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| Author |
Message |
mcpoz
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60 Dodge
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Apr 13 21:36 UTC 1995 |
Wow! As I was filling my gas tank this evening, a brown 1960 Dodge
Seneca 4 dr pulled in and filled up. (Push Button Trans selector, torsion
bars and all!
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| 44 responses total. |
danr
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response 1 of 44:
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Apr 17 16:02 UTC 1995 |
I used to have a 1964 Dodge something-or-other with a push-button trans-
mission.
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mcpoz
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response 2 of 44:
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Apr 17 17:21 UTC 1995 |
I had one and my dad had 3. I had a 57 DeSoto (Awesome), my dad had a
57 Plymouth, a 58 Plymouth, and a 60 Dodge.
By the way, anyone out there know what other car had push-button transmissions
and where were the buttons?
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omni
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response 3 of 44:
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Apr 17 17:37 UTC 1995 |
My mom had a 62 Lancer, w push buttons, and they were on the left side of
the dash.
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mcpoz
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response 4 of 44:
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Apr 17 19:29 UTC 1995 |
Right, but do you know of a Non-Chrysler Corp car that had push-button
tranny selector? And if so, where were the buttons.
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omni
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response 5 of 44:
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Apr 18 06:10 UTC 1995 |
Edsel. and it was in the center of the steering wheel.
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mcpoz
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response 6 of 44:
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Apr 20 01:22 UTC 1995 |
Astounding display of trivia knowledge, omni!
Do you know when the first fully automatic transmission was offered and
when? (I think I know the answer here, but am not on solid ground).
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omni
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response 7 of 44:
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Apr 20 05:21 UTC 1995 |
Wasn't it the 49 Buick with the Dyna-Flow Transmission? I seem to
recall some LIFE ads screaming something about no shifting, but I caould
be wrong.
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omni
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response 8 of 44:
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Apr 20 05:22 UTC 1995 |
BTW, thanks. I seem to know more and more about less and less, until
finally I'm going to know everything about nothing!
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mcpoz
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response 9 of 44:
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Apr 20 23:47 UTC 1995 |
I think the first automatic was 1942 oldsmobile. I know first hand that
this car was available with an automatic. (My dad had one). The 42 had
a heavy shift lever which would fall and engage reverse if you hit a big
bump. Costly design error!.
I agree about the more&more/less&less comment, too.
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omni
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response 10 of 44:
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Apr 21 06:17 UTC 1995 |
Marc, I looked in my car book and it says that a semi automatic was
introduced in 1937, and an full automatic was introduced in 1938
(the option cost $57 extra; the semi was $80). Hope that does it
for you.
I also noticed that configuration on the 59 Impalae, from "Tin Men"
a movie that used that model car.
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mcpoz
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response 11 of 44:
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Apr 22 00:42 UTC 1995 |
Great info - 1937. You could have taken me for a barley pop on that one.
The "semi automatic" reminds me of the early 50's Chrysler automatics,
some of which were referred to as "Clunk-o-Matic." It had a clutch &
brake, a column mounted shift in an upside "h" pattern. (R,1,2).
If you put it in 1st, you would wind out at humongous rpms at about 12 mph.
If you then put the clutch in and let it out, you would find yourself in
a 2nd gear, good for maybe 35-50 mph. Then you would make a manual shift
to the 2nd shift position (where 3rd is normally) and it would be in the
1:1 drive position.
Normal operation called for leaving it in 2nd (where 3rd is normally) and
you would have a 2-speed transmission (equal to 2nd & 3rd). You would take
off, push the clutch in and out and be in 3rd. No need to put the clutch in
at a stop, only to shift.
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omni
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response 12 of 44:
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Apr 22 03:04 UTC 1995 |
Packard standardized the H pattern for all manuals in the late 20s.
I believe they were also first to use a steering wheel and balloon tires.
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bruin
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response 13 of 44:
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Apr 22 14:03 UTC 1995 |
But what has Packard done lately? Nothing, as Studebaker took over the
company in 1954 and demoted the once-proud nameplate to a fancier model
Studebaker in the final two years (1957-58).
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mcpoz
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response 14 of 44:
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Apr 23 03:13 UTC 1995 |
Yeah! Remember the 1957 Packard Hawk?
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omni
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response 15 of 44:
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Apr 23 06:56 UTC 1995 |
Blasphemer! How dare you mention that car, or should I say devil's spawn!
Packard died in 1954 with the arrival of James Nance. It is my theory
that if Packard would not have entered that unholy alliance, We'd be seeing
some right classy cars today, and not a Caddy in sight ;)
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mdw
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response 16 of 44:
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Apr 23 08:26 UTC 1995 |
The first fully-automatic was very likely offered on a bus, not on an
automobile. Certainly, it was with busses that a lot of the early work
was done. The problem is that, with city start-stop driving, busses had
to make a lot of shifts, and, if the driver was at all careless or lazy,
it was pretty easy for them to wear the transmission and clutch out in
no time at all. Another motive was passenger comfort - the jerks &
bumps as the driver got underway were not particularly nice. An
automatic transmission meant drivers didn't need as much training, and
the busses were less prone to abuse, and more comfortable for
passengers. The company that did much of this research was GM; and for
years afterwards, they had a commanding share of the city bus market.
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mcpoz
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response 17 of 44:
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Apr 23 12:52 UTC 1995 |
A) I detect a strong feeling against "packard" nameplates after '54!
Remember the 3-color model that was a high-series and one of their
last? I think it was called the .... Wait a minute, I just checked
my "car spotters encyclopedia" and it is the Caribbean. BTW, the
body style of the 54 Patrician and Clipper continued thru '56 as
the Clipper Custom Constellation Hardtop Coupe, the Four Hundred,
and the Caribbean.
The ugliest Packard? In my book it was the 1958 wagon (Studebaker clone).
B) Interesting comments on Auto trans & the GM Bus. Makes a lot of sense.
(digression: I think the styles of the older busses was great, with
the slope-back and split windows).
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omni
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response 18 of 44:
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Apr 23 19:44 UTC 1995 |
It's obvious you havn't see the Packard Predictor, Ugly? God yes.
But it predated a lot of things found on other model I had a
picture around here some where, but I can't put my hands on it.
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mcpoz
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response 19 of 44:
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Apr 23 20:57 UTC 1995 |
I looked thru my encyclopedia and could not find a Predictor. I'll keep
looking - this is one I missed. What year was this work of art introduced?
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omni
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response 20 of 44:
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Apr 24 01:58 UTC 1995 |
It was a concept car. I think only one was ever made. The photo I had
showed it parked at the plant on W.Grand Blvd. I wonder what ever happened
to it.
Do you remember the Request? I think it appeared in the mid 50s with
the classic Packard grille. It was made because so many former owners
were displeased with the elongated grill that was so common in the 50's.
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bruin
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response 21 of 44:
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Apr 24 11:06 UTC 1995 |
I remember the Packard Request, and it did produce a "chicken or egg"
dilemma, as the front end resembled that of the first Edsel models.
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mcpoz
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response 22 of 44:
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Apr 24 22:53 UTC 1995 |
Boy you guys have me hands down on these two models. I do not remember
the Request either. Apparantly it was a production car, right?
(& here I thought I knew all the models in the 50's +/-)
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bruin
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response 23 of 44:
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Apr 25 01:28 UTC 1995 |
No, mcpoz, the Packard Request was a prototype for what was to be the
all new 1957 Packard. As you all know, the "all new 1957 Packard"
ended up as a Studebaker look-alike and the final nail in the coffin
for the once-proud Packard name, and the 1958 Edsel ended up ripping
off the Packard Request front end styling.
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mcpoz
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response 24 of 44:
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Apr 25 23:46 UTC 1995 |
Ok thanks for clearing that up. The 1957 model was UGLY!
Do you recall a car that was sold at Sears Roebuck & Co?
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