The Hurst Mystery Shifter

Steve Plucker

Steve Plucker

BANNED
In 1964, Hot Rod magazine ran an ad about naming the Hurst Mystery Shifter.

I entered and won a shifter plus a trophy to boot.

Named it "The Starlight".

Did any of you enter that same contest?

Pluck
 
I didn't enter the contest, but in 1966 I bought one. I remember 2 stories about why it was called the "mystery shifter"

"It's a mystery how we made it so affordable"

"It's a mystery what gear you're in"

I'd only driven floor shifts in panel vans, 4 speed, granny low. So it seemed fine to me.
 
I had a Hurst Mystery shifter for a 3 speed, and I remember it working OK. Nothing to brag about though. Sure was affordable on the plus side.

Sal
 
They were the bottom of the ladder in price and unfortunately in quality as well. I suspect it was a basic copy of the first shifter Hurst ever made. They worked OK for normal driving but I've heard of a few of them breaking under harsh use. The Syncro-Loc was a much better unit.
 
I never knew of the contest. I had a couple of them when I was a teenager, and I really abused them, but I never had any trouble with them. They made me a life long believer in Hurst shifters.
 
I knew a guy that had one in a Falcon, we did the clutch (another story...) and he put the shifter back on... with the levers flipped. The pattern was backwards until he figured it out. They were pretty cheesy and wouldn't stand up to abuse.
 
Hurst made some very good, strong shifters,,,
The Mystery shifter was NOT one of them...:rolleyes:




.
 
Steve Plucker said:
In 1964, Hot Rod magazine ran an ad about naming the Hurst Mystery Shifter.

I entered and won a shifter plus a trophy to boot.

Named it "The Starlight".

Did any of you enter that same contest?

Pluck
Click to expand...




I was 6 years old at the time, so no I didn't enter. :) Congrats on your win back then...good name. It must be cool to be a part of automotive history, at least in some small way.



I believe that "Starlight" was also the name of one version of the ultra-cool new body style that Studebaker introduced in 1953. Or maybe Stude used that name before '53, as well...I don't know. I think the Starlight was the two door "pillared coupe" (sedan) and the Starliner was the two door hardtop. Both were beautiful cars. (Of course, Ford also had a Starliner in the early 60's...also beautiful.)
 
I don't know if any of you guys ever made a floor shift by taking a stock shifter off the bottom of the column. A buddy and I welded some brackets onto the shifter, turned it crosswise on the transmission, cut a hole in the floor and had a 3 speed floor shift. Don't remember how long it lasted, he sold the car. But the damn thing worked. Al
 
There was a How-to article on the home made floor shifter in one of the hot rod mags back in the '50s. I made one and put it in my car. I don't remember having any problems with it.
 
It was back in the 50's when we did that, maybe he saw it in the mag. it was as I remember a 48 Ford. I could weld and I helped him. He had removed the linkage pin and turned the shift lever towards the door, he was always doing crazy stuff, guess that's why we were buddy's. Al
 
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