Topic: How to tell if a car was an original automatic or manual?

[kcode]

I have a 1966 Hipo fastback that the door tag has it as an automatic, but the door tag is a reproduction tag. I want to verify if it "IS" an original automatic, or if it was a manual when it left the factory.

Thanks for any insight.

[jwc66k]

An unusual first post. Welcome.
A manual transmission would have a hole in the firewall for the clutch rod to the left of the steering colum. Depending on when you car was built, there would be an additional spring from the top of the Z bar to a special bracket in a slot in the firewall.
Jim
OK, not so unusual. My 66 GT Fastback "K" car has a C4 too.

[kcode]

Lol sorry for my first post.

Any pictures of these holes? Thanks

[ChrisV289]

If it was a 4 speed you should have hole 17 (not punched out in the pic) and hole 20 or 29 ( location varies). And a clip at hole 22

[J_Speegle]

Of course if the owner/shop did a good job of making the car a manual at some point in its life its going to be difficult to determine since all of the 4 speed and automatic clues will be there. Is this a complete assembled car or something else?  Hoping that they may have overlooked something or cut a corner leaving a clue.

Of course if this is a stripped car that was never converted then it makes the task much easier. A little more info on current condition and setup would be helpful

Welcome to the site. Hope you find the information and support helpful in your related restoration or maintenance and original needs as well as tasks 

And lastly I'm guessing its not a NJ built K code. Consider adding when and where your car was built - we're going to be asking for that ALLOT of you don't include it somewhere with questions

[rockhouse66]

A genuine 4-speed car should have this hole in the tunnel for speedometer cable entry.  Ignore the other visible hole - it is for the A/C drain.

[sgl66]

Look for the #36 slot in the firewall picture under the master cylinder to determine if it was a 4 speed originally. Given it is a automatic now the 4 speed spring clip bracket if present that goes into that slot will tell the tale.

I believe this was a running change in 66 so depending on build date, it may not be there

[Bob Gaines]

I believe this was a running change in 66 so depending on build date, it may not be there

Good point.Thank you .

[Bossbill]

If it was a 4 speed you should have hole 17 (not punched out in the pic) and hole 20 or 29 ( location varies). And a clip at hole 22

That's a neat pic.
Is that from a thread with the answers?

[jwc66k]

I believe this was a running change in 66 so depending on build date, it may not be there

From "memory", the additional spring, bracket and slot for manual transmissions (4 speed, yes - 3 speed, I don't know) was added on 1 March 66.
Jim

[jwc66k]

- the additional spring, bracket and slot for manual transmissions was added on 1 March 66.

Correction. Per the 75 edition of Ford Car Parts (aka MPC), the addition was 2/14/66.
Jim

[J_Speegle]

From "memory", the additional spring, bracket and slot for manual transmissions (4 speed, yes - 3 speed, I don't know) was added on 1 March 66.

The slot was added to all firewalls once the change was incorporated. So 6 cylinders and V8s, automatics and manual transmission cars/bodies


I will add it to the running change list (not sure how it was overlooked since we've discussed the subject before) and post a focus running change thread. Always hard to apply dates to running changes since we don't know when each car was built or in what order the cars were built but we can at least establish a range and eliminate much of the production year from being in it

[ChrisV289]

That's a neat pic.
Is that from a thread with the answers?

Got it off Facebook awhile ago

[Bossbill]

Might be a good addition to the library.

[J_Speegle]

Might be a good addition to the library.

Sure it might be helpful for all years and models. Would need to be  cleaned up and in a better format. But this one/year would be the easiest since the hard work was done and most of it would translate to 65

Wonder how many straight on firewall pictures I have