55 Ford car with an aftermarket add-on turn signal unit. I would have thought that all states would have required turn signals on cars by '55. I know some trucks as late as '55 came with a single taillight and no turn signals from factory. I used to have a second series '55 Chevy pickup with a non-matching passenger side taillight and add-on turn signals.

Yeah, I thought that was odd, too.
AND upon further fiddling... The dash has the factory signal lights at the lower corners of the speedometer.
My '55 Chevy 210 has factory turn signals, so I expected this car to also have them, but I don't really know what's going on with it. LOL

I've only had a little bit of time to play with this car since I'm doing a fuel tank and pump on my van (which keeps becoming more and more of a job). Once the van's running again, the Customline gets a spot in the shop to have a "spa day".