4-Speed Floor Shift - Front Channel Chop

[Tias]

I picked up a partially dismantled 69 Sporta while back and am just in the process of dealing with the floor pans. I thought it had a 3-speed transmission with a floor shift conversion, but after pulling the transmission, scraping the layers of gunk off, and a bit of education thanks to google, I end up having a 4 speed toploader. So the 5 speed conversion is on the back burner and I am sticking with what I have transmission wise for now.

The PO looks to have had no hesitations in butchering the floor pans, including removing the driver side front channel portion which angles.

For those of you who have done this conversion, how much of the channel did you actually need to cut out (photos would be great)? I am contemplating putting on a 1" body lift and then figuring out what a decent repair solution would be in order to add some floor support here again, but maybe I am worrying about nothing if everyone with the 3 on the floor conversion are also cruising around with a bunch of the fwd channel removed.

 

[broncodriver99]

Which toploader do you have? Old school close/wide ratio or overdrive? Either way the toploader is only about an inch longer than the standard 3 speed so you shouldn't have to butcher the floor pans or floor supports. Pics of what you have going on would help a lot.

 

[stoker]

I installed a top-loader a few years ago. I didn't have to cut into the floor channels at all.

 

[Tias]

Alright, sorted out contributor status. Let's see if I did this correctly.

You can see where the PO cut out a bit of tab to pull up on for accessing the driver side bolt for the transmission crossmember. Super handy, but I think I might skip this feature on the new floor pans...

It is a 4-speed wide ratio, not the OD.

 

[Brent13]

Looks like a dog chewed that hole!!!!

 

[Master Chief]

Wow! The person who hacked up my tunnel is a surgeon compared to what you have.

 

[Toddpole]

Looks like a dog chewed that hole!!!!

I was thinking it looked like it was precisely chopped out with a dull ax.

 

[LOVNBRONCOS]

I did the NP435 swap and had to cut the channel. I don't think you have anything to worry about except how your going to patch it up. I just made covers for the cut outs never had a problem, When I had the floor 3 speed I made a cover for that also.

 

[broncnaz]

Yep forward channel didn't need to be cut. With a body lift you should need even less of a hole. That hole is almost big enough to install the tranny from the side.
I ran a toploader for years back when it was pretty much the only option out there. For the street it was a good transmission but offroad it sucked more than a 3sp.

 

[Tias]

Thanks for the photos, they were helpful. That's a pretty slick looking cover you put together there, LOVNBRONCOS.

Although it doesn't look like having the front channel cut is a big deal, I think I'll peice together a transmission hump channel from some rectangular tube in order to provide some strength in that section.

I sure wish the PO would have cared a bit more about what was hiding under the shiny stainless steel transmission cover!