Thanks for all that Mike. Helps me a bunch and also helps others to understand the differences of a bunch of these shifters. I knew you had a ton of experience with 4-speeds, most of the shifters, and all the Muncie transmissions. I was hoping that you might chime in and contribute some knowledge to this thread so again...thanks.
I got a new carpet in today and will now wait for the shifter to arrive. I knew the straight rods might require a cut and was hoping to massage the tunnel alongside the rods. I'll mock it up and cut the shifter hole, then massage the tunnel using a block of wood and a bottle jack to get the lateral stretch needed for the rods. Hoping to gain the clearance so that I don't have to cut the side.