1984 Cutlass Ciera LS…automatic…4 cyl…I was driving to the store like usual…and I shifted into park…did my errands… came back …not able to shift into reverse drive neutral etc…unless…I now get under the car and shift (linkage ?) manually…could see a cable hanging down beside the shifter…do I need to buy a shift kit or do I just need a simple part?
A cable just hanging down is what we mechanics commonly call a “clue”. This is most likely your shifter cable. Did it come off its mount because of a broken bolt/pin? Or is the cable itself broken? Either of these conditions dictate what part to replace.