Gearheads, were cars in the 40's and early 50's mostly stickshift? And if

[henslee]

they were, were did they have four gears, (not including reverse)?
And come to think of it, when did automatic transmissions become prevelant?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. 3 on the column.

n/t

[henslee]

3. Even hot rods? I can't see a drag race between two cars w/ 3 on the tree

happening. And I know street racing started then.

[jswordy]

31. Well, it did happen. They converted the tree to the floor and dragged.

Drag racing traces its history back as far as 1913. But Wally Parks organized the first drag race organization and the first sanctioned drag race, an SCTA event, in 1949. Parks went on to help found the NHRA, which held its first race in 1953.

The first 4-speeds came out in the early '60s. The venerable Muncie 4-speed used for decades by Chevrolet was introduced in 1963. Ford's toploader mainstay came out in 1964.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

2. three speed sticks if you're talking American

four speed euro. The first automatic I remember was a (ready for this?)pushbutton. Course, that was a long time ago and my memory aint what it used to be.

[henslee]

4. My dodge dart had a push button automatic.

[RebelOne]

29. Yup, I had one of those, too.

Also had a Chrysler with what was called fluid drive.

[tyedyeto]

5. My parents had a Plymouth Fury that was a push button...

brings back the memories. Have no idea what year the car was, but I drove it in the late 60's. It was purchased used as the second family car. My older bro and I used to argue over who's turn it was to have it on Fri and Sat nights.

[henslee]

6. Is this really your life or are you reciting Springsteen lyrics?

[tyedyeto]

8. Yes, it really happened way back when I was in high school...

What do you mean by Springsteen lyrics?...am a rock n roller but don't really care for most of his music, so don't listen to him except when his songs are played on the radio.

[henslee]

19. Your post just feels like springsteen-like, Americana, nostalgic stuff.

[tyedyeto]

21. Sometimes, just seeing a few words...

brings out the memories. I think the last time I thought about that car was 10 or more years ago and when I saw the push button auto....it all came back.

[henslee]

22. I had a 68 pontiac lemans that was fast as heck and belonged to

my mom. It was a convertible and it was electric blue with a white pinstripe and blue interior. What a car. Fast as hell.

[tyedyeto]

23. Nice wheels!

[henslee]

24. It was basically a firebird -- same chassis. I like its size, not too big

not too little. And with a screaming 8 cyl. engine. I will buy myself this car again one day. I'm sure it can's be as much as a chevy SS or some of the other more desirable muscle cars. Thanks for posting pic.

[MrSandman]

18. Ahhhh....The Chrysler typewriter...nt

[ReadTomPaine]

7. Yep, on the tree, and non synchromesh to boot.

Moreover.. the steering wheel would give about a quarter turn in each direction w/o any steering changes. This is why people are always sawing the wheel back and forth in old movies when they are behind the wheel. It was a different world, most drivers today couldn't start or drive around a block in a car from the 40's.

[gmoney]

10. Speedometer goes to 110!

Very sweet...

[ReadTomPaine]

11. Did you notice the car in the center photo has a record player?

Talk about fully loaded ;) It's a Hudson Commodore Eight, btw. 1948

[Book Lover]

13. I like the middle picture best

but I see only one has the requisite fuzzy dice :-)

[ReadTomPaine]

14. Wow I missed the fuzzy dice!

[DemBones DemBones]

15. Don't forget the choke! Most people today would be baffled

if confronted with a choke as well as a stick shift.

[Book Lover]

16. I sure would!

My father's boat has a choke, but darned if I remember how he uses it :-)

on edit: ohmigosh, how could I forget? I had one of those early RX-7s. It's all coming back now...

[ReadTomPaine]

17. Believe it or not, early RX-7's had a choke on the dash.

That had to be the last car made with a choke sold to the USA.. I think they had them until 1983.

[Ron Green]

30. Our family car, a 1950 Chevy "teardrop," had not only a choke sticking out

the dash, but a THROTTLE! Think about that! Cruise control with no safety shut-off. Yowza!!

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

27. My father restored a '46 Plymouth Convertible...

with a dashboard almost exactly like the top picture you posted there.
I love that car.

[Ron Green]

9. Automatics started to be commonplace around 1955-56, with Powerglide for

Chevy and Fordomatic for Ford. Until then it was 3 on the Tree in Detroit iron, and the odd import would have 4 on the floor.

[ReadTomPaine]

12. Don't forget the Torqueflite!

It was the darling of the automotive press of the day, considered the best auto made in the states for years.

http://www.pkcs.com/Media/Manuals-ATRA-Trans,ID/Torqueflite-404-413and.jpg

[Ron Green]

26. Right you are! My grandfather had a '55 Chrysler Torqueflite that had the

gear selector sticking straight out of the dashboard. Anything to impale ya' in those days, LOL. But it was those "push button Plymouths" that ruled the stock classes at the drag strips for several years.

[jswordy]

28. Nice to see some gearheads here! In HS I owned a '52 Customline...

...with 3 on the tree, and also a '68 Torino automatic.

Yer correct, all of you, that automatic trannies started in the mid-'50s. The Torqueflite was 2-speed, had a friend who had one in a '60 Chevy.

I now am rodding in my shop a '69 Fairlane (same as Torino, basically) that I found stored in a shed. Had not been driven since 1980! It was a 6-cylinder auto (C4). But it will be 429 4 on the floor. I have the '71 429 and RUG toploader to go in it. Going to add frame stiffeners, Mustang II rack, 9" rear, go leather and a/c inside. I have a mechanic and bodyshop background, so I am doing all work myself.

Not very PC at all, no sir. Trying to get it ready for the Hot Rod Power Tour in a year or two from now. Wish it was done now, the Tour is coming right past my town this year. Oh well. Ya can't rush these things, or you'll regret it later.

[MrSandman]

20. Even light trucks...

had either three speed or a "four" speed with a low gear fit not for street use, so effectively three useful gears most of the time.

[Hardrada]

25. My driver's training in high school (1959)

Was with a stick shift so I had no problem with VW Beetles or MG's. First car I had (1950 Cadillac) had power trans.

[DemBones DemBones]

32. By the early sixties, driver's ed was only on automatics,

so I never bothered taking it. I learned to drive with a floor shift and drove nothing but manual transmissions until recent years. Only disability made me switch to driving automatics -- it still seems to me like just steering, not really driving. Loved all my VWs and my MGB convertible, a real thing of beauty!