Well everyone told me I could throw the newer style **** in my car. So I went to try it out and it won't fit. Explanations or suggestions?

I don't know, if it has the u-clip on the frontside of the shifter, then it should work. If it is the other style then no.

The 1986 IROC used the round **** with the C-clip inside the center of the ****. To switch to a new style shifter, you need to replace the whole shifter mechanism apparently, since a U-clip **** won't mate to the C-clip shaft.

ur car is slow.. y dont u just sell it and get a 4th gen

does it not slide down far enough to get the u-clip in place? That's my experience w/ the 4th gen shifter *****, they don't seem to go down far enough to get it to fit. HOwever, i've got a leather button **** from a 99 camaro in my 85 bird right now. But, the little clip piece isn't in. The big difference, the new **** is so tight on shifter that it's not really required. Also, when u go to remove it, just grab on really hard, and yank up really hard also, and it'll pop right out, no little clips to deal with. But its on more than hard enough for you to drive around with it every day without incident, mine hasn't come off by accident ever, and has been on for about a year.

Think a shifter assembly out of a fourth gen would work? I have one laying around, just don't want to try it if someone knows it won't work.

I'm actually going to look around for a newer style shifter **** tomorrow morning. The 4L60 and 700-R4 are close enough that they should use most of the same stuff. I believe that the 4th gen shifter assemblies are pretty much bolt-in, but don't quote me on that!

Also, didn't the 1990-1992 Firebirds use the larger T-handle shifter? If they did, then that *is* a direct bolt-in.

the shifters between the third and 4th gens seem to be very close to the same, atleast that's my remembrence of my 4th gen console swap. should be able to swap them no problem, i do think that the 4th gen shifter is a tad shorter than the thirdgen unit also, and may provide better clearance to console swappers, but so far, no-one's really bothered w/ it.

OK, my trip to the junkyard confirmed that yes, the 1990-1992 Firebird shifters have a nice big fat T-handle held on with a U-clip. I believe this is the same configuration as the later Camaro (square) shifters, and the handles can be swapped.

The 4th gen shifters have a different bracket setup to bolt them to the floor. I'm not sure if it's worth trying to adapt them for the thirdgen.

so the 90-92 firebird T shifters are larger than the 82-90 firebird T-shifters? interesting...basically, the 90-92 is a 4th gen handle, and the 4th gen handle is also a late model 3rd gen handle, interesting.

I didn't get a look at any actual 4th gen shifter handles, since they had all been pulled off. I only got a look at the shifter mechanisms from them, but the shafts appeared to be the same diameter as the 3rd gen shafts and had the same cuts for the U-clip.

I wouldn't be surprised if GM kept something as simple as a shifter handle. They kept most of the body pan intact, anyway.

guess im confused...firebirds have had the t-handled shifters for years....know my 85 had it, think they were around b4 that also maybe claer back to 82. Don't think the birds had the top-push button since the second gens. Maros did however....

like i had said, i attempted to swap several 4th gen maro shifter ***** onto my 3rd gen shifter. They go on, but i believe there is a minor (very minor) difference in diameter of the shifter pole.

I say this because the 4th gen shifter **** on the 3rd gen shifter pole is very firm. Also, the **** will essentially "jam" itself onto the pole before going far enough to get the U-clip in. You are correct though that they're all held in w/ the same style, u-clip and pole. But, i believe that the positin of the u-clip in the 4th gen is different from that in the third, and the dia. might be different also, even though they will swap...just ditch the u-clip.