Installing tail-shift trans in a side-shift car
 

I'm acquiring someone else's '73 914 project car. The engine and transmission were lost somewhere along the way and replaced with others. They are bolted in the car, but not hooked up. The current transaxle is a tail-shift unit but the car originally had a side-shift unit. I think I have the parts of both the side-shift and the tail-shift linkages...I'm seeking advice on installing the shift linkage. Will the set of tail-shift linkage parts work, will I need to fabricate some parts, should I just dump the tail-shift trans right away in favor of a side-shifter... Thanks.

I have replaced the shift bushings in both and told the owner of the tail shift the I would rather replace the tranny than replace all the bushings in the tail shifter. That being said, you have to open up the tranny to do the conversion, as some of the internal linkage needs to be swapped to the side shifter.

There are other parts that you will probably need too. The side shifter has a different shaft that goes from the shifter inside the car to the trans. You also might need an engine mount bar. The bar that holds the engine in the car and bolts into the engine mounts. The side shifter engine mount bar has a big hole in the middle of it where the tail shifter doesn't. If you need parts to convert it back to side shifter I might be able to help, I have a few.

Picture of the side shifter linkage:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/914/Parts/Pedals/shift_linkage_side_big.htm
On this picture you will need numbers 19-30

The original shifter (for side-shift) is installed in the car and the linkage is reportedly in a box. The previous owner was smart enough to get the tail-shift linkage (at least part of it) when he got the replacement transaxle, but it sound like adapting the linkage will be an adventure...do you think the best solution would be to convert the transaxle to a side-shift?

Yes.

The differences are: The transmission (at least a few internal parts, plus the tail cover, plus the shift console on the side of the trans), the whole gear shift linkage including the shift lever in the cockpit, the motor mount bar, the inboard mounts and their brackets, the outboard mounts.

When going the other way, you need a special bushing for the hole in the firewall where the linkage comes out. There is no bushing made for the side->tail swap, so you will have to make your own or adapt something else.

Since you're missing some of the linkage already, plus the bar and mounting hardware and such, it is probably easier to find a side-shifter and bolt it in...

--DD

easy to swap out the shift rods inside the tranny to convert the tail shifter to a side shifter. The adjustment procedure is in the manual too.

Dump it and get a side shifter.....