[Bob Lincoln]

Welcome to Allpar!

Obviously this was not the factory setup, so a previous owner has done something to cause this. It must be the shift linkage that is messed up, but whether in the column, or between column and transmission, I can't say for sure.

Are you able to shift through all the detents OK? Does the linkage bind at all? Is the lever horizontal when in drive?

 

[Bob Lincoln]

Unless you know all of the previous owners, I'm not sure how you can be certain that the column is the original. I swapped out a column once, you would never know it was not the original.

Nevertheless, consider that the lever has been pivoted too close to the column. When I visualize the linkage, I imagine it being pulled down too far, on the same axis as the column. Perhaps the linkage that parallels the column inside is displaced or moved too close toward the steering box.