First, let me say that I just spent about an hour reading the results of my "search" for 4th gen console swap info...I learned a ton, but have a question.

I now understand that the 97-02 manual console is the way to go, especially since it will be an easier swap into my '92 Formula than using an auto console from those years. My question is what I do WRT the shift plate and indicator? Do I somehow modify my stock 3rd gen shift plate to use with the new console, or do I use the manual 4th gen console with an auto 4th gen shift plate? Something else even?

Thanks a lot for any light you can shed on my remaining questions.

 

you can use the manual plate to make it easy... OR you can relocate your factory shifter to line up with the new shift plate... A pain in the *** but is possible to do with a little patience... The manual plate wouldnt look bad especially with all the newer cars having the manual looking boots in automatics...

 

Thanks a lot for your response. I just realized that I might have left out some important info...my Formula is an automatic! So, if I use the manual 4th gen plate, I am not going to know what gear I am in. ..

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...okar+indicator

 

you should know your car better than that... you probably never even look when you put it in gear anyway

 

True that. However, I bought this car for my fiance, so it is hers (although I love to drive it and do as often as possible).

 

Teach her how to get it to the right gear by feel.
My auto shifter would go down to OD by just pressing the button in park pull it back slightly, release the button and just pulling it back till it stops.

To go to reverse, I'd just press the button and click the shifter back one notch, then to go forward I'd just pull the shifter back without using the button and it would stop in OD.

From OD to reverse, I'd push the shifter forward till it stops in N and press the button and click it up one notch to get to reverse.

 

Firebirds don't have gear indicators (atleast my 86 and 89), just a light up gear order plate.

 

I'm not sure I follow you...? My car has the little plastic lens with the red tab that points to the gear that you are in, what does yours have?

Zepher, can you enlighten me as to the OD gear? It sounds like you drive your Bird while in that gear, whereas I always put it in Drive. None of my other cars have that OD spot on the gear selector, and I do not yet have an owners manual for my Bird, so I am not really sure what it is for.

I'll run the idea of memorizing shift positions by my fiance, but if she doesn't like it, I'll still need some suggestions as to how to get it so she can see what gear she is in. It is her car after all...4th gen console would be good for her since it has more storage space and the oh-so necessary cup holders.

 

Od is your fourth gear if you just leave it in drive youll never come out of third and waste a whole lot of gasoline. I drive my car in Od all of the timel, especially on the highway

 

My 86 and 89 do not have any form of indicator as to what gear you're in. There's just a plate with the gear order on it that lights up. It's not hard to keep track of if you know what direction your car last moved.

 

Are you serious? Thanks for telling me...we drove way up to Portsmouth and back last weekend, with the car in D the whole time. No wonder the fuel economy was a little less than I expected. So in OD the car will go through all the gears including 4th, whereas in D it won't ever go above 3rd?

Man, I've been into old cars since I was a kid, and so this is pretty lame that I didn't know this. But really, none of my other cars (mostly 60's and 70's stuff) had OD so it just never came up!

 

Well I wouldn't get TOO excited about having an Overdrive. Chances are if you didn't know you had an overdrive, you don't have one. If you don't have a shift plate and you go
Park to Reverse
Then
Reverse Nuetral
then
Nuetral to Drive you would already be in Overdrive.
SInce it goes

Park
Reverse
Nuetral
Over Drive ( Which is an O around a D )
Drive
2
1

So you can see if you shifted directly from N you would have already been in Overdrive.

My Husbands TA doesn't have an overdrive in it.
Mine Does though.

 

I did the 4th gen swap, but did it w/ an automatic console...actually, i originally did the swap w/ a 98+ auto console from a camaro, and later switched to a 96 console from a bird (i made the switch becasue my dash is from a 96, and i wanted the dash and console to line up.... (sacrifices must be made) Personally, i consider the console swap more "difficult" than the dash swap, as there was more measuring, banging, cutting, measuring, cutting, measuring, cutting....and repeated about a million times.The console was basically, bolt it in, now change wiring for several days. If you're up for a little challenge, and would like to see the

P
R
N
OD
D
1
2

then do the automatic console swap, its no biggie just time consuming. If you'd rather not bother, do the manual console. The only reason i wanted the Auto/Console was to say i had gone the extra mile that most hadn't....and, give my automatic the look that an automatic would have from the factory, although, it doesn't function quite like the factory unit....

Also, my 85 does have a shift position plate, but i don't believe it changes colors when you actually get the car in a particular gear (or brightens or anything)....the 4th gen console has a plate also, but there is a unit that can change show what gear you're in...however, it was a causualty of the swap....I also ditched the ugly slide bars that r used on the new 4th gen console because that unit looked kinda crappy, and i thought they looked better w/ a shift boot on it, instead of that little plastic piece of crap....the shifter just looks naked coming through on a auto 4th gen, and they looked much nicer w/ the leather boot as found in the 3rd gen units.

 

pic of mine (disregard that disgrace I call carpet

 

one from the other side, not the shfiter indicator

 

The 93-02 Firebird Dashes are all the same and the 97-02 Center Consoles from the Camaros and Birds are all the same. How did it not line up for you?
We've got the 97-02 console in my brothers 96 Trans Am and it lines up great.

 

gap between the dash and the console....it was about one inch. Put in the correct console for the dash, gap went away...if i swap back, it'll come back....you sure they're the same?

That's my experience w/the different units...my dash is 93-96....console is from that same vehicle, had the 4th gen console in my car originally w/ a 3rd gen dash (98+ console) and that's the one that didn't line up....if i get the chance, i'll snag that console and put it in again so you can see the difference. actually, i'll search my computer, i might even have a picture of it.

 

found em...here we go (old)



new



don't know why they're coming up as links instead of pictures...but, that might help keep the server from gettin to large...tell me if you notice the difference, its basically the same angle to help you out.

 

That is pretty odd. I'll double check my brothers car in the morning and see if it in fact has a gap like yours.

 

Thought of another question. If I use the manual console, what do I do in terms of making my auto shifter handle come up out of the top? A 4th gen manual console will have a big leather shift boot that was not designed to accept my 3rd gen auto shifter, so what's the solution?

Got my eye on one now, so maybe I'll do the swap sooner than expected.

 

do you have a factory thirdgen shifter?

if so, there's no problem. Have to remember, on the 4th gen manual console, you already have a shifter coming through the little hole in the top of the leather boot. On your thirdgen unit, there's a little hole in the top of the leather boot also, so, you just put your shifter through the little hole at the top of that leather boot, and put your shifter handle down on top of it. its cake.

 

If you have a stock shifter it works perfectly.

 

Thanks for the info, guys!