Anybody here every drive a car or truck with the manual shift on the column? We called that 3 On A Tree. I had a 1963 Ford step side pickup and a 1979 GMC fleetside pickup. The Ford was black, with a six cylinder and a thrush muffler. The GMC was white, chrome wheels, V8. They were great trucks.
Driving a manual with a column shift is an art when trying to drink coffee or eat while driving, or while trying to keep an arm around the girlfriend. Both trucks had bench seats of course, and no air conditioning. Fun stuff.
When the linkage would get worn, the shifter would hang up while trying to shift into second (I seem to recall). I had to stop, open the hood, reach far under, and pull upwards on the linkage to get it unstuck. I would wipe the grease on my jeans and keep going.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
I have drove my share too . My Grandfather had a 1959 Chevy Impala with a big six with a three on a tree with overdrive . The overdrive was a lever at bottom of dash by shifter . We had a 50’s Chevy pickup with tree on a tree and you would turn key to on and step on a starter plunger by the accelerator. It was a step side bed with wood floor in bed . Fun river bottom truck . Dan
MNOSD 0002 / Do more than is required of you . Patton
Nothing makes earth so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.
Henry David Thoreau
I think that I recall driving a shift on the column!!! When I worked in construction in the 70's up until the mid 80's I think that I drove every weird truck, lawn mower, bobcat and fork lift imaginable except for an actual semi. I never have driven a semi.
Have you driven a truck (probably 5 speed) with a long 50ft attached flat bed with a L/M/H selector on the shift knob for each gear? I drove that particular truck for a couple of years while installing footings and foundations.
For heavy loads you might go: 1L > 1M > 1H > 2L > 2M > 2H > ...
For no load you might go: 1M > 2M > 3M > 4M > 5M
It's been 30+ years but I drove an old '68 Ford F100 with a 3 on the tree. Once you got the hang of it it wasn't bad. I've always preferred stick shifts, but this would be the ultimate anti theft device today.
Barry
Bonne Journey!
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have! Theodore Roosevelt
I think that I recall driving a shift on the column!!! When I worked in construction in the 70's up until the mid 80's I think that I drove every weird truck, lawn mower, bobcat and fork lift imaginable except for an actual semi. I never have driven a semi.
Have you driven a truck (probably 5 speed) with a long 50ft attached flat bed with a L/M/H selector on the shift knob for each gear? I drove that particular truck for a couple of years while installing footings and foundations.
For heavy loads you might go: 1L > 1M > 1H > 2L > 2M > 2H > ...
For no load you might go: 1M > 2M > 3M > 4M > 5M
First thing I ever drove before I got a license 1965 Chevy dump truck with a 4 speed low/high transmission and a Caterpillar D4 . Big Michigan endloaders are fun but that’s another story. Dan
MNOSD 0002 / Do more than is required of you . Patton
Nothing makes earth so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.
Henry David Thoreau
1st manual I ever drove was dad's 69' Chevy C10 step-side in teal. Hated it(column shift), but I was also only 13 or so. Very complicated finding gears
I've exclusively driven sticks since getting my license, but it's losing the luster it once had on me, as I age. Driving my WRX in heavy traffic drives me crazy anymore....
-Larry
Hebrews 13:6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
MNOSD #0049
In heavy, stop and go traffic, pushing in on a heavy clutch repeatedly will wear you out. It was fun when I was young, but nowadays, I want an automatic.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
Dad told me they used to flip the shift lever over to the left side of the column. Reverse was then pull back and down, the first to second shift was an easy slap down and third for cruising was up and away so the lever was high and out of the way. And you could keep your arm around your girl the whole time.
I did drive one in school when I took Driver's Ed. That was back when they actually taught people to drive.
I think that I recall driving a shift on the column!!! When I worked in construction in the 70's up until the mid 80's I think that I drove every weird truck, lawn mower, bobcat and fork lift imaginable except for an actual semi. I never have driven a semi.
Have you driven a truck (probably 5 speed) with a long 50ft attached flat bed with a L/M/H selector on the shift knob for each gear? I drove that particular truck for a couple of years while installing footings and foundations.
For heavy loads you might go: 1L > 1M > 1H > 2L > 2M > 2H > ...
For no load you might go: 1M > 2M > 3M > 4M > 5M
First thing I ever drove before I got a license 1965 Chevy dump truck with a 4 speed low/high transmission and a Caterpillar D4 . Big Michigan endloaders are fun but that’s another story. Dan
Funny story. All of this talk about construction and I remembered something.
I was born in 1960 and was a hockey jock until I was 18. I was a very straight arrow. All the way up until I was 19, I had never smoked the herb. Well there I was working with a guy my age one Summer in construction and he convinced me to give it a try. I was driving the dump truck. We were both laborers. We were filling gravel in curbs that were under construction. I swear I only took one hit...and the next thing I knew I was laughing my head off and dumped half of the truckload of gravel onto the road.
I didn't do that again for a loooooong time, but it still cracks me up.
In heavy, stop and go traffic, pushing in on a heavy clutch repeatedly will wear you out. It was fun when I was young, but nowadays, I want an automatic.
The first time I stepped on a 1980 Mazda RX-7 clutch pedal was right after I bought one used. I thought the car was mechanically unsound or damaged goods. The resistance was so light, I almost put my foot through the firewall!
