You are probably missing the reverse lock-out rod. If you do not twist it after starting the car your reverse lights will stay on. If you twist it after engine is started reverse light will go off, but you will not be able to remove ignition key until you twist it back to the reverse position.

- Warren

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... Wow ... Nice Camaro :flag::flag::flag:

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As it turns out, the reverse rod was two rotations out of adjustment. Got the car up on jack stands and used a carbide bit as a 1/4” pin to get the Hurst linkages adjusted. Now it shifts like new :beers:

Did not know until now that it’s adjusted that the steering column jacket is supposed to rotate when you shift into reverse. Today I learned...

Funny story:

My best friend in college had a 1969 Chevelle SS396/325 HP 4 speed. The car came without a tach. He liked the hood mounted tach the GTOs had and bought a look-a-like. Came in a black plastic housing. Then he went to Lee Chevrolet in Wellesley, MA (Babson remember) to get a quote for install and paint. It was more than the cost of the tach. So I recommended to him that he return it and exchange it for a column mounted Sun Super Tach which was the same price.

He exchanged tachs and we strapped it to the column, got the wires snaked and all hooked up and started the car. Bingo - worked perfectly. So we're sitting in the car waiting for it to warm up and when it did, he puts the shifter in reverse and the tach moves . We are both staring at it like it just spoke to us. Al looks at me and says; "it better move back when I shift into first" which of course it did. He hated that movement so much he would avoid shifting into reverse as much as possible. Without the tach we never noticed the column jacket rotating.

That’s pretty amazing :smile:

That's interesting, never heard of that before. I do remember that was a big thing in the 70's, cruising around with your reverse lights on. As a stupid kid, always thought it was cool, lol.

It was new for 69. That's what locks the steering wheel when parked. Basically you can't park it and take the keys out until you put the shifter in reverse.

Reverse light switch was also moved to the column so when it rotates it turns on the backup lights.

Easy to spot a 69-up with back drive linkage missing when someone jumps in to start it and the back up lights don't come on, or you see one parked in 1st gear and the keys missing.

Many thought it was a pain and why so many were removed early on. Once adjusted and working properly it's fine. The function never bothered me since I'm one to almost always back into a parking spot.

Neat Z by the way. :biggthumpup:

nothing better that a HO 69 RS/Z

good luck with the car and looks like your on track to fixing your reverse issues!

Back then, many of the headers available did not clear the reverse lock out rod, and called for it's removal. So if we were out street racing or cruising, and we saw a GM car with it's back up lights on, we knew it had headers. Kind of a clue to how stock it was if we wanted to 'have a go'.

Thanks, all, and fun to hear all the stories. Lockout works great now - very satisfying to put in reverse and see the column jacket rotate, knowing all the little details that go into it...