hey guys i know this is a common question but what do most guys do in this situation? handbrake is very close to gear stick... do i move the gear stick forward some how ( engine is in perfect position) or can i relocate back the handbrake or even shorten the the handbrake stick ?

I moved my handbrake lever back in my sedan, due to the length of the S13 gearbox.
There is a stiffening plate underneath that needs to have it's spot welds drilled out before you can redrill the holes that hold the handbrake to the topside of the trans tunnel. Once you are happy with the new position, you can re-weld the stiffening plate to the underside of the tunnel.

Because of the borg warner style diff and it's style of handbrake, I had to modify the handbrake cable to feed to the centre of the tunnel anyway. So consider how your handbrake will work, before worrying about the actual handle. You may want to install a handbrake like on non-datsuns where the handle sits beside the seat or under the dash.

yeah i got a comodore diff too sounds like a bit more work lol... im luck in one way as i got a 12a series 2 gearbox and can cut n move the shifter forward 5 cm which is another option...

If you pull your handbrake lever apart you will see that its not to hard to shorten it, from memory you will have to drill out the solid rivets then bolt it back together when finished.

I shortened mine. Took an inch or so off. Took a section of the center rod out as well and welded it. See my project build.

id go with what dattodude said as thats what i did, but i also changed my handle aswell to a R31 Skyline handle, pop-ed out the rivets and machined up a new set (see build)....

I you decide to move it back what I did was cut a rectangle out of your tunnel around the stiffening plate but make it oversize backwards. For example say the stiffening plate is 50x150 (I can’t remember the exact sizes)and you want to move it back 50mm. cut it out say 55 x 200 with the extra 50mm being towards the back set. Spend ages marking out and make sure you cut it out nice and square. The you simply spin the section you’ve cut out 180 degrees and weld it back in. Done. Handbrake moved back 50mm