Few names in the muscle car world carry the same weight as Hurst. Long before short-throw kits and billet handles became commonplace, the Hurst Competition/Plus shifter was the go-to upgrade for drivers who wanted more precise, confident shifts from their factory four-speed. This vintage Hurst Comp Plus 4-speed shifter, now listed on eBay, offers exactly that kind of period-correct hardware. Thanks for the tip, Happy Howard A!
Described as a driver-quality unit, this example includes Muncie linkage and carries body number 2083. It is identified as a “married stick” configuration and is being sold without a tail-housing adapter plate. For enthusiasts restoring or maintaining a classic GM muscle car equipped with a Muncie four-speed, original Hurst components like this remain highly desirable.
The Competition/Plus shifter became popular in the 1960s and 1970s as an upgrade over factory-installed shifters, known for delivering shorter, more positive gear changes. Hurst’s design helped reduce missed shifts and provided a more direct mechanical feel, especially important in high-performance applications. Over time, these shifters became nearly synonymous with American four-speed performance cars.
Because this is a vintage part, it offers authenticity that reproduction pieces sometimes lack. For a period-correct restoration or a survivor car that deserves era-appropriate components, an original Hurst unit can add both functional value and historical accuracy. The inclusion of Muncie linkage further enhances its appeal, particularly for builders working with classic Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, or Buick applications that relied on the Muncie gearbox.
The seller characterizes the shifter as a driver-quality item, suggesting it’s intended for use rather than as a concours display. That makes it a practical choice for someone looking to install and enjoy the tactile feel that made Hurst a household name among muscle car enthusiasts.
Vintage transmission components are often overlooked compared to engines or body panels, but for those who appreciate the details, the shifter is one of the most hands-on parts of the driving experience. There’s something uniquely satisfying about grabbing a Hurst handle and rowing through the gears the way drivers did decades ago.
If you’re restoring a four-speed muscle car or simply want a period-correct upgrade, this Hurst Comp Plus with Muncie linkage could be the right finishing touch. Would you bolt it into a factory restoration, or use it to upgrade your current four-speed build?
At the end of the movie “Sling Blade” after Billie Bob Thornton splits Dwight Yoakam’s head open with a lawn mower blade, he calls the cops to tell them what happened and said “better bring a hurst”.
And them french fried ‘tater’s. Mmm Hmm…
Great movie Jimmy… 🎬
I wouldn’t touch this shifter with a 10 foot pole. It’s incomplete (the mounting bracket is missing), the chrome handle is welded to the body, the seller does list the part numbers of the rods and levers. It’s a recipe for disaster to any potential buyer. The body number doesn’t tell you what it fits, they were often used in a wide range applications, the specific rods, levers, chrome handle and mounting plate are what determine what it actually fits. Unless a seller lists the specific part numbers of all the components or guarantees that it fits a specific application it’s best to keep looking, there is too much downside risk to the buyer.
Steve R
they came welded from hurst back in the day
The earliest Hursts had welded on sticks. The bolt on was years later. The most valuable vintage Hursts have the welded on stick and Patent Pending on the side (no patent number yet).
Thank you for the correction.
Steve R
These were easy to disassemble and rebush. Many aftermarket companies make bushings. I remember a friend’s 71 GTO that had a terrible sloppy shifter and the car wasn’t high mileage. I wonder what I could get for my 70s era Hurst v-gate? I never understood why the factories didn’t focus on quality shifters?
eBay always has several Mr. Gasket V-Gates and Hurst Ram Rod shifters listed. The price is largely dependent on how complete it is, the rods are reinforced and specific to those shifters. The body is universal, the mounting plate and rods determine what transmission they fit, the value varies greatly depending on which transmission they fit.
NOS shifter boots will sell for about $400.
Steve R
This makes me think I should go see what the numbers are on the 2 Competition Plus shifters I have in my stash. They’ve been in there at least 45 years.
I want to go up in the loft (AKA UPSTAIRS)to see what shifter is on that Muncie.
Me too. I have 2 in my stash. No welding on mine
Yep…..have a dozen extra’s myself…..
Happy Howard? 😆😂😆
It’s true, you get more flies with honey, a big “mwah” to the author( does not apply to men authors), I’ve been trying to get a shifter here for a long time. I realize the irony of someone who preaches automatics, and posts something like this, so don’t bother pointing that out.. Steve went on and on about how useless this particular shifter is, and that may well be, but this post isn’t about this particular shifter, it’s about a time in our lives, perhaps many missed, that is quickly disappearing. In fact, just finding this was a tough time. I mean, why with the decline in manual shift, who would want this?
All that aside, the floor shifter was THE #1 accessory to have. Many of us started with the 3 speed shifter, since most of the cars we got were column shift. Many times, no hole was needed to be cut in the floor, there was already a hole from rust. Yes sir( or ma’am), those ’63 and ’65 Valiants went from grandpa Jones to Ronnie Sox , in a few hours. It was so much cooler to have a floor shift than a column shift. In fact, it was embarrassing to even be seen rowing a column shift, best at night. And of course, the Hurst T handle ( sold separately, try and find one today) and all the knockoffs T handles, made any shifter a Hurst. Hurst was on the top end, and pricey, and $75 bucks to a punk kid was a lot of grass cutting, but there were plenty “cheapies”, like Sparkomatic, Mr. Gasket(?), the “Mystery Shifter”( was indeed that) and were poor quality compared to a Hurst. Many a jammed shifter that didn’t happen with a Hurst. I remember the ad, “Happiness is buying a car with a Hurst already in it”. Nothing was spared, from VWs to Hemi Cudas and everything in between. I can’t think of a single more important accessory to have, than the Hurst Competition Plus. Funny, thanks to the modern “lyrics” of songs, I always thought in “Little Deuce Coupe”, it was, “she’s got a competition plus and a 4 on the floor”, now, all these years later, I see, it’s , ” a competition CLUTCH”,,,oh so many wasted singalongs,,,let’s hear those floor shift stories and don’t forget the car(s) you did that too. Thanks and yeah, “Happy Howard”? We’ll see about that,, :)
Oh, 1 more thing, thanks to the staff, who probably open my tips with a bit of trepidation now, but can assure you, t’was all in good fun.
Great read, Howard!
I have to agree, it’s a time in our lives.
My first car was a 56 Chevy 2-door wagon
6 cylinder with 3 on the tree.
Burnt more oil than gas!
One of the first things I did however was to install a used mystery shifter and realized part of the linkage was missing? I had all three forward gears but no reverse? The remedy was to never park the car where you had to back up to get out.
I would get a few gallons of gas and bulk oil and be good for the week.
Had a lot of fun in that old wagon, remove the spare tire install some canned beverages and head for the drive In on the weekend.
Thanks for the memories!
I forgot to mention that you also had ice with the beverages and there was a drain in the spare tire well.thanks again TomG
I want to go up in the loft (AKA UPSTAIRS)to see what shifter is on that Muncie.
Back about 1971I had a k code 65 Mustang 289 Hi Po !with 4 speed! Got in a drag race with a 340 Dodge swinger and GTX 440 I broke the Ford shifter going into 3rd gear! Had to save up about $75 for a new Hurst 4 speed competition + shifter it was absolutely great no missed gears
87Ragtop, my older brother had a 61 Catalina tri-power 4 speed that he bought new. His used to complain about smacking his knuckles on the dash on a hard 2-3 shift. The shifter finally broke off a few inches above the boot. Until he bought a Hurst, he found a piece of copper tube that was the right diameter to slip over the stub. Couldn’t race it like that, but he would remove it when he parked the car and slip it under the seat. Instant theft proof.
Way back when, I had a ’70 Mach1 with the Competion +. I never understood why anybody would have a stock shifter after shifting both.
this author never posts prices… annoying… then ebay sends reminders of the item i was forced to go look at to see the price and how long the auction has left… please just post the dam price… thank you, steve
When in high-school I worked at a NAPA store..We had an actual Hurst Shifter display with gearbox cases mounted. One side had a Compition Plus shifter and T handle mounted to a Saginaw box. On the right side was a 3 speed Saginaw box with a Hurst Syncrolock shifter with a round shift ball. The store owner complained about the cost of the display. But we sold a ton of shifters.
When in college I worked nights at a different NAPA store and I would have to catch lunch on the run just to be able to get something to eat before 9PM. So it was eat and drive at the same time. Shifting my “T” shifter I got barbecue sauce on the “T” handle. Luckily, I had a few minutes to spare before clocking in so I grabbed some window cleaner. It wouldn’t touch the sauced T handle. So I tried some carburetor cleaner, it didn’t do a thing against the sauce either. I went to the shop and dipped a rag into the corrosive hot tank. And the “T” shifter was still soiled. I ended up sanding the barbecue sauce off my ‘T” shifter!
You ate a lot of that sauce?
Yes I did before that time. But switched sandwiches after that. They sure tasted good and I don’t remember the chain name. But I think they went out of business a year or two later. I was definitely concerned about what I was putting in my body after that.
I had a Hurst Ram Rod on my 66 GTO because the factory shifter kept locking up, but what a pain to drive on the street! Better on the track. I think an NOS Ram Rod is about $500-$600.
I would never buy a used shifter. Break down and buy new. Today’s price $400 for just the shifter and another $200 for mounting bkt and linkage. I remember $50 for shifter and I believe the mounting bkt and linkage were included at Nationwise Auto Parts. When will the madness stop?
It’s more like $550+ for the shifter and $300 to $380 for the installation kit. After Holley bought Hurst the eliminated about half the part numbers and moved production to China, reducing their quality.
Steve R
Mallory parts jumped up after it was sold.
early hurst came with the shifter welded on
That’s correct. The earliest Hursts had welded on sticks, and the bolt on stick came years later. The most valuable vintage Hursts have the welded on stick and Patent Pending on the side (no patent number yet). That patent was issued in November of 1965, but it took some period of time after that before Hurst got the number added to new units.
I was riding in the back seat of my buddies Candy Apple Burgundy 72 Chevelle 2dr HT with a 454 cu with a 4 speed. He rev’s it way up then sidesteps the clutch leaving the light, then slams 2nd gear and when he steps off the clutch again it breaks the transmission case completely, all the way around. Instantly the the shifter handle slams the guy in the passenger seat right in the knee and when the driver lets off the gas the handle flips over and slams him in the knee. I’m still laughing about it 45 years later.
Got a milk crate full of them. Was writing down the case numbers the other day to confirm that I had the 63 T-10 and the shifter for it. After 15 minutes trying to sort out the correct rods I decided that more time was needed to match all the 4 gears up. Working in a salvage yard in the 1960’s and 70’s I could grab all the stuff I wanted for wages.
Now 50 years later I always wondered if saving the old speed parts would ever get used again. I am a GM guy my brother is the real hard to find MOPAR guy. The other brother FORD. But GM is all I have left here at the house. I still own mineral rights on my brothers transmissions.