The family business had a 75 Ford E-series box delivery truck with a 3 on the tree and a 302 under the hood. 1st gear was unforgiving for those learning how to drive stick. I was about 14 or so when I started driving that one.
3 on the tree
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I learned to drive on a 64 Mercury Comet with a "three on the tree".
The first time I ever drove a floor shift, a 67 VW Beetle, I thought I was in hog heaven!
Only other shift on the column I ever drove was a 61 or 62 Vauxhall that my older brother had. It had mechanical clutch linkage that was always giving him fits.
The first time I ever drove a floor shift, a 67 VW Beetle, I thought I was in hog heaven!
Only other shift on the column I ever drove was a 61 or 62 Vauxhall that my older brother had. It had mechanical clutch linkage that was always giving him fits.
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Originally Posted By: NJC
My Dad's 1965 Chev 1/2 ton had a 3 in the tree with no synchro (the horror!).
It would have had a 2nd and 3rd synchro, just no 1st/re
synchro
Yes, right you are. Thanks for the clarification. I had a 1968 Nova with 3 in the tree and it did have synchro - felt like quite a bonus compared with the '65 truck.
Originally Posted By: NJC
My Dad's 1965 Chev 1/2 ton had a 3 in the tree with no synchro (the horror!).
It would have had a 2nd and 3rd synchro, just no 1st/re
synchro
Yes, right you are. Thanks for the clarification. I had a 1968 Nova with 3 in the tree and it did have synchro - felt like quite a bonus compared with the '65 truck.
I learned to drive, mostly in 1966-1967, on a 1958 Ford LWB pickup, anemic 6-cyl, 3 on the tree. Dad's next pickups- '60 Ford SWB, then later a basic but very nice '69 Chevy LWB w/307 V8- both had column shift.
For a year or two, when I was much too young to drive, we had a couple of old DeSotos, ~1950-52 models, both 3 on the tree.
Lessee- Oh yeah, the family Opels! Rekord sedan and Caravan(Station wagon), circa 1959-60 models, they had 3 on the column to handle the raging 50-HP 4-cyl engines.
Plus the Stupidbaker Lark V8 wagon- it nearly fell on my head while I was installing bushings on the shift linkage! Also- the '53 Chevy Bel Air 2D HT- 3 on the tree. For a short time, about age 20-21, I owned a '65 Ford Custom 500(think lowest trim grade, full size car), 4 dr sedan, 289 V8, ice cold air- & 3 on the column.
It was actually a pretty good car, sold that one cheap to my younger brother David.
I(well, at the time, we) owned a 1956 Chevy Panel Truck for a couple of years, ~1976-78: 3 on the tree also, I think. Plus a starter pedal on the floor!
IIRC, the last vehicle I owned with 3-speed manual column shift was a 63? 62? 61? Ford pickup, with ye olde 292 V8 engine. Bought about 1978, sold ~'81.
I know it really shows my age, but it just seems strange that many have never driven one.
And for those who don't remember, either through lack of exposure, or just plain good luck- the old 3-speed column shift was one area where Fords had it all over Chevys! It was very common to have to get out, open the hood, and "Pop the linkage" on column shift Chevys after a certain amount of age & wear. An old, worn out, otherwise useless good-sized screwdriver was often kept under the front seat of 3ot Chevys for just this purpose.
Such antics, though not unheard of, were required much less often on Fords.
For a year or two, when I was much too young to drive, we had a couple of old DeSotos, ~1950-52 models, both 3 on the tree.
Lessee- Oh yeah, the family Opels! Rekord sedan and Caravan(Station wagon), circa 1959-60 models, they had 3 on the column to handle the raging 50-HP 4-cyl engines.
I(well, at the time, we) owned a 1956 Chevy Panel Truck for a couple of years, ~1976-78: 3 on the tree also, I think. Plus a starter pedal on the floor!
IIRC, the last vehicle I owned with 3-speed manual column shift was a 63? 62? 61? Ford pickup, with ye olde 292 V8 engine. Bought about 1978, sold ~'81.
I know it really shows my age, but it just seems strange that many have never driven one.
And for those who don't remember, either through lack of exposure, or just plain good luck- the old 3-speed column shift was one area where Fords had it all over Chevys! It was very common to have to get out, open the hood, and "Pop the linkage" on column shift Chevys after a certain amount of age & wear. An old, worn out, otherwise useless good-sized screwdriver was often kept under the front seat of 3ot Chevys for just this purpose.
Such antics, though not unheard of, were required much less often on Fords.
Originally Posted By: Stuart Hughes
And for those who don't remember, either through lack of exposure, or just plain good luck- the old 3-speed column shift was one area where Fords had it all over Chevys! It was very common to have to get out, open the hood, and "Pop the linkage" on column shift Chevys after a certain amount of age & wear. An old, worn out, otherwise useless good-sized screwdriver was often kept under the front seat of 3ot Chevys for just this purpose.
Such antics, though not unheard of, were required much less often on Fords.
Yes the "pop the knuckles" Chevrolet shift hangups!! Even the girls knew how to do this if they drove an older chevy.
Embarrassing when flipping a quick shift in traffic.....hangup....coast to a stop someplace for a quick repair...
The Ford linkage was better, but with a pronounced H in the pattern. Chrysler -Dodge - Plymouth was clearly the top choice. Pull out and down for first, the spring loaded shifter pulled the lever back in. First to second shift was an absolutely straight line, no H corner at all. I never saw anybody put a floor shifter in one of these, as reliable lightning fast shifts could be made with the column shifter.
When combined with the overdrive unit, these were VERY satisfying cars to drive, effectively a close ratio 5 speed.
(Overdrive low and straight second were numerically the same, so it was not really a 6 speed)
Of course, with the flathead 6 churning away under the hood, 0-60 was going to take a while.
And for those who don't remember, either through lack of exposure, or just plain good luck- the old 3-speed column shift was one area where Fords had it all over Chevys! It was very common to have to get out, open the hood, and "Pop the linkage" on column shift Chevys after a certain amount of age & wear. An old, worn out, otherwise useless good-sized screwdriver was often kept under the front seat of 3ot Chevys for just this purpose.
Such antics, though not unheard of, were required much less often on Fords.
Yes the "pop the knuckles" Chevrolet shift hangups!! Even the girls knew how to do this if they drove an older chevy.
Embarrassing when flipping a quick shift in traffic.....hangup....coast to a stop someplace for a quick repair...
The Ford linkage was better, but with a pronounced H in the pattern. Chrysler -Dodge - Plymouth was clearly the top choice. Pull out and down for first, the spring loaded shifter pulled the lever back in. First to second shift was an absolutely straight line, no H corner at all. I never saw anybody put a floor shifter in one of these, as reliable lightning fast shifts could be made with the column shifter.
When combined with the overdrive unit, these were VERY satisfying cars to drive, effectively a close ratio 5 speed.
(Overdrive low and straight second were numerically the same, so it was not really a 6 speed)
Of course, with the flathead 6 churning away under the hood, 0-60 was going to take a while.
Originally Posted By: fsskier
Originally Posted By: Stuart Hughes
And for those who don't remember, either through lack of exposure, or just plain good luck- the old 3-speed column shift was one area where Fords had it all over Chevys! It was very common to have to get out, open the hood, and "Pop the linkage" on column shift Chevys after a certain amount of age & wear. An old, worn out, otherwise useless good-sized screwdriver was often kept under the front seat of 3ot Chevys for just this purpose.
Such antics, though not unheard of, were required much less often on Fords.
Yes the "pop the knuckles" Chevrolet shift hangups!! Even the girls knew how to do this if they drove an older chevy.
Embarrassing when flipping a quick shift in traffic.....hangup....coast to a stop someplace for a quick repair...
Thanks for the memories. My parents '67 Chevelle used to pull this stunt all the time!
Originally Posted By: Stuart Hughes
And for those who don't remember, either through lack of exposure, or just plain good luck- the old 3-speed column shift was one area where Fords had it all over Chevys! It was very common to have to get out, open the hood, and "Pop the linkage" on column shift Chevys after a certain amount of age & wear. An old, worn out, otherwise useless good-sized screwdriver was often kept under the front seat of 3ot Chevys for just this purpose.
Such antics, though not unheard of, were required much less often on Fords.
Yes the "pop the knuckles" Chevrolet shift hangups!! Even the girls knew how to do this if they drove an older chevy.
Embarrassing when flipping a quick shift in traffic.....hangup....coast to a stop someplace for a quick repair...
Thanks for the memories. My parents '67 Chevelle used to pull this stunt all the time!
The trick to the Chevy's hanging up is to go in circles with the shifter. If your lucky that will let the pawl thing catch the lever and you dont have to stop and get out to move the lever.
I've been there done that too.
I've been there done that too.
I wonder what percentage of newly licensed drivers know how to drive a three on the tree. Or even what percentage of all licensed drivers for that matter.
Heh heh it happened to a girl I was chasing after HS, She was driving her dad's 65 Chevy work truck and the linkage hung up on her in the main intersection of 1970 Marshfield. She called me from a store and I told her how to re-set the linkage under the hood.
Ah, I always loved that 2nd to 3rd shift.
Valiant, that was a grocery-getter, but I've got a warm spot in my heart for it. Gotta love the name.
Valiant, that was a grocery-getter, but I've got a warm spot in my heart for it. Gotta love the name.
My fifth car was a 1965 Biscayne, 230 six, column shift 3-speed. Loved that car. It had NO options. Manual steering, manual brakes, single speed wipers, no seatbelts, no wiper washers, no backup lights, no radio, no heater. It DID have a dealer-installed York compressor and Mark IV underdash AC, though. White post sedan with red pattern vinyl seats, little vent windows, the car was awesomely simple. Back in 1995 at the age of 16-17 it took me about six months to burn out the clutch and crack the brake distribution block open.
Stupid teenage me, rather than fixing the clutch and brakes for about $600 traded it in for a $3800 1987 Chrysler New Yorker, at the opposite extreme from the simple Chevy. It had power everything, voice alert, leather, alloys, turbo 4-cylinder, electronic radio and A/C, the works. And I also had it for about six months, but this time my Dad got rear-ended in his Celebrity wagon and he used my New Yorker (in his name, I wasn't 18 yet) as a trade-in for a new Buick Century.
As karma would have it, 224K later, he gave the Century to me, to help me start over fresh out of jail in the fall of 2003, and also to make up for taking away my Chrysler back in 1995.
Stupid teenage me, rather than fixing the clutch and brakes for about $600 traded it in for a $3800 1987 Chrysler New Yorker, at the opposite extreme from the simple Chevy. It had power everything, voice alert, leather, alloys, turbo 4-cylinder, electronic radio and A/C, the works. And I also had it for about six months, but this time my Dad got rear-ended in his Celebrity wagon and he used my New Yorker (in his name, I wasn't 18 yet) as a trade-in for a new Buick Century.
As karma would have it, 224K later, he gave the Century to me, to help me start over fresh out of jail in the fall of 2003, and also to make up for taking away my Chrysler back in 1995.
Does anyone know what the last American vehicle with a 3 on the tree was and when it was made? Was it a pickup truck maybe?
Originally Posted By: css9450
Several years ago, I was working at a construction site and the company had a work truck parked there for use as needed, light hauling, etc. It was a beater 80s Ford F150. One day the guys needed it moved because it was in the way, or something like that. N
Looks like they were used into the 80's by Ford on some trucks.
Several years ago, I was working at a construction site and the company had a work truck parked there for use as needed, light hauling, etc. It was a beater 80s Ford F150. One day the guys needed it moved because it was in the way, or something like that. N
Looks like they were used into the 80's by Ford on some trucks.
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