I recently bought a reproduction Slap- Stick T-handle for my ’71 Charger. The bottom has a bulge and will not fit through the sliding piece in the console top. From what I have been told, they are all like this. How can I make this work?
The 1971 T-handle, P/N 3467051, had a straight shank and was prone to cracking at the lower extremity, good guess that’s why you need a new one. The repros are all based on the improved 1972 design, P/N 3467760, which had a reinforcement bulge at the bottom (see photo below). There are two ways to use this improved handle on a 1971: The quick, and the correct. Quick: File or grind away the bulge until it slips through the slider. The best: Enlarge the opening in the slider using a file, small die grinder, or Dremel tool.
’72-up Slap-Stick T-handles, which the repros are based on, had this reinforcement “bulge” (circled). See text for the procedure to adapt it for use on a ’71 B- or E-body.