What's the extra shifter for?

[MeatMan]

This is a pic I took of a 65 BFx Cyclone interior. There is an extra lever located just in front of the Hurst shifter.

Anyone know what it was for? Thanks.

[mrmike]

A separate shifter as a reverse lockout.  This prevents reverse being engaged accidentally while racing.

[1972coronet]

They were required starting in the 1968 season ( at least in Super Stock ) , but I'm fairly certain that they were around a few years earlier .

[MeatMan]

5 hours ago, mrmike said:

A separate shifter as a reverse lockout.  This prevents reverse being engaged accidentally while racing.

 

34 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

They were required starting in the 1968 season ( at least in Super Stock ) , but I'm fairly certain that they were around a few years earlier .

Thanks guys! Then I assume it was added during a later racing season than '65/'66.

[OldTrucker]

I haven't seen one of those in a car in over 30 years!

Had one in my 66 Pontiac Lemans!

[Force]

I read somewhere they used three speed shifters on four speed transmissions so you had no reverse gate left and the second shift lever was for the reverse gear, leave the regular one in neutral and use the small lever to shift in to reverse, that way you can't accidentally get reverse when you shift with the regular shifter...but I could be wrong.

Edited January 19, 2019 by Force

[W-409]

Oh yeah, a vertical gate shifter! Been trying to find one for my 1:1 Chevy II Gasser project, but haven't found any of them around here. So, probably I have to start with the regular H-pattern shifter, but one thing is for sure. Not gonna install a boring automatic in that one, four speed is the way to go.