Adapting "PARK" to 59 Fury
Adapting "PARK" to 59 Fury
During my Fury's rebuild, I changed the 318/cast iron Torqueflite combo to a '68 383 and 727 Torqueflite from a '63 Chrysler 300. The 727, of course, has a "Park" function actuated by a separate cable. In order to made this function active on the car, and make the installation look more "natural", here's what I did.
1. Removed the "Park" lever from the dash assembly of the 63 Chrysler, separating it from the cable going down to the transmission.
2. Fabricated a sheet metal box that would fit in the space to the left of the current parking brake handle. I attached the handle assembly
to the box, using the handle's original attaching bolts. (Picture 1)
3. This box/assembly was attached by 4 bolts to the lower left cowl; this area is normally covered by the cardboard kick panel. (Picture 2) I positioned
the box and lever assembly so that PARK is activated when the lever is "up," and deactivated when the lever is "down" My reasoning for this was
that it would be almost impossible to accidentally hit the lever with my knee and move it "up" while the car was in motion, thus causing much
ratcheting noises and probable damage to the park function in the transmission. (Picture's 3 and 4)
4. Reconnected the parking sprag cable, adjusted, and tested. All was OK
5. This installation is not idiot-proof, unfortunately, and I must remember to disengage the PARK function before I try to move the car. If I forget, and
put the car in "Drive," the engine has more than enough torque to overcome the parking sprag, followed by the above mentioned ratcheting
noises. The original '63 installation disengaged PARK automatically when you pushed any of the motion buttons.
6. Cut a new kick panel cover to fit the box.
7. In the interior photo, you can just barely see the shiny lever button down in the left corner of the dash, just to the left of the emergency brake
handle; look for the white pedal for the windshield washer pump--it's right on top of that.
8. All of this is easily removed should I decide to put all the stock components back on the car.
1. Removed the "Park" lever from the dash assembly of the 63 Chrysler, separating it from the cable going down to the transmission.
2. Fabricated a sheet metal box that would fit in the space to the left of the current parking brake handle. I attached the handle assembly
to the box, using the handle's original attaching bolts. (Picture 1)
3. This box/assembly was attached by 4 bolts to the lower left cowl; this area is normally covered by the cardboard kick panel. (Picture 2) I positioned
the box and lever assembly so that PARK is activated when the lever is "up," and deactivated when the lever is "down" My reasoning for this was
that it would be almost impossible to accidentally hit the lever with my knee and move it "up" while the car was in motion, thus causing much
ratcheting noises and probable damage to the park function in the transmission. (Picture's 3 and 4)
4. Reconnected the parking sprag cable, adjusted, and tested. All was OK
5. This installation is not idiot-proof, unfortunately, and I must remember to disengage the PARK function before I try to move the car. If I forget, and
put the car in "Drive," the engine has more than enough torque to overcome the parking sprag, followed by the above mentioned ratcheting
noises. The original '63 installation disengaged PARK automatically when you pushed any of the motion buttons.
6. Cut a new kick panel cover to fit the box.
7. In the interior photo, you can just barely see the shiny lever button down in the left corner of the dash, just to the left of the emergency brake
handle; look for the white pedal for the windshield washer pump--it's right on top of that.
8. All of this is easily removed should I decide to put all the stock components back on the car.