I installed a tach yesterday and didn't want to drill into the dash so I clamped it on the steering column with a hose clamp. I have a C4 with a floor shifter but when I got in and put the car in gear the tach moved to the right. Turns out there is a ring on the column that moves with the shifter. Is this normal or could this car have originally been a column shift?

 

I don't think mustangs ever had column shifts and I cant think of any ring that would be turning on the column.

 

Here's a couple of pics. It is between the ignition switch and the hose clamp. One picture shows a hole in the bottom.
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8...ributor013.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/3...ributor012.jpg

 

Sorry, let me try this.

 

more than likely ford uses the same column as the falcon and fairlane etc in the mustang and just uses a different column surround ?

i know my old 79 pontiac with factory floor shifter was setup like this



i dont have a 70 mustang to compare to( and my brothers 69 cougars outside but its too dark too look) but i imagine theres a rod of some kind hooked to the steering column.

i know on 71-73 auto mustangs they are have a floor shift rod and a rod to the coulmn

 

The Mustang never had a column shift, and did not share a column with any column shift Ford.

Your problem is due to the anti-theft system introduced in 1970. There is a link from the trans to the column, which, when you put the trans in park, allowed a linkage to lock the steering wheel when you removed the key. A similar system was employed on manual trans cars.

 

Any idea what the big hole in the bottom is for? It looks like something is supposed to be in there.