getrag shifter and second gen seat question

[dennhop]

I just installed a set of second gen seats in my 93, and before I bought the center console cupholders, I was hoping to find some 1st hand knowledge. Has anyone done this, and have you had any interference or issues with shifting, ie trying to grab the shifter handle with the cupholders in place, or the shifter hitting the cupholders? Thanks!

[dennhop]

So I figured out my own question tonight...I'm not entirely sure this would be an issue, if I had the right cupholders, but I realized tonight that the seats I got were actually from a 98 and up; I should have known, since they had the seatbelts in them, but I didn't think that one through. My buddy gave me one of the center console cupholders, but he gave me one for a 94-97. I made it fit, with some dremeling, and here's the final result of the cupholders...


Now, I had noticed with just the seats in, that the shifter seemed to come really close to the front of the center seat, and I wondered if I was going to run into problems with it, when I put the cupholders in...well, I found the answer to that tonight. I did. But, I was able to figure out a solution to the problem. You've heard of the Lincoln locker, I now introduce the Lincoln shifter! haha, sorry, it's getting late, and I'm getting really tired...


I cut the shifter, right above the bend, cut the top piece at a pretty sharp angle, and then welded it back together, so that it bent further forward. It doesn't interfere with the ashtray, and clears the center console with cupholders with inches to spare.