Auto transmission selector quadrant problem

[dieselpower]

My 1983 HE has got an irritating problem. I've only had the car a few days but I have noticed that the housing that surrounds the base of the auto selector "T" bar is not fitted properly. See photos below:

Has anybody come across this before? The housing seems to be sitting solidly enough, it's not wobbly or anything but it is clearly not right as I hope you can see in the photos. I'm not too keen on taking things apart but would appreciate any advice as to how to tackle this problem.

Many thanks.

PS Sorry about the upside down photos but I think you get the gist!

[Brakebuster]

i'm afraid you have the wrong ' ski-slope ' fitted to that car

i expect the PO replaced it certain parts due to being cracked and damaged, and to sell the car fitted one from an earlier car with a different profile to the ski-slope

luckily these can be sourced fairly easily depending on you budget

try and get one to match the existing wood in its current faded condition ( they all fade over time ) , as a nice brand new one which will also be more expensive will be a lot darker in finish

hope the shelps

BB

[dieselpower]

Oh dear. Yes that explains it but has left me rather disappointed. One of the reasons I bought the car was because it had the older black ski slope which I like. Unfortunately I did not know that there was a different profile to the ski slopes. Would I be right in thinking then that the correct ski slope profile would not have had a black finish in my car? The car btw was registered 1/1/84 so must have been manufactured sometime in 1983.

[Brakebuster]

yes, you can get the 'HE ' ski slope with black vinyl covering ,

there were three versions ( not allowing for different shifter options )
original version like the XJ6 saloon ( like has been fitted to yours i think ) , the ' HE ' with less of an angle in the ski slope and different cutouts for cigar lighter and cruise switch , and the later ' Facelift ' versions, almost the same as the HE , but made differently

the good news for you is that you can get the correct version and cover with new black vinyl yourself, and would be very easy

where about are you ? i may have a spare wooden veneer one that needs refurbishment, so can be covered in vinyl ( or leather for that touch of class )

also , can you put up a wider shot of the ski slope and up the right way for me to confirm the is the problem

BB

ps, living with what other people have done to our cars is a constant issue, only after 15 years do i think i have finally eradicated the PO , lol


1820 by MyPix on Talk Photography

[dieselpower]

Thanks BB that's good news. I did some googling myself and was relieved to confirm what you say. Apparently the black vinyl ski slopes were used up until 1986 so mine falls well within that. I am in SW London. Thanks for your offer of the wooden one that needs refurbishing, I will try and buy an original vinyl one first and fit it myself. I've no idea how rare these things are though. Hope they're not silly expensive!

[Brakebuster]

i still need to see a wider shot of the console with the ski slope just to confirm that the right one is to be obtained, as the leather console changed shape, hence the change of ski slope

BB

[dieselpower]

Cheers BB, more photos...

[Brakebuster]

better

the good news is that it is the right ski slope , so no need to buy another, however,but there is still a problem ,

I would suggest removing the ski slope, and see if the gear selector mount is in the right place, they are sat on four studs if memory serves, it may have been wrongly put together before somehow,

so your into taking things apart now ,

sorry to mislead you but needed the wider shot to confirm

hope this helps

BB

[dieselpower]

Cheers BB. Time to get brave. On a scale of 1-10 how tricky is this surgery? Don't want to make things worse than they already are! I'm not bad with spanners and stuff, have always serviced my own cars and done simple maintenance.

[Brakebuster]

1 being easy , 10 being hard, this is about a 2 or 3 , its that easy ,

mine is different

but I think you have to lift the armrest, and remove the screws , and gently lift out , removing the cigar lighter wiring on the way

the ashtrays are bolted tot he ski slope, not the car, if you see what I mean

very easy , just don't drop any bits down inside, as you will need Mr Tickle arms to get em out, lol

BB

[dieselpower]

Excellent, I'll give it a go. What could possibly go wrong?

Ted Car.jpg (11.47KiB)Viewed 4731 times

[Brakebuster]

be confident

nothing will go wrong

c04d_1 by MyPix on Talk Photography

BB

[poprivet]

Well, things do go wrong now and then but at least the ski slope looks fine on this one

[dieselpower]

Well, I set to with the screwdriver and it was indeed as simple as BB said. Thanks again for the support/advice. Unfortunately apart from a small crack in the plastic the quadrant seems to be sitting exactly where it is supposed to. The two metal plates that support it are firmly bolted down in their place. The quadrant is sitting solidly on those plates. The fact of the matter is it is just not lining up exactly as it should and it looks like theres nothing I can do about it. I can't believe it came out of the factory like that but maybe it has moved a few mm over the years. I don't know but it is what it is I suppose.

[Mackie]

The black ski slope is intriguing. Can it be identified with certain models?