My 69 Z/28 08C project came with a numbers-matching Muncie M20 and a Hurst shifter. The shifter has a round handle with 3/8" threads and the chrome ball is 3.97 ounces. The shifter body is stamped 3138 and has a datecode of 2 8B4 which is February 1968. That seems too early of a datecode for even the earliest '69 Camaros, and way too early for an August '69 car. I understand that Hurst shifters were not installed in '68 Camaros. The 1-2 and 3-4 shifter rods don't have any numbers stamped on them but they have all the correct hardware including the correct '69 stampings on the shift levers. The reverse rod is stamped 5771 and the reverse lockout rod is 5773 which is correct for a 69 SBC shifter. The reverse lever is stamped 5769.
It's my understanding that '68 Firebirds used the same Hurst shifter body, but I read that they use a 5/16" threaded shifter ball which would take a different stick. Is this true? Did Firebirds use the same shifter rods and hardware as the Camaros?
Is this a '68 Firebird shifter or a very early '69 Camaro shifter?
CRG information on shifters used on 1967-1969 Camaros, along with comments of the shifters used on similar year Firebirds:
https://www.camaros.org/shifters.shtml#parts
Quote from: GMAD_Van Nuys on March 13, 2026, 09:32:58 AMCRG information on shifters used on 1967-1969 Camaros, along with comments of the shifters used on similar year Firebirds:
https://www.camaros.org/shifters.shtml#parts
Yes I have read everything on that page and other forum posts but I'm still not sure if the shifter is from a Camaro or a Firebird. I read in multiple places that the '68 Firebird used the same Hurst shifter but they had a 5/16" thread on the handle. Heartbeat City Camaro sells a chrome shifter knob that's threaded 5/16" for these applications. The CRG article says "1968 and 1969 Pontiac Firebirds used the same shifter as 69 Camaros". It's not clear if the Firebirds used the same exact knob, shift rods and levers however. I can't find much about the Firebird shifter anywhere.
This shifter seems to be intact and has all the correct part number stamps on the rods for a '69 Camaro. The car has a lot of original parts, but this shifter seems to have a datecode that's way too early for my car. I find it hard to believe that the prior owner would have ditched the original shifter and put a Firebird one on it.
Basically I'm interested to know if there's any way to distinguish a '68 Firebird shifter from a '69 Camaro unit. I have found and bought a May'69 dated shifter to replace this one if it turns out to be a Firebird one.
I found a posting about Hurst shifters on another website:
https://www.camaros.net/threads/question-about-original-hurst-shifter.200444/
The posting details differences between Hurst shifters installed by GM and shifters that you could buy from Hurst. With a date code from 1968, your Hurst shifter was probably bought from Hurst. The factory installed Hurst shifters for the 1968 Firebird had 5/16" threads, according to the catalog I have from Classic Industries. My friend's 1968 Z28 had a Hurst shifter when he bought the car from the original owner in 1970 and it had a Hurst T-Handle.
Your shifter is from a Firebird.
I have several core 69 Camaro Hurst shifter bodies but I don't believe any would be date correct for your car. Mine are earlier in the model year. I can check with a buddy of mine if you want me to. He rebuilds shifters.
Quote from: GMAD_Van Nuys on March 13, 2026, 11:08:02 AMI found a posting about Hurst shifters on another website:
https://www.camaros.net/threads/question-about-original-hurst-shifter.200444/
The posting details differences between Hurst shifters installed by GM and shifters that you could buy from Hurst. With a date code from 1968, your Hurst shifter was probably bought from Hurst. The factory installed Hurst shifters for the 1968 Firebird had 5/16" threads, according to the catalog I have from Classic Industries. My friend's 1968 Z28 had a Hurst shifter when he bought the car from the original owner in 1970 and it had a Hurst T-Handle.
My shifter does have 3/8" threads, but everything I've read says the '68 Camaro and '68 Firebird shifters had 5/16" threads. That's what's been throwing me off. The shifters bought from Hurst had stops on them, mine doesn't. It's definitely a GM installed shifter.
Quote from: bcmiller on March 13, 2026, 01:25:36 PMYour shifter is from a Firebird.
I have several core 69 Camaro Hurst shifter bodies but I don't believe any would be date correct for your car. Mine are earlier in the model year. I can check with a buddy of mine if you want me to. He rebuilds shifters.
Thanks Byron, I think you're right, but I still wonder what it's doing in my numbers-matching car. Are all the rods the same for the Firebird as well?
Thanks for the offer. I found one that I bought a couple days ago. It has the shifter handle with 3/8" threads and the stamped code is 590721C which I understand is a May '69 datecode. I plan to re-plate and rebuild it. I will be using my existing rods, levers, handle and knob since they're original GM. So I will be selling the Firebird one with the handle and without the linkage and knob.
Shifter rods for Firebird and Camaro are different. At least the GM part numbers are so I assume there are enough differences.
I think the mounting plate is different so the rods are different.
Quote from: bcmiller on March 15, 2026, 01:44:25 PMShifter rods for Firebird and Camaro are different. At least the GM part numbers are so I assume there are enough differences.
So that's what is still puzzling to me. The shifter rods and mounting plate on this shifter are definitely '69 Camaro. The bolts holding the mounting plate to the transmission are correct. It looks to me like this is an intact shifter, but I don't know how to tell. It has cotter pins and spring washers holding the rods on.
I find it hard to believe that someone would have changed just the shifter body out but it's possible. I wonder why they would have done that. Is a '68 Firebird shifter ball the same as '69 Camaro? Are there any other identifying features/marks on a Firebird shifter that are different from a Camaro?
My 1-2 and 3-4 shifter rods are zinc plated as are the levers. The reverse rod and lever are both gray phosphate. I would post pictures but I can't figure out how to do that from my computer on this site.
Pictures: https://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=7809.msg196975#msg196975
This is a pic of the shifter that came with my car, and the new one I bought. Just trying out the pic posting.