Chrysler Repair: 1993 LeBaron 5-Speed Shift Cable Linkage, chrysler lebaron, scable

Question
Both of the two (forward and reverse) shift cables have come detatched at the transmission linkage.  It appears there was a grommet of some sort that locked onto the ball on the linkage.  Now there's a hole at the end of the scable about the diameter of a quarter and the ball is about 1/4" and obviously not staying in place. Any suggestions how to fix that without buying $400 worth of shift cables.  Nylon zip-ties work for about a year until the dead of winter when they get brittle. Does such a replacement part exist?  The dealer doesn't have it.  

Answer
Hi Geoffrey,
I haven't any experience with the manual shift cables on the LeBaron. But may I suggest a couple of resources:
You might find a manual shift car from the '90's at a wrecking yard where you could view the cables, and if it was from a J-car even remove the cables for reuse on your car. Also, I am active in a Yahoo Autos group called The Chrysler LeBaron Club that has over 1800 J-body owners, and no doubt others with the manual shift set-up have dealt with this problem. So try joining that Yahoo group and ask the question there.
Best of luck.
Roland