I'm going to start a 5 speed swap into my '89 Caravan pretty soon. I'm just starting the "gather the parts" stage. Have a couple of questions...


I'm a pretty tall guy (seat stays alllllllll the way back), and I'm not sure I'd like the location of the shifter. Also, I can't find any 5 speed vans around here to rob a bracket out of. Also, I'm a little miffed about the lack of a decent size cup holder. So....

If I make a custom center console to move the shifter back (and maybe up a little off the floor), could I just use longer shift cables to make it all work?

How far back from the factory center console is the shifter? I want this van to be a comfortable driver, I drive about 25,000 miles a year. I like to drive a stick (hated dropping the insurance on my 280ZX, but it was just too rusty and loud). I just don't want to lean forward and reach way down for the shifter, I'd like it up by the arm rest.

I've found an '88 Shelby Z in a junkyard with the trans and shifter intact. Would those cables be a decent length to pull this off?