Is it possible to shorten the steering column???
09-06-2016, 02:09 PM
#21
If you can find one from a 78, it is about 3" shorter and will bolt up with minor alteration . Jim Shea has a very good paper on this swap. This is what I did in my 75 and the stock dished steering wheel is about 3" from the dash.
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VETFEVER (09-06-2016)
It would seem the 77 and 78 are both shorter. I will try and look up Jim Shea as well. Google him??
09-06-2016, 05:41 PM
#24
Safety Car
I was gonna toss the '79 column into my '75. I realize I need to tinker with the dash trim a little bit. I can't do the fixed column / big wheel on the '75. The car is claustrophobic enough as it is.
-- Joe
09-06-2016, 06:02 PM
#25
Race Director
Thread Starter
I don't know Joe if the 78 and 79 are different. I started this thread to solve the position of the steering wheel in my 75 being too close, and am learning as other members post on here.
Slowly getting educated. I hope others in the know will post on here.
09-06-2016, 07:25 PM
#26
I don't know the difference between 79 and 78 except I have read the 79 has some one only parts. If you can find a 78 and follow Jim Shea's instructions, it is an easy swap and a huge improvement.
09-06-2016, 09:33 PM
#27
Safety Car
I think the high beam switch moved to the column in the late 70's right?
-- Joe
09-07-2016, 06:20 PM
#29
Race Director
Worrying about a 1978 or 1979 and the difference in the two ..as to the best of my knowledge is so minor of a difference that it only matters if you are worrying about originality in the turn signal lever. That is what is coming to mind. I have worked on so many I have racked my brain and can not think of anything that is that important that using either column would make that big of a deal.
I believe the mast jacket tubes of the 1978 and 1979 are the same....so how it fits in the car will be the same....and this is due to the 1978 and 1979 had the same dash panel.
If you go with a 1978-1982 and choose to use the dimmer switch that is on the column...that conversion in the wiring is not hat big of a deal...if you ask me.
There is a mile of difference in a 1975 column versus a 1978-1982 column.
DUB
I believe the mast jacket tubes of the 1978 and 1979 are the same....so how it fits in the car will be the same....and this is due to the 1978 and 1979 had the same dash panel.
If you go with a 1978-1982 and choose to use the dimmer switch that is on the column...that conversion in the wiring is not hat big of a deal...if you ask me.
There is a mile of difference in a 1975 column versus a 1978-1982 column.
DUB
Last edited by DUB; 09-07-2016 at 06:23 PM.