My brother has a '97 with that shifter, and I just did the conversion to my '98. Not too bad, really. I got the shifter and console out of a wrecked '00 Jimmy. Then I bought the shifter cable from GM that corresponded with that year truck with that console. That was only $35. The worst part was getting the shifter assembly to sit flush with the console. We had to put like 5 washers under the bolts in the back, and 2 or 3 under the front. Maybe it got a little bent up or something in the wreck. I dunno. The only problem with this deal is that it the gear indicator doesn't work. It only registers when it is in park. The console shifter has to be left in the park position if you want to remove the key. Oh yeah, you can now take out the key in any position if the vehcile is shut off. Just some of the little nuances. The console shifter has a plug for the brake-trans shift interlock wiring harness, but I couldn't find it under the column anywhere. So we just tripped the solenoid and left it at that. Oh yeah, there's no more reverse lockout either. Won't go in park though. Let me know if you want more details.
Jeff