I did a T5 swap in my 70 and installed a tri-ax shifter with a pretty stubby shift lever. I wanted a shifter that both looked period and had the correct reach to the driver position since I don’t have monkey arms. I bought a stock equipment 3 speed shift lever and cut the bottom interface mechanism off, welded a tab on, drilled two holes, and voila- stock looking shifter. The chrome has a lot of wear on it since it makes a fantastic hand rest in the original high gear position and now in fourth, but it fits the original aesthetic of the car much better than the Tri-Ax shift lever or most of the forged alu levers available.
Also an added benefit is clear and unobstructed access to the hvac controls, radio, and sight line for the gauges I put in place of the ashtray. So, it allows all the same intended access as the stock setup but with a t5 down below. Since the lever is round, it also works with the reproduction shift boots. I kept the stock 3 speed knob on it for a couple of years and recently replaced it with an ivory ball better sized for my meathooks.
You can do this with any of the modern transmissions using a top-shift two bolt lever like TKO, TKX, T45, etc.
Cool! Nice touch!
I used a chrome plated Hurst lever with stainless steel knob on my TKO600 but I have monkey arms!
This is what I have on the T-5 in my 70 XR-7. It looks close to factory. I could spend a few hundred for a 70 T-handle with the set screw, But I like this well enough. I got the handle through Modern Driveline out of Idaho.
Badcatt- how do you like the T handle? I like the looks, but would think that after a while it wouldn’t either be comfortable, or just not as smooth to use as the classic ball style- I was able to get a custom lever made by a guy on stang net years ago, but I can’t find anyone to make a second copy of the same thing…
I have this one from California Pony Cars on my 68 with a T5:
Looks like they make a 69 version but the 70 4-speed would have had a Hurst lever with a T-handle from the factory. Depends on how period correct you want to look.
Myself I like the T-handle over the ball. As one should not rest their hand on the shifter between shifts My hand spends more time on the steering wheel then the shifter. It is your Cougar, use a handle that makes you happy.
Modern Driveline has a good size line of shifter arms. One may be close to what your looking for.
Shift Levers | Ford, GM, Mopar | Modern Driveline
I came up with this shift lever for my T5 conversion. It was an automatic shift lever for some 1980’s GM car. 1968 XR7 with a quasi 1967ish 4 speed shifter.
I don’t know if my 68 XR7 had it’s original handle or not, but when I bought it, (used) it had a T handle on the 4 spd shifter. It was not like the 70 Hurst handle. Round, slightly smaller circumference through the middle. I’ve not seen any photos of this type handle. It still had it when I traded it in.
Ron
The t-handle works for a lot of people. Since I did the Bud Moore rally car scheme to mine, as in “what if Cougar had participated in the very successful for Ford 1969/70 rally season?”, I stuck with the Bud Moore ball shifter aesthetic. I also like the ball better than the t-handle for whatever reason. But the t-handle is classic period performance aesthetic.
I hate to be a matchy matchy weirdo, but it’s a lot of fun to do the “barn find rally car” thing. The kids really enjoy it.
Modern driveline makes a couple of factory style shift levers for the t-5