Unless you can shift like Ronnie Sox, automatic transmissions are simply more consistent when racing on the dragstrip. When it comes to street driving, however, most will agree that there’s no better feeling than rowing through the gears of a manual transmission. The quick and positive gear changes associated with a high-quality shifter assembly can accentuate the effect, but a sloppy shifter leaves much to be desired.
The Competition Plus shifter from Hurst Shifters features a high-quality shifter body, heat-treated linkage rods, and adjustable gear stops to improve shift quality and overall feel when compared to an original. Shifter No. 391-8791 is specific to Second-Gen Firebird models with a Super T-10 transmission. The Install Kit (No. 373-8609) contains the correct shift rods and necessary hardware for complete installation. The pair retails for less than $400, and installs quickly and easily.
While most performance Pontiacs originally equipped with a manual transmission featured a factory-installed Hurst shifter assembly, and it was a step above the shifters used by the competition, the Hurst linkage that Pontiac chose for its production vehicles was designed with cost in mind. It wasn’t quite as smooth as the aftermarket shifters that Hurst’s reputation was built on.
Hurst’s Competition Plus has been popular with hobbyists for decades. A reliable, race-proven design, the Competition Plus unit is a strong, smooth-shifting assembly that is capable of enduring the harshest gear-change punishment. Hurst Shifters continues to produce this shifter for a number of vintage Pontiacs, and we’re told the shifter kits for Second-Gen Firebirds continue to sell well.
Our ’76 Trans Am’s original Hurst shifter was worn from 30-plus years of use, and in all the years we’ve owned it, we felt that it never shifted as smoothly as a performance shifter should. While at least one independent company offers a rebuilding service to restore its original functionality, it wouldn’t likely shift as well as a genuine Competition Plus. It took just one more missed gear to finalize the decision, and after a quick trip through Hurst Shifters’ online catalog, we had a new Competition Plus shifter assembly and Installation Kit on its way.
The swap-out was easy and the project was completed in a couple of hours. We noticed a dramatic difference in the overall feel of the shifter and how positive it made the transmission shift. It didn’t take long for us to gain enough confidence to bang a few gears, and the new shifter performed just as we expected.
Follow along as we install a Competition Plus shifter kit in our Trans Am and dramatically improve its shifting ability for a few hundred dollars.
Author’s Note: The actual shifter install was performed in or under the vehicle, but the tight confines made it difficult to photograph the entire process. Wanting to provide our readers with a clear depiction of each step, some of the photos were taken using a spare transmission fastened to an engine stand.
Reusing an Original Hurst Handle
The Hurst Competition Plus Shifter handle is constructed of flat steel, while the original Firebird shifter handle is constructed of round bar stock. Hobbyists less concerned with originality wouldn’t give the non-stock appearance of the Competition Plus handle a second thought, but if maintaining original appearance is important to you, we found a way to combine the improved performance of the Hurst Competition Plus shifter with an original shift handle.
